Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2025 murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. He was accused of stabbing Metcalf to death during a rain delay at a high school track meet. Before the stabbing, which took place at Memorial High School in Frisco, Metcalf had reportedly asked Anthony, who is black, to leave the event since he did not attend that school. Metcalf was white.
Anthony has now been transferred to a Texas prison to begin his sentence. He was transferred to the Wallace Pack Unit, near Houston, Texas, on Wednesday morning, June 10, after spending the previous night in county jail.
He filed a notice of appeal following his conviction, according to court records.
Karmelo Anthony stabbing details
The confrontation happened after Metcalf told Anthony to leave while he was sitting under Memorial High School’s team tent. According to NBC DFW, witnesses told investigators that Anthony allegedly warned, “touch me and see what happens,” while reaching inside his bag. Anthony allegedly pulled out a black knife from the backpack and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest. Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms.
Many people defended Anthony after the incident, and a GiveSendGo was launched for him. Anthony stabbed Metcalf during an alleged verbal dispute, and later claimed it was self-defense. He reportedly had no prior criminal history.
Also Read | Wallace Pack Unit TDCJ: All about Texas prison near Navasota where Karmelo Anthony will serve his sentence
Witness testimony revealed Metcalf’s heartbreaking last words before his death. A Memorial High School student-athlete testified during the trial that students repeatedly asked Anthony to leave the team tent, and that Anthony allegedly challenged students to fight. Metcalf refused to fight, the student said, telling him he was not going to fight at a track meet.
Moments later, the student heard Metcalf yell that he had been stabbed. Students then fled the area.
A second witness, a 16-year-old Memorial High School student from the class of 2027, told the court that Metcalf’s final words, which he uttered immediately after being attacked, were, “He f—— stabbed me.”
A recently graduated 18-year-old from Memorial High School broke down in tears while recounting how he heard Metcalf “screaming for help” after being stabbed. The witness said that he initially fled the scene but later returned to assist. He then saw coaches, trainers and students rushing to help Metcalf while others held back Austin’s twin brother, Hunter.
During an earlier testimony, another student recalled Metcalf saying, “Oh my God,” as the reality of the stabbing set in.
Also Read | Is there video of the Karmelo Anthony incident? What jurors were shown at the trial
The knife Anthony used to stab Metcalf to death was a Walmart multi-tool with a serrated blade which sells for $13, the New York Post reported. The knife he used came from the Walmart camping brand Ozark Trail. It had a 3.5-inch blade, the Collin County District attorney said.
The knife is a 6-in-1 multitool equipped with a flashlight and glass breaker. It is ideal for someone who hunts, camps or who travels often,” the Walmart listing says. The blade of the knife was more than enough to kill Metcalf, who was a 200-pound football player. The stabbing caused a two-inch gash in Metcalf’s chest.
While a blade of that size is legal to carry in Texas, it was not permitted on the grounds of the Frisco school where the murder took place.
Anthony discarded the weapon after he fled the scene. Frisco Police Department school resource officer Jacob Shalz later found it halfway open. Shalz demonstrated during Anthony’s trial how the knife could be opened with a single flicking motion.
