Jury convicts Karmelo Anthony of murder in Texas stabbing case
Jury convicts Karmelo Anthony of murder in Texas stabbing; self-defense claim rejected.
Event / Security
Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial Texas
Nineteen-year-old Karmelo Anthony charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a 2025 track meet in Frisco, Texas. Trial reaches closing arguments phase after defense rests with minimal witness testimony. Prosecution presented over 20 witnesses; defense called 6 witnesses whose testimony contradicted self-defense claims. Jury verdict expected within 24 hours.
2 reported locations
Daily activity
0 articles0 articles
2026-08-16 to 2026-11-13 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 9 Jun, 03:06 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
Jury finds Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in Texas stabbing
A Collin County jury found 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf on April 2, 2025, during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Anthony was charged with first-degree murder. The jury reached the verdict on June 9, 2026, after deliberating for approximately three hours.
Austin Metcalf stabbed to death at track meet by Karmelo Anthony
Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old student from Memorial High School, was fatally stabbed by Karmelo Anthony during a multi-school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas on April 2, 2025. The incident occurred after Anthony, who was not a student at Memorial High School, sat under the team's tent and was asked to leave multiple times by students. After a verbal confrontation, Anthony pulled a knife from his backpack and fatally stabbed Metcalf in the chest. Metcalf's twin brother Hunter witnessed the incident.
Police deploy heavily at courthouse following verdict announcement
More than two dozen deputies were positioned outside the courtroom in Collin County Courthouse following the guilty verdict in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial on June 9, 2026. Police prepared for potential unrest, with dozens of officers lining up outside the courthouse. A crowd gathered outside with supporters of Anthony, including chants of 'Free Karmelo.' A fight broke out outside the courthouse following the verdict announcement, resulting in an immediate arrest.
Karmelo Anthony claims self-defense in murder trial
Karmelo Anthony's defense team argued that he acted in self-defense after being confronted by members of Memorial High School's track team while sitting under their tent at the track meet. The defense claimed Anthony was the victim of the encounter. However, prosecutors presented 21 witnesses who testified that Anthony escalated the verbal dispute into a deadly encounter by pulling a knife and stabbing Metcalf. Multiple witnesses testified that Metcalf expressed unwillingness to fight and that Anthony appeared to be looking for a confrontation.
Confrontation between Karmelo Anthony and track team members escalates
During the multi-school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium, Karmelo Anthony sat under the tent belonging to Memorial High School, where he was not a student. Multiple student athletes asked him to leave multiple times. Anthony reportedly told students 'Touch me, and you'll find out' and 'If you want me to move, you have to move me.' Austin Metcalf told Anthony 'I'm not going to fight you at a track meet,' indicating his unwillingness to engage in physical confrontation. Throughout the exchange, Anthony kept one hand inside his backpack.
Karmelo Anthony's defense rests case after calling six witnesses
Karmelo Anthony's defense team concluded its case on June 8, 2026 after calling only six witnesses over less than a full day of testimony. The defense witnesses included an eyewitness from Anthony's high school, a police officer, and other teenage witnesses. Anthony did not testify in his own defense.
Defense witness testimony regarding alleged counterattack fails under cross-examination
A teenage defense witness claimed he saw Anthony swing back after being pushed, but his account fell apart during cross-examination by prosecutor Bill Wirsky. The witness repeatedly stated he could not remember key details and could not clearly articulate what contact actually occurred between Anthony and Metcalf.
Defense witness testimony contradicts self-defense claim regarding circumstances of stabbing
A defense witness from Anthony's high school testified that he initially recalled Anthony being 'surrounded' before the stabbing, but acknowledged after viewing video evidence that Anthony was not actually surrounded prior to the incident, only after. The witness also stated he had never brought a knife to a track meet and would leave if asked to vacate another team's tent.
Knife used in fatal stabbing measured 3.5 inches
The blade used by Karmelo Anthony to fatally stab Austin Metcalf measured 3.5 inches and penetrated Metcalf's sternum and heart. A police officer testified that carrying a knife under 5.5 inches was legal in California, though it violated school rules at the track meet.
Karmelo Anthony charged with murder in fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at track meet
Karmelo Anthony, 19, is on trial for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, 17, at a track meet in Frisco, Texas in 2025. Anthony is charged with first-degree murder. The defense has claimed self-defense, asserting that Anthony stabbed Metcalf in response to being attacked.
Closing arguments scheduled with jury verdict expected shortly after
Closing arguments were scheduled for June 9, 2026. The prosecution rested its case on Saturday with over 20 witnesses. Legal analysts assessed that the jury could reach a verdict within hours to a day of closing arguments, with deliberations expected to be brief given the strength of evidence.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
Defense crumbles as witness testimony undermines self-defense claim
Anthony's defense witnesses contradicted his self-defense claims; verdict pending after closing arguments.