McKINNEY, Texas – Attorneys gave closing arguments on Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, the teenager accused of fatally stabbing a fellow student during a high school track meet last year.
Defense attorneys rested their case Monday without calling Anthony to the witness stand. The 19-year-old faces a first-degree murder charge in the April 2, 2025, death of Austin Metcalf, 17, at a stadium in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.
Following the conclusion of closing arguments, the Collin County jury was sequestered to deliberate Anthony’s fate. He now faces a maximum sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison.
LIVE Updates: Karmelo Anthony Verdict Watch
2:45 p.m. Sentencing phase
Jurors were dismissed for a break. The sentencing phase of the trial was expected to start as soon as they returned.
2:30 p.m. Guilty verdict
Jurors found Anthony guilty of murder after deliberating for about three hours.
Metcalf mother, father, and twin brother were in the courtroom when the verdict was read. So were Anthony’s parents. The judge had warned them against outbursts, saying anyone who had an outburst would be held in contempt of court.
Outside the courthouse, many people in the crowd groaned after hearing the verdict. But they remained calm and peaceful.
1:45 p.m. Verdict reached
A verdict has been reached. The court will resume at 2:05 p.m.
12 p.m. Crowd gathers outside the courthouse
There is already a crowd of about 100 people gathered outside the Collin County courthouse waiting to hear news of a verdict.
Jury consultant Alison Richardson provided some insight into the questions the jury may be asking during their deliberations.
“It’s been my experience that juries take this very seriously,” Richardson said. “They probably went back to the jury room, and they’re reading through the charges, and they may take an initial vote to kind of see where everyone’s standing, or they may read through it first, and that will help them decide how they can consider all the information most efficiently.”
Jury deliberating fate of Karmelo Anthony
Both the state and the defense have rested their case in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, who fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a 2025 track meet in Frisco, Texas. Jury consultant Alison Richardson provides some insight on the questions the jury may be asking.
The judge has instructed jurors not to discuss the facts of the case until now. So, they’re just now gauging how the others are feeling.
Richardson believes the defense did a good job of explaining why Anthony was sitting under the Memorial tent. But they never explained why he showed up to the stadium with a knife.
“And you know, the fact that he didn’t testify and give any explanation for it is probably something the jury will consider,” she said.
Last, she said the fact that so many eyes have been on this case could be a good thing. It means the jury will take their job more seriously.
“Most juries are very serious when they deliberate at a trial. That’s been my experience. I think they will deliberate this case with the utmost seriousness and intentionality,” she said.
11:30 a.m. Criminal defense attorney weighs in
Karmelo Anthony Trial: Jury deliberations underway
A Collin County jury will decide the fate of Karmelo Anthony. Anthony is charged with the murder of Austin Metcalf after a confrontation at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. Attorney Russell Wilson breaks down the closing arguments made by the attorneys and what to expect as jury deliberations begin.
Dallas criminal defense attorney Russell Wilson has been following the case closely. FOX 4 asked him whether the self-defense claim is still valid after Anthony was heard saying, “Touch me and see what happens.”
“I think you can still make the self-defense claim off of, ‘Touch me and let’s see what happens.’ I think you have to just kind of, if you’re the defense, you’re saying, this is your warning to the person to not engage with me and that if you do, I will defend myself. And so, I don’t think that language necessarily limits. One could say, you know, as the state did that this is provocative language, that you’re inviting the contact by saying, ‘Touch me and see what happens.’ But I think the defense would be arguing, no, this is, you know, defensive language to try to discourage the person from touching him,” he said.
Wilson said he wasn’t surprised that Anthony did not take the stand. He believes the defense is relying on the police body camera video to show that Anthony was remorseful for his conduct and compliant after the stabbing.
When asked how long the verdict might take, Wilson said the judge’s order to sequester them will likely play a role in how quickly they come to a decision.
“There’s a preference for most folks to be able to sleep at their own homes and engage with their own families and loved ones, he said. “So I think that might be sitting in the back of the jury’s mind, that if we don’t reach a verdict today or certainly by close of business. And then they worked through on Saturday as well. So, the pace has been more faster, I guess, than necessarily most trials.”
11 a.m. Jury deliberations begin
The jury headed into deliberations.
