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orywireKarmelo Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, track meet. The jury rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim and did not apply the “sudden passion” sentencing reduction.
Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Collin County jury in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, high school track meet. The sentencing ends the trial phase of the closely watched case, while any post-trial motions or appeal would be the next formal steps to watch.
Anthony, now 19, received a 35-year prison sentence Tuesday after jurors found him guilty of murder, according to reports from the Associated Press, CBS News Texas, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth and KERA.
The same jury considered punishment after returning the guilty verdict. CBS News Texas reported that jurors rejected a “sudden passion” claim, which could have reduced the sentencing range. FOX 4 reported that Anthony will be eligible for parole after serving half of the sentence.
Parole eligibility is not the same as release. It means Anthony may be considered for parole when legally eligible, but a parole panel would make any release decision later.
The jury rejected Anthony’s claim that he acted in self-defense during the confrontation with Metcalf. The Associated Press reported that jurors had the option of a lesser charge, manslaughter, but did not choose it.
Prosecutors described the stabbing as murder and argued that Anthony escalated the confrontation. The defense argued that Anthony acted in fear after being pushed during a chaotic dispute under a team tent.
KERA reported that Anthony did not testify during the trial and that his mother was the only witness called by the defense during the punishment phase.
The case began April 2, 2025, during a high school track meet in Frisco. Frisco police said officers and fire personnel responded to an incident at a track meet on Stadium Lane after an altercation between two students resulted in a stabbing.
Police later identified the victim as Austin Metcalf, 17, of Frisco Memorial High School, and identified Anthony, then 17, as the suspect. The Collin County District Attorney’s Office announced in June 2025 that a grand jury had indicted Anthony on a first-degree murder charge in Metcalf’s death.
Trial testimony centered on a dispute under Memorial High School’s team tent during rainy weather. AP and KERA reported that several students testified Metcalf and others told Anthony to leave the tent before the confrontation escalated.
The murder charge carried a broad punishment range. The Collin County District Attorney’s Office said after the indictment that murder as a first-degree felony carries a range of five to 99 years, or life, in a Texas prison, with an optional fine of up to $10,000.
During sentencing, jurors also considered whether “sudden passion” applied. CBS News Texas reported that if jurors had found sudden passion, the punishment range could have been reduced to two to 20 years. Jurors rejected that claim and imposed the 35-year term.
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The most immediate confirmed status is that Anthony has been sentenced and returned to custody. FOX 4 reported after the hearing that Anthony was led out after court adjourned.
The checked sources did not report a filed appeal at publication. In a criminal case, the next items to watch are any defense notice of appeal, post-trial filings, the final written judgment and prison intake records once they become publicly available.
This article should be updated when an official judgment, appeal filing or Texas Department of Criminal Justice custody record is available.
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