Following Karmelo Anthony’s sentencing to 35 years in prison for the 2025 murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, the victim’s parents delivered emotional statements directly to the convicted teenager inside the Collin County courtroom.

The hearing came after Anthony was sentenced for the fatal stabbing that occurred during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. Authorities said the incident began under a team tent during inclement weather and escalated into a confrontation that ended with Metcalf being stabbed in the chest. Anthony, now 19, was arrested at the scene and has maintained that he acted in self-defense.

The case had already drawn widespread national attention, driven in part by heated online debate, protests outside the courthouse, and broader discussions that included racial framing of the incident, along with reports of harassment and doxxing linked to individuals connected to the trial.

During the victim impact phase, Austin Metcalf’s mother, Meghan Metcalf, addressed Anthony directly as he sat at the defense table, occasionally lifting his head slightly.

“We will never know what our future could have been,” she said through tears, while her husband Jeff Metcalf also appeared visibly emotional. “For journalists and activists, this is a story. For us, this is our reality.”

She spoke about the silence left in their home since her son’s death, describing how daily life had changed permanently.

“My house is now quiet,” she said, adding that she now speaks to her son only at his grave and struggles with the permanence of the loss.

She told the court that Austin “didn’t just die,” but was “taken from us,” and at moments directed her words toward Anthony.

“You should feel lucky you got 35 years because I’ve been given a life sentence without my son,” she said.

After finishing her statement, she collected her papers and returned to her seat in the gallery, passing Anthony as she walked by without stopping.

Jeff Metcalf then delivered his own statement, speaking directly to Anthony and refusing to soften his words.

“We were robbed,” he said sharply. “Don’t look down.”

He emphasized that, in his view, the case was not about race but about responsibility and moral accountability.

“This was never about race,” he said. “It is about right and wrong.”

Throughout his remarks, he kept his focus on Anthony, who remained seated with his head down.

He also spoke about the broader impact on his family, saying his sons were not bullies and referencing repeated harassment incidents the family says they endured during and after the trial.

“My son’s death destroyed the person I used to be,” he said. “That person no longer exists.”

As his emotions escalated, he struck the table and described grief as overwhelming anger rather than sadness.

“People think grief is sadness. It is not. It is rage. Pure unfiltered rage,” he said.

“You don’t belong in this community,” he added. “A piece of me died with my son, and I’m expected to keep living.”

He concluded by saying he had forgiven Anthony in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy but not the act itself.

“You’re going to prison. I forgave you the day it happened. I don’t forgive what you did,” he said. “You can’t look me in the eyes, but you could stab my son.”

After speaking, Jeff Metcalf continued to stare at Anthony as he exited, passing close to the defendant before returning to his seat in the gallery.