They must decide Anthony’s guilt or innocence on the charges of murder or manslaughter. Did he commit murder by acting knowingly or intentionally, or did he commit manslaughter by acting recklessly with a conscious disregard for life?
10:20 a.m. Prosecutors give closing arguments
Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye
Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye, in closing, told jurors that Anthony’s words were not a warning, they were a threat. Anthony could have easily yelled for a coach if his life were in danger.
“They want to talk about motive. What is not important is motive. What should be important is mindset. He took a knife to a track meet, and kept it hidden,” Wirskye said. “There is a no weapon policy. He was the only one with a knife. He was always going to come out on top.”
The DA said everything could be boiled down to one sentence.
“You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove,” Wirskye said. “That equals murder, plain and simple. Unjustified murder.”
Wirskye reminded jurors that intentional murder and an act that is clearly dangerous both equal murder. A manslaughter verdict would require 12 jurors to acquit Anthony of murder.
He said the self-defense argument does not apply for the following reasons:
- Provoke: You do not get to provoke an encounter then when someone touches you, use deadly force. If you find he provoked it, self-defense is off the table.
- Force Disparity: You can meet shove with shove, deadly force with deadly force. You can’t meet shove with a stab. The defense also argued that Metcalf and his twin brother were big, but Anthony is small. The prosecutor said that argument does not work in this case. You don’t get to kill someone because they are bigger than you. That is the law.
- Reasonable Belief: This is a belief held by an ordinary and prudent person. What would an ordinary and prudent person do? Any reasonable person would not have plunged a knife into Metcalf or met a shove with a stab.
- Immediately Necessary: Deadly force has to be immediately necessary. Where was the immediate necessity to plunge a knife into an unarmed man, the prosecutor asked.
Collin County DA Bill Wirskye gives closing arguments
Wirskye reminded jurors that Anthony did not show anyone the knife in warning. Instead, he reached into his bag and opened it in secret.
The prosecutor also pointed to Anthony’s actions after the stabbing. He ran away and then slowed down to blend in. Wirskye said that shows a guilty mindset.
He said Anthony looked suspicious and was serious about not moving.
“He had it in his mind what he was going to do,” Wirskye said.
He reminded the jury that multiple people testified Metcalf did not want to fight. They heard Metcalf say, “I’m not going to fight you.” They also heard Anthony tell him, “If you want me to move, you’re going to have to move me.” And, “Touch me and see what happens.”
“He used lethal force against nonlethal force,” Wirskye said.
The DA called the case a tragedy for everyone involved. People’s lives were completely changed. But Wirskye said everything that happened was because of the decisions that Anthony made. He said it’s not a tragedy for a man with an intentional, conscious act.
Anthony kept the knife hidden. Wirskye called it intentional, a crime, and murder.
“It is your duty to follow your oath and hold this young man accountable for this senseless murder and send a message this will not be tolerated in our community,” Wirskye said.
9:45 a.m. Defense gives closing arguments
Defense attorney Mike Howard and Karmelo Anthony
The prosecution waived the right to open and chose to respond to the defense.
Defense Attorney Mike Howard told jurors that Metcalf did not have the right to use force to eject Anthony from the Memorial High School team tent. He was in a public place.
He said it was raining and dark with clouds coming in. In Texas, it pours, stops, and then pours again. It’s reasonable to think, “I better get out of this rain.” Even when it stops, you think, ‘Well, I don’t know.”
He encouraged jurors to consider the facts from Anthony’s shoes.
“You are trying to get out of the rain, think I know people at Memorial. One of them says, ‘Hey man, come on in. Crazy weather, huh?’” Howard said.
He reminded the jurors that it’s common for people to walk around during track meets to see their friends. He said it was reasonable for Anthony to be confused because he was talking to a friend. He said it was reasonable for him to wonder why Metcalf was mad or think he was joking.
“Do you turn your back and walk away, or will these boys grab you from behind where you can’t defend yourself?” Howard asked. “Melo was seated the whole time. They didn’t have the legal right to use force to eject him.”
Howard called the hit, shove, or push that Metcalf gave Anthony an unlawful use of force. He said that gave Anthony the right to defend himself against that force. He also reminded the jurors that Metcalf was 6 feet 1 inch tall and 213 pounds while Anthony is 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 130 pounds.
