COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — A Collin County jury on Tuesday found 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, bringing a closely watched Texas criminal case to a conclusion after days of testimony and less than three hours of jury deliberations.
The conviction stems from an April 2025 confrontation during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, where prosecutors said Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf during an argument that escalated under a team tent at Kuykendall Stadium.
According to testimony presented during the trial, the two teenagers attended different schools and did not know one another before the incident. Prosecutors argued that a dispute over seating arrangements led to a confrontation in which Anthony pulled a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.
Defense attorneys maintained throughout the trial that Anthony acted in self-defense. They argued that Metcalf initiated physical contact and that Anthony feared for his safety during the encounter. Jurors ultimately rejected that argument and returned a guilty verdict on the murder charge.
The case attracted national attention and generated intense discussion on social media, with supporters of both families closely following courtroom proceedings. Additional security measures were implemented at various stages of the trial due to the heightened public interest.
During the proceedings, jurors heard testimony from eyewitnesses, law enforcement officials, medical experts, and school personnel. Surveillance footage and forensic evidence were also presented as prosecutors sought to establish that Anthony’s use of deadly force was not legally justified.
Metcalf, a student-athlete, was remembered by family members and supporters as a talented young man whose life was cut short. Emotional testimony throughout the trial detailed the impact of his death on relatives, friends, teammates, and the broader school community.
Anthony, who was 17 years old at the time of the stabbing and was prosecuted as an adult under Texas law, now faces sentencing. Texas law provides a punishment range that can extend to life imprisonment for a murder conviction, though sentencing will be determined in a separate phase of the case.
The verdict concludes one of the most closely followed criminal trials in North Texas in recent years, ending months of legal proceedings and public scrutiny surrounding the fatal incident.
Further hearings are expected as the court moves into the sentencing stage.
BREAKING: A jury has found Karmelo Anthony guilty in the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Anthony admitted to stabbing Metcalf but claimed he acted in self-defense.
Witnesses testified that Metcalf and other student-athletes repeatedly asked Anthony to leave a Memorial… pic.twitter.com/cc6n9MybZU
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 9, 2026
5oppks