A Collin County grand jury indicted Karmelo Anthony on a first-degree murder charge following the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, 17, at a Frisco, Texas, high school track meet on April 2, 2025 [1][4]. Anthony, who was 18 at the time of trial, faced a single count of first-degree felony murder [2][3]. The defense mounted a self-defense claim, arguing Anthony acted to protect himself during the confrontation [1][4]. Prosecutors, led by Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye, contended the stabbing was unlawful and that the self-defense theory could not be sustained on the evidence [1][2].
The jury in McKinney deliberated for less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict on June 9, 2026, rejecting Anthony's self-defense claim in full [1][2][3]. Trial testimony and evidence placed Anthony and Metcalf in close proximity at the track event before the fatal altercation [4][5]. The public nature of the case, including crowds gathered outside the Collin County Courthouse during proceedings, reflected the sustained national attention the matter drew across its full pretrial and trial arc [1][4]. Judge John Roach presided [2][3].
Upon delivering the guilty verdict, the jury immediately transitioned to the punishment phase, which began the same day [2][3]. Under Texas law, a first-degree felony murder conviction carries a sentencing range of five to 99 years in prison, and the same jury that found Anthony guilty will determine his sentence [3][5]. No sentencing date had been formally set in the reporting captured at verdict [2].
The case drew sustained commentary on the intersection of Texas self-defense law, the presence of weapons on school grounds, and broader questions of race raised by the parties and observers throughout proceedings [1][4]. Defense counsel Mike Howard did not signal immediate post-verdict motions in the sources available at verdict, and the punishment phase remained ongoing as of the reports cited here [2][3].
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