“How do you know when it’s too late to defend yourself?” he asked. “You are justified to use deadly force when you believe it is immediately necessary.”
In response to the testimony from the teenage witnesses, Howard said there was unconscious bias. Sometimes people convince themselves of something different.
The defense attorney said after the stabbing, Anthony was crying, emotional, hysterical, and distraught. He did not expect Metcalf to die.
Howard also reminded jurors that a 3-inch knife is against school policy but not illegal to have at the stadium.
“In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes,” Howard told jurors.
He said Anthony had no motive to harm Metcalf other than he felt his life was in danger.
“Why would he provoke a fight with a kid so much bigger, with a twin so much bigger, with other teammates?” the attorney asked. “It’s not about race as much as people outside want to make it.”
There’s no evidence Anthony did anything other than think he was defending himself in that split second, Howard said.
The attorney also pointed out the medical examiner’s testimony that the stab wound was lateral and not vertical, meaning it was awkward and defensive, not intentional.
“You don’t intentionally stab someone like this,” Howard said.
Howard said the law required jurors to put themselves in Anthony’s shoes. He had a friend under the tent. He mouthed off when someone told him to leave, but he’s a 17-year-old dumb kid. Now they’re all angry and he fears he’ll be beaten. He put his hand in the bag as a warning and told them not to touch him.
“I don’t think we will ever know exactly what happened, even though you have 15 Memorial kids with convoluted stories, even though they say it’s not self-defense,” Howard said.
He encouraged jurors to hold the state to the burden of ruling out reasonable doubt.
9:25 a.m. The charges
The defense asked Judge John Roach to include criminally negligent homicide as an alternative to manslaughter in the list of charges jurors can consider. The judge denied that request. Jurors will be able to decide guilt or innocence on the charges of murder or manslaughter.
For murder, one acts knowingly or intentionally. Did Anthony act knowingly or intentionally to kill Metcalf? For manslaughter, one acts recklessly with conscious disregard for life. Did Anthony act recklessly to cause Metcalf’s death?
In reading the instructions to the jury, the judge reminded them that the burden of proof rests on the state and never shifts to the defendant. The prosecution is not required to prove beyond all possible doubt, rather beyond all reasonable doubt.
The jury cannot consider the defendant’s decision to not testify.
9 a.m. Court resumes
The doors to the courtroom opened and everyone made their way through security.
When the trial resumes, the judge is expected to give jurors instructions on which charges they can consider. Attorneys will give closing arguments and then jurors will begin deliberations.
7 a.m. Signs outside the courthouse
A group set up signs in the parking lot of the Collin County courthouse in support of Anthony. As of 7 a.m. there were no signs supporting the Metcalf family.
Day 4: Defense rests, jury warnings issued as trial moves to closing arguments
Defense rests in Karmelo Anthony trial
After several days of testimony, the defense has rested in the Frisco track meet stabbing trial, leaving the verdict in the hands of the jury. FOX 4’s Lori Brown has more on the Karmelo Anthony trial.
The defense rested its case Monday afternoon in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, setting the stage for closing arguments Tuesday morning.
Following a three-hour afternoon delay, State District Judge John Roach dismissed the jury for the night with instructions to pack a bag for Tuesday in anticipation of sequestered deliberations. Roach issued a stern warning to jurors against using social media while the case is in their hands.
Before resting, the defense called its final witnesses Monday morning to focus heavily on a self-defense argument. A 17-year-old high school student testified he saw victim Austin Metcalf make physical contact with Anthony before the stabbing, and recalled seeing Anthony crying and distraught immediately afterward. The witness testified he heard Anthony say, “I told him not to touch me.” A second student witness, a 17-year-old football player, also testified to seeing a push or a punch before hearing onlookers scream that someone had been stabbed.
Defense attorney Mike Howard and Karmelo Anthony
The defense also called Frisco police officer Beau Riey, who testified that carrying a knife with a blade under 5 inches is legal under Texas law. While possessing the pocketknife violated school district policy, Riey confirmed it was not an illegal weapon. Prosecutors declined to cross-examine him.
Legal observers note that Judge Roach will ultimately determine whether the jury charge will include lesser offenses. While Anthony is charged with murder—which requires intent—the jury may be allowed to consider manslaughter if they believe he acted recklessly rather than intentionally, or acquit him entirely if they find he acted in self-defense.
Outside the Collin County courthouse, the activist group Next Generation Action Network held a lunchtime news conference. Founder Dominique Alexander urged supporters to maintain “revolutionary peace,” noting that too much attention had shifted to activities outside the courtroom.
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning before the case is handed over to the jury.
Day 3 Recap: Prosecutors rest their case
The state rested its case Saturday in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony after calling 21 witnesses, handing momentum to the defense as testimonies shifted from the victim’s final moments to the casual culture of high school track meets.
Jurors earlier heard harrowing testimony from Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, who detailed the “gaping,” fatal 2-inch stab wound to Austin Metcalf’s heart. Student witnesses from Memorial High School also took the stand, describing Anthony as the aggressor who provoked a confrontation and refused to leave their team’s tent before the stabbing.
The defense quickly launched its case by calling Anthony’s track coach and teammate, who testified that mingling under other schools’ tents during downtime was a common practice in the “organized chaos” of track meets. However, under cross-examination, defense witnesses conceded that a student would be expected to leave a tent if asked, and agreed there was no reason to bring a knife to a track meet.
Day 2 Recap: Teenage witnesses testify after jurors watch arrest, bodycam video
The state presented testimony from first responders, law enforcement, and several teenage eyewitnesses. A responding paramedic testified that Metcalf never regained consciousness, having been found with no pulse. School Resource Officer Eduardo Cortez recounted arresting Anthony, who was caught on body camera video stating, “I’m not alleged, I did it. He put his hands on me.” Law enforcement later recovered the weapon—a blood-stained 3.5-inch folding knife—and Anthony’s backpack from the stadium bleachers.
Multiple student witnesses from Memorial High School testified that Anthony was the aggressor. They stated that Anthony entered their team tent to escape the rain and refused multiple requests to leave. The situation quickly escalated as Anthony verbally provoked Metcalf, stating, “Touch me and see what happens.” Witnesses noted Anthony kept his hand hidden inside his backpack, warning that he had something. When Metcalf finally pushed or shoved Anthony’s shoulders, Anthony immediately stood up and stabbed him in the chest.
The knife that killed Austin Metcalf
The defense focused heavily on a self-defense narrative, using cross-examination to highlight discrepancies between the students’ courtroom testimonies and their initial police statements. The defense established significant physical differences between the two boys, noting that Metcalf outweighed Anthony by 50 to 60 pounds.
Crucially, the defense emphasized the physical positioning during the altercation: Anthony was sitting down with his bag on his lap, surrounded by roughly 20 people in a crowded tent, while Metcalf and several teammates stood over him. Trial consultants note this spatial dynamic will be vital for the jury when evaluating the self-defense claim.
Day 1 Recap: Jurors watch video, listen to 911 calls
Day 1 Frisco track meet stabbing trial recap
The trial of Karmelo Anthony, a teen charged with the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet last year, began with opening statements on Thursday. FOX 4’s Alex Boyer has more from the trial’s first full day.
The prosecution and defense laid out two completely opposing narratives to the jury during their 20-minute opening statements. Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye called the incident a “provoked, unjustified murder,” arguing that Anthony entered a closed team tent uninvited, provoked a confrontation, and launched a “sneak attack” with a hidden knife before fleeing.
Wirskye explicitly noted that the case is not about race or self-defense. Conversely, defense attorney Mike Howard argued that Anthony acted out of a “split second of fear and chaos.” Howard described Anthony as an honor student working two jobs who remained seated until Metcalf and his twin brother confronted him, maintaining that Anthony used the knife strictly in self-defense because he felt cornered by a group turning on him.
Jurors viewed surveillance footage provided by Frisco ISD from multiple stadium angles. The video showed a figure identified as Anthony entering the Memorial High School team tent, followed by a brief scuffle and Anthony fleeing the scene as coaches and students gave chase.
Memorial High School track coach Robert Starr testified to the sacred nature of team tents, comparing them to a sports bench where you just do not go in uninvited. He became visibly emotional on the stand while describing the immediate aftermath of the stabbing.
The afternoon session turned deeply emotional as the prosecution played a chaotic 911 call from the scene. In the audio, Liberty High School football coach Joshua Rebmann, a military veteran who administered CPR, could be heard shouting, “Stay with me, Austin.”
The state capped the day with a powerful visual display, presenting the physical, blood-stained jacket that Rebmann used to apply pressure to Metcalf’s wound. Legal observers noted that displaying the bloody jacket right before adjournment left a staggering, lasting impression on the jury.
Jury Selection Recap: No Black jurors selected; defense raises racial challenge
A 12-person jury with six alternates was finalized Wednesday afternoon in a Collin County courtroom. The selection process resulted in a panel of 11 women and seven men. There are no Black jurors.
The final phase of jury selection grew tense when defense attorneys lodged a formal objection during the second round of strikes. The defense argued that the state improperly struck down three potential Black female jurors who were “similarly situated” to a white female juror allowed to remain on the panel.
Prosecutors strongly denied that race played a factor. Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell clarified that all three women were struck because they listed their occupations as educators. Because the fatal incident occurred at a school-sponsored athletic function involving school-aged children, prosecutors seemingly did not want traditional educators on the panel.
State District Judge John Roach Jr. ultimately sided with the prosecution, allowing the strikes to stand. While one educator was successfully seated on the 12-person jury, she is an esthetician at a trade school and does not work with high school-aged children.
During jury selection, both sides were given one hour and 45 minutes to question potential jurors.
Assistant DA Mitchell pressed the pool on whether they could listen to the evidence with an open mind and follow the law to render a verdict, even when dealing with a young defendant. The questioning took an unusual turn when Mitchell asked if race could affect anyone’s ability to determine guilt. After a handful of people admitted it could, Mitchell noted that in his entire career, he had never had to have such an explicit conversation about race with a jury panel. One Frisco ISD educator in the pool was excused after stating the case “hit too close to home.”
Howard, the defense attorney, immediately signaled that the entire trial would pivot on whether Anthony had the legal right to defend himself. Howard, who referred to his client by his nickname “Melo,” questioned the pool on whether they would penalize Anthony if he exercised his right not to testify. He also gauged their feelings on prison sentencing, noting the minimum threshold for a murder conviction is five years.
Continued Coverage
No Cameras Allowed
The case has received widespread attention. Fueled in large part by online speculation and misinformation, the proceedings have become heavily racially charged. For months, the case has played out in the court of public opinion, prompting demonstrators from both sides to gather outside the courthouse Monday morning.
To keep the proceedings orderly and minimize outside influence, court officials have banned cameras inside the courtroom and will restrict electronic devices once testimony begins.
Frisco Track Meet Stabbing
The backstory:
Witnesses reported that the physical confrontation between the two teens began during a regional track meet at Kuykendall Stadium. Anthony, a student at Centennial High School, was sitting under the Memorial High School team tent. Metcalf, a Memorial student, reportedly told him to leave. Investigators found no evidence that the two young men knew each other prior to the incident.
An arrest report detailed Anthony’s interactions with law enforcement in the moments following the stabbing. According to the document, witnesses pointed him out to a school resource officer, who located Anthony on the north end of the track.
“I gave the suspect instructions to keep his hands up in the air. During this time, the suspect said verbally out loud, ‘I was protecting myself,’” the officer noted in the report. The suspect also stated, “He put his hands on me.”
After the officer mentioned to colleagues that he had the “alleged suspect” in custody, Anthony interjected: “I’m not alleged. I did it.”
“He put his hands on me. I told him not to,” Anthony continued as officers escorted him out of the stadium in handcuffs. The report states that Anthony later asked officers if the victim was going to be okay and “asked if what happened could be considered self-defense.”
In the days following the stabbing, the case exploded across social media platforms. Anthony maintained his self-defense claim from jail, where he was initially held on a $1 million bond. Twelve days after his arrest, a judge reduced the bond to $250,000, citing his lack of a prior criminal record.
Three days later, Anthony’s family held a press conference urging the public to lower the emotional temperature surrounding the case.
“I don’t know why we are being targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial,” said Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes.
Public attention intensified further when Metcalf’s father attended the family’s press conference. He was ultimately escorted out by police after organizers stated he was not invited to the event.
The Source: The information in this story comes from FOX 4 reporters in the courtroom, the Associated Press and past news coverage.
Frisco Track Meet StabbingFriscoCollin CountyCrime and Public Safety
