Jury Finds Karmelo Anthony Guilty of Murder in Austin Metcalf Stabbing

A jury on Tuesday reached a guilty verdict in the trial of Karmelo Anthony, who is now convicted in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.

Anthony, who is now 19, faced a first-degree murder charge in the April 2025 stabbing death of Metcalf at a track meet event. His defense told the jury he acted in self-defense.

Most people who testified in court were students who described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal to leave a tent that belonged to the team from Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas.

Earlier Tuesday, jurors heard dueling narratives from prosecutor Bill Wirskye and defense attorney Mike Howard.

During the nearly weeklong trial, prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf into a confrontation, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor. 

“This is not self-defense, folks. It’s murder plain and simple,” Wirskye told jurors in his closing argument.

But Howard said, “Texas law does not require that you wait until you get hit,” adding, “In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes,” according to CNN.

Wirskye refuted that argument by saying, “You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove,” according to local news station NBC DFW.

Prosecutors said Metcalf and Anthony went to different schools and did not know one another before the stabbing incident. Law enforcement officials had said a confrontation between the two started in a team tent area before Anthony stabbed Metcalf. He was taken to a hospital and later died from the injuries.

The story drew national headlines and social media commentary. Anthony is black and Metcalf is white.

The Frisco Independent School District in Texas issued a statement after the guilty verdict was handed down on Tuesday.

“Our community has carried the weight of this tragedy for more than a year, and our thoughts remain with the impacted families, friends and classmates. We respect the judicial process and will continue to support our students with compassion and care,” the district said in a statement to media outlets. “We know this trial has brought strong emotions and deep grief, and we ask that our community continue to support each other with respect, sensitivity and understanding.”

Anthony did not testify in court or explain his version of the story. Anthony’s mother, however, testified during the sentencing phase of the trial.

Anthony faces up to life in prison after a brief sentencing hearing in which his mother was the only witness.

“He’s my oldest, he’s my firstborn,” Kala Hayes, Anthony’s mother, told the court, according to CBS News. “He will always be my baby. I love him very much.”

When asked by Anthony’s lawyers about whether he regretted the decision, she said, “Yes, he’s very sorry for what he did.”

Video footage captured outside the courthouse showed protesters gathered at the courthouse, with some supporting Metcalf and others supporting Anthony.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.