Teenager Karmelo Anthony Fatally Stabbed Austin Metcalf at a High School Track Meet Last Year. Now, He'll Spend 35 Years In Prison
Jun 10, 2026
Karmelo Anthony has been sentenced after he was convicted of fatally stabbing fellow high school student Austin Metcalf
NEED TO KNOW
Karmelo Anthony was arrested after being accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet on April 2, 2025
Anthony has claimed that he was "protecting" himself during an altercation with Metcalf
He was convicted of fatally stabbing Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison on June 9, 2026
Karmelo Anthony has been found guilty of fatally stabbing fellow student Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.
The teenager stabbed Metcalf after he asked him to move out of a tent he was sitting under at Kuykendall Stadium, an eyewitness told police in the probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE at the time.
However, the situation quickly escalated after Anthony allegedly told Metcalf, "Touch me and see what happens." The eyewitness claimed that Metcalf then began to move and grab Anthony, so the latter was believed to have retaliated by pulling a knife out of his bag and stabbing Metcalf in the chest. Metcalf died by the time he arrived at the hospital. Both athletes were 17 at the time of the incident.
Anthony seemingly admitted to killing Metcalf when he allegedly told officers that he "did it," per the affidavit. However, he also claimed that he was only "protecting myself."
Anthony's fate was determined on June 9, 2026, when a jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Here's everything to know about Karmelo Anthony and the stabbing of fellow student Austin Metcalf.
What did Karmelo Anthony do?
Anthony and Metcalf had their fatal track meet run-in when they were both 17. The former was a student at Frisco Centennial High School, and the latter attended Frisco Memorial High School.
According to a copy of the probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, an eyewitness told police that Anthony was sitting under a Memorial High School Tent, so Metcalf told him to leave.
"Anthony grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside and proceeded to tell [Metcalf], ‘Touch me and see what happens,' " the witness told police in the affidavit.
Metcalf "proceeded to touch Anthony" and "grabbed Anthony to tell him to move" from the tent. Anthony then allegedly went into his bag and pulled out a "black knife and stabbed [Metcalf] once in the chest and then ran away." Metcalf was pronounced dead by the time he arrived at the hospital.
Shortly after the altercation, which allegedly took place within 30 seconds, officers identified and arrested Anthony.
Per the affidavit, the arresting officer arrived at the scene and found Anthony and called him an "alleged suspect." However, Anthony allegedly responded, "I'm not alleged, I did it."
"I was protecting myself," he allegedly told officers while getting emotional and saying, "He put his hands on me. I told him not to."
Anthony has maintained that he was acting in self-defense and even allegedly asked officers, "If what happened could be considered self-defense."
What was Karmelo Anthony charged with?
On June 24, 2025, Collin District Attorney Greg Willis announced that Anthony had been formally indicted by a grand jury for first-degree murder in the death of Metcalf.
Anthony was to be tried as an adult, since the Texas criminal justice system considers 17-year-olds to be adults. In a press release, Willis said that Metcalf's "violent loss" of life left the community "shaken by what happened.”
“For weeks, my team has been presenting evidence to the grand jury. Today, I summarized that evidence, and I asked the Grand Jury to return a first degree murder indictment against Karmelo Anthony — which they did,” Willis said.
He added, “We know this case has struck a deep nerve — here in Collin County and beyond. That’s understandable. When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core. But the justice system works best when it moves with steadiness and with principle. That’s what we’re committed to. And that’s exactly what this case deserves.”
Willis also asked people to be "mindful" of Metcalf's family and to "keep them in your thoughts."
"Finally, remember that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," he concluded his message.
NEED TO KNOW
Karmelo Anthony was arrested after being accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet on April 2, 2025
Anthony has claimed that he was "protecting" himself during an altercation with Metcalf
He was convicted of fatally stabbing Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison on June 9, 2026
Karmelo Anthony has been found guilty of fatally stabbing fellow student Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.
The teenager stabbed Metcalf after he asked him to move out of a tent he was sitting under at Kuykendall Stadium, an eyewitness told police in the probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE at the time.
However, the situation quickly escalated after Anthony allegedly told Metcalf, "Touch me and see what happens." The eyewitness claimed that Metcalf then began to move and grab Anthony, so the latter was believed to have retaliated by pulling a knife out of his bag and stabbing Metcalf in the chest. Metcalf died by the time he arrived at the hospital. Both athletes were 17 at the time of the incident.
Anthony seemingly admitted to killing Metcalf when he allegedly told officers that he "did it," per the affidavit. However, he also claimed that he was only "protecting myself."
Anthony's fate was determined on June 9, 2026, when a jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Here's everything to know about Karmelo Anthony and the stabbing of fellow student Austin Metcalf.
What did Karmelo Anthony do?
Anthony and Metcalf had their fatal track meet run-in when they were both 17. The former was a student at Frisco Centennial High School, and the latter attended Frisco Memorial High School.
According to a copy of the probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, an eyewitness told police that Anthony was sitting under a Memorial High School Tent, so Metcalf told him to leave.
"Anthony grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside and proceeded to tell [Metcalf], ‘Touch me and see what happens,' " the witness told police in the affidavit.
Metcalf "proceeded to touch Anthony" and "grabbed Anthony to tell him to move" from the tent. Anthony then allegedly went into his bag and pulled out a "black knife and stabbed [Metcalf] once in the chest and then ran away." Metcalf was pronounced dead by the time he arrived at the hospital.
Shortly after the altercation, which allegedly took place within 30 seconds, officers identified and arrested Anthony.
Per the affidavit, the arresting officer arrived at the scene and found Anthony and called him an "alleged suspect." However, Anthony allegedly responded, "I'm not alleged, I did it."
"I was protecting myself," he allegedly told officers while getting emotional and saying, "He put his hands on me. I told him not to."
Anthony has maintained that he was acting in self-defense and even allegedly asked officers, "If what happened could be considered self-defense."
What was Karmelo Anthony charged with?
On June 24, 2025, Collin District Attorney Greg Willis announced that Anthony had been formally indicted by a grand jury for first-degree murder in the death of Metcalf.
Anthony was to be tried as an adult, since the Texas criminal justice system considers 17-year-olds to be adults. In a press release, Willis said that Metcalf's "violent loss" of life left the community "shaken by what happened.”
“For weeks, my team has been presenting evidence to the grand jury. Today, I summarized that evidence, and I asked the Grand Jury to return a first degree murder indictment against Karmelo Anthony — which they did,” Willis said.
He added, “We know this case has struck a deep nerve — here in Collin County and beyond. That’s understandable. When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core. But the justice system works best when it moves with steadiness and with principle. That’s what we’re committed to. And that’s exactly what this case deserves.”
Willis also asked people to be "mindful" of Metcalf's family and to "keep them in your thoughts."
"Finally, remember that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," he concluded his message.