Published 16:28 10 Jun 2026 GMT
The mother of the late Austin Metcalf spoke directly to the man who fatally stabbed her son before he was sentenced.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday (June 9) after being convicted of murdering Metcalf at a high school athletics event.
The teenager broke down in tears after the sentence was handed down in a Texas courtroom, as Metcalf's family delivered emotional statements about their son, directly to him.
His father, Jeff, delivered a powerful message, stating that "you can't even look me in the eyes right now, but you can stab my f**king son in the heart."
Meghan, the mother of the victim, also delivered an emotional statement in court following the sentencing, speaking about how she feels now that her son is gone.
Speaking directly to the murderer, she said, as per CBS News: "Now my conversations with him are one-sided, sitting at his grave...
"I have to accept that instead of walking beside me, he's walking above me."
She added: “Going into an empty room, empty bed, and once again remembering Austin is dead.”
Meghan said that her son was a "morning kid" and a "hugger," and said the teen "always had a way of bringing people together. He was a peacemaker."
"My son was murdered. He didn't just die," she said about the events leading to his death, admitting that the biggest challenge has been dealing with the loss daily.
Speaking directly to Anthony, she added as per WFAA: "You should feel lucky you got 35 because I’ve been given a life sentence," Meghan added of the sorrow she feels over Metcalf's death.
The statement was made after the jury delivered the sentence, with Metcalf's twin brother and father also making victim impact statements.
One of the most emotional moments in the courtroom came when Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, demanded that Anthony look at him as he described the devastation caused by his son's death.
"You're going to prison," Jeff told Anthony, per the Daily Mail. "You can't even look me in the eyes right now, but you can stab my f**king son in the heart."
Anthony kept his head down as Austin's loved ones spoke about the impact of losing the 17-year-old, who was stabbed to death in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.
"If you ask me what my son's death did to me, I would tell you it destroyed the person I used to be. Not changed me, destroyed me," Jeff told the courtroom.
The grieving father said that while he forgave Anthony "the day it happened," he would never forgive "what you did."
He also spoke about missing out on seeing his son grow up and admitted he wished he had been there to protect him.
"People think that grief is sadness, but it's not. It's rage! Pure unfiltered rage," Jeff shouted.
"My son's death didn't just break my heart... It destroyed my sense of safety, my faith in people."
"We're all humans. We all bleed the same color," he said about the case being about race, before turning back to Anthony and adding: "You're free to make choices all you want, but you're not free from those consequences. You will face those consequences starting today.
"You failed your parents, you failed yourