After a Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the 2025 murder of Austin Metcalf, the courtroom turned intensely emotional as the victim’s family directly addressed the convicted teen.
According to reports shared by Daily Mail Texas Bureau Chief MaryAnn Martinez on X, Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, repeatedly demanded that Anthony look him in the eye as he delivered a forceful statement in court.
“We were robbed, don’t look down, of all of these things,” he said. “I said from day one, this was never about race. Please don’t politicize it. But what did you choose to do, both. It’s about right and wrong. We’re all humans. We all bleed the same color.”
He continued by emphasizing accountability and consequences.
“You’re free to make choices all you want, but you’re not free from those consequences. You will face those consequences starting today,” he said. “People think that grief is sadness but it’s not. IT’S RAGE!!!”
Witnesses in court described him slamming his hands on the table as he spoke, overcome with emotion and anger.
“You failed your parents; you failed yourself, and you failed society,” he reportedly said. “You don’t belong in this community.”
“You’re going to prison. You can’t even look me in the eyes right now, but you can stab my fucking son in the heart.”
Austin Metcalf’s mother also addressed Anthony, speaking through grief as she described the permanent loss of her son.
“You may have just been given a sentence of 35 years behind bars. You can consider yourself lucky because I’ve been sentenced to a lifetime without my son,” she said.
The sentencing follows Anthony’s conviction for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in 2025. Anthony maintained that he acted in self-defense during a confrontation over a seating dispute inside a team tent.
According to an arrest report cited by Fox News, the incident began after Metcalf reportedly told Anthony to move from the Memorial team’s tent. Witnesses said Anthony opened his bag, reached inside, and warned, “Touch me and see what happens.”
Metcalf then stood up and pushed Anthony, according to the report. In response, witnesses told police that Anthony reached into his bag, pulled out a knife, and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest.
Anthony fled the scene immediately after the stabbing. Metcalf later died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter.
When questioned by police, Anthony allegedly admitted responsibility, saying, “I’m not alleged, I did it,” and reportedly asked whether Metcalf would survive.
Throughout the trial, multiple witnesses testified that Anthony had been asked to leave the tent repeatedly up to 15 times before the confrontation escalated.
The jury ultimately found Anthony guilty and sentenced him to 35 years in prison, with eligibility for parole only after serving half his term.
