Karmelo Anthony, a black teen who was convicted of murder for fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf, a white teenager, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by a jury in Collin County, Texas. The sentencing was handed down just hours after Anthony was convicted.
The sentencing occurred hours after the guilty verdict, which the jury reached in under three hours of deliberation. Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the April 2, 2025, incident, was tried as an adult under Texas law.
He faced a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison for murder. Due to his age at the time of the offense, he was not eligible for the death penalty or life without parole.
During the sentencing hearing, the defense presented limited testimony from Anthony’s mother, who asked the jury for mercy, describing him as her firstborn son and stating that he was sorry for his actions. The prosecution countered by emphasizing the impact on the victim’s family.
The jury ultimately rejected any reduction based on “sudden passion,” which could have lowered the maximum sentence to 20 years in some circumstances, according to a report from NBC News.
BREAKING: Karmelo Anthony has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf in 2025 after the same jury found him guilty of murder earlier today.
They rejected the sudden passion claim.— MaryAnn Martinez (@MaryAnnreports) June 10, 2026
Under Texas law for a first-degree murder conviction with a determinate sentence, parole eligibility generally occurs after serving half of the sentence or 30 years, whichever is less, though specific calculations depend on factors such as good conduct time and board decisions. For Anthony’s 35-year sentence, this means he will become eligible for parole after serving approximately 17.5 years.
He will be around 36-37 years old at that point, assuming no adjustments. Actual release is not guaranteed and depends on the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles’ review of his conduct, rehabilitation progress, and other criteria.
The trial lasted eight days and featured testimony from over 20 witnesses, including students present at the event, first responders, and coaches. Surveillance video and 911 calls were also presented, while Anthony did not testify himself.
The incident took place on April 2, 2025, at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, during a district-wide track meet affected by rain. Anthony, a student at Centennial High School, was under the Memorial High School team tent when members of that team, including Metcalf, confronted him and told him to leave.
Multiple witnesses testified that Anthony refused and made a number of statements such as, “touch me and see what happens” while reaching into his backpack and later, “punch me and see what happens.”
One witness testified that Metcalf responded to Anthony’s challenge by saying, to the effect of, “Dude, I’m not gonna fight you at a track meet.” Witnesses indicated Metcalf did not appear interested in escalating to a physical fight.
After being told to leave upwards of 15 times, according to witnesses, Metcalf eventually lightly shoved Anthony. At that point, the killer reached into his backpack and produced a knife before fatally stabbing Anthony in the chest.
BREAKING: Jury finds Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in death of Austin Metcalf. – CBS News Texas pic.twitter.com/CHONolfZht
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) June 9, 2026
The case drew national attention and led to tension outside the court house as the verdict was read. Anthony received significant support from black nationalists and anti-white organizations, a number of whom donated more than $600,000 for his legal defense.
Anthony’s family ultimately spent much of the donations on a new home and luxury vehicle, which led Anthony to at one point request a public defender before ultimately obtaining private council.
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