Update: An all-white jury in Texas has sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the 2025 fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas.
The defense asked the jury to consider whether the murder was committed in a “sudden passion,” which could have lowered Anthony’s sentencing range to two to 20 years in prison.
The jury sentenced Anthony after his mother, Kala Hayes, asked the jury for mercy during the punishment phase of the trial on Tuesday evening.
Hayes told the jury, “He’s my oldest, he’s my first born. He will always be my baby, I love him very much.” Hayes said Anthony is “very sorry for what he did.”
Witnesses said Anthony and his family broke down in tears when the guilty verdict was read on Tuesday afternoon. The jurors took less than 3 hours to decide Anthony’s fate. Anthony was immediately taken into custody and escorted out of the courtroom. His mother sobbed loudly as he left.
Scene outside the Collin County Courthouse after guilty verdict in Karmelo Anthony murder trial pic.twitter.com/UcRK64OEXu
— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) June 9, 2026
The jury consisted of Caucasians and people who the U.S. Census Bureau defines as “white” (Hispanics and Asians).
The judge granted the defense attorney’s request to take manslaughter into consideration. But the jury said Anthony’s use of force met the state’s legal standard for a murder conviction.
There were also tears on the other side of the courtroom. Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, was in the courtroom when the verdict was read. A witness said tears fell down his face.
In his closing arguments, Anthony’s lawyer, Mike Howard, blamed Metcalf for “impaling” himself on Anthony’s knife during an argument over seating in a Memorial High School tent.
“Austin Metcalf had no legal right to use force to eject Karmelo Anthony from that tent,” Howard said. “He had the right to ask him to leave, but he didn’t have any legal right to use force,” Howard added.
Howard said Karmelo Anthony “had an absolute right to defend himself. If you wait until it’s too late to defend yourself, it’s meaningless.”
Prayers To The Karmelo Anthony And Austin Metcalf Family , They Both Lost There Kids One To The System And The Other To Death???
— ItssCwayyyy (@Itsscwayyyy) June 9, 2026