Karmelo Anthony Found Guilty of Murder in Texas High School Track Meet Stabbing
A Collin County, Texas jury convicted Karmelo Anthony, 19, of murder on June 9, 2026, for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet in April 2025, and sentenced him to 35 years in prison the same day. The jury deliberated less than three hours, rejected Anthony's self-defense claim and a lesser manslaughter charge, and also declined to find that Anthony acted under 'sudden passion,' which would have reduced his sentencing range. The case drew national attention due to social media debates over race — Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white — though lawyers on both sides and Metcalf's father explicitly rejected race as a factor in the confrontation.
Karmelo Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the stabbing and tried as an adult under Texas law, was convicted of first-degree murder after a week-long trial in McKinney, Texas. The confrontation began when Anthony, a student at Frisco Centennial High School, sought shelter under a team tent belonging to rival Frisco Memorial High School during a rainy district track meet; witnesses testified he was asked to leave roughly 15 times before the altercation escalated. Multiple student witnesses described Anthony as the aggressor, recalling him saying 'Touch me and see what happens' while keeping a hand in his backpack; Metcalf ultimately pushed Anthony, after which Anthony stabbed him once in the chest with a pocketknife, piercing his heart. Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura testified the wound was unsurvivable, and Metcalf died at a hospital shortly after. Anthony did not testify in his own defense; his attorneys argued he acted out of fear after being physically confronted by a larger student, while prosecutors countered that Anthony provoked the encounter and that a shove did not justify a lethal response. During the sentencing phase, the jury rejected a 'sudden passion' argument that could have reduced the charge to a second-degree felony with a maximum 20-year sentence, instead imposing 35 years out of a possible 5 to 99 years or life. Anthony's attorneys filed a notice of appeal the following day, and he was transferred to the Wallace Pack Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
What's missing
The sources do not detail the specific grounds Anthony's appellate attorneys intend to raise beyond a general statement that 'several important issues' exist for appellate courts; the precise legal bases for the appeal remain publicly unspecified.
How coverage differed
Right-leaning outlets such as the Daily Wire and Breitbart emphasized witness testimony portraying Anthony as the clear aggressor, highlighted that even defense witnesses and Black student witnesses corroborated the prosecution's account, and framed the racial narrative as a distortion pushed by Anthony's supporters. Left-leaning outlets such as Mother Jones and Rolling Stone foregrounded systemic concerns about racial disparities in self-defense rulings, the all-white jury composition, and the proliferation of racist AI-generated content targeting Anthony online, contextualizing the verdict within broader patterns of unequal justice.
What different sources said
- ForbesCenter
How Karmelo Anthony’s Stabbing Case Became A Racial Flashpoint In Texas
- Fox NewsRight
Man in viral Karmelo Anthony courthouse confrontation arrested at murder trial
- New York PostRight
Jasmine Crockett claims killer Karmelo Anthony was just a ‘scared black boy’ — and wasn’t shown ‘mercy’
- Daily WireRight
They Lied About Karmelo Anthony. What Else Have They Lied About?
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Girlfriend of man shot by police disputes that officers told him to drop knife
- CBS NewsCenter
Karmelo Anthony's family says "nobody wins" after murder verdict and sentencing
- ABC NewsCenter
Karmelo Anthony found guilty of murder over Texas track meet stabbing
- The IndependentLeft
Karmelo Anthony convicted of murder after fatally stabbing student athlete at track meet in Texas
- NewsweekCenter
Karmelo Anthony Verdict Explained: Guilty Murder Ruling and What Comes Next
- NBC NewsLeft
Karmelo Anthony found guilty of murder in Texas high school stabbing
- BreitbartFar Right
Jasmine Crockett Claims Knife That Killed Austin Metcalf Was Not a ‘Deadly Weapon,’ Says Black Women Experience More ‘Agony’ Than His Family
- Washington TimesRight
Cardi B criticizes Karmelo Anthony murder verdict after Texas jury imposes 35-year sentence
- Dallas NewsCenter
Karmelo Anthony lawyers file notice of appeal day after he was sentenced to 35 years
- CP24Center
Teenage track star Karmelo Anthony found guilty of murder in high school stabbing
- Hindustan TimesCenter
Wallace Pack Unit TDCJ: All about Texas prison near Navasota where Karmelo Anthony will serve his sentence | Hindustan Times
- The Globe and MailCenter
Texas teen found guilty of murder after fatally stabbing rival athlete at school track meet
- NYT USLeft
Teen Who Killed Competitor at Texas Track Meet Is Found Guilty of Murder
- Washington ExaminerRight
Karmelo Anthony jury returns with guilty verdict in Austin Metcalf murder
Karmelo Anthony, 19, found guilty of murder of Austin Metcalf in one-week trial
- The Straits TimesCenter
Teen who killed competitor at Texas track meet is found guilty of murder
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
Texas teen sentenced to 35 years for killing fellow student at athletics event
- PBS NewsHourLeft
Texas teen convicted of murder for fatally stabbing another athlete at a high school track meet
- AP NewsCenter
Texas teen who fatally stabbed track athlete at school meet found guilty and sentenced to prison
- Mother JonesLeft
Karmelo Anthony and the Futility of Claiming Self-Defense While Black
- The FederalistRight
Karmelo Anthony Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For Murdering Texas Teen Austin Metcalf
- National ReviewRight
Jurors Got It Right on Karmelo Anthony
- Rolling StoneLeft
The Truth of Karmelo Anthony’s Case Is Lost in a Sea of Racist AI Slop
- The RootCenter
A Massive Sentencing Gap: Karmelo Anthony vs These Non-Black Defendants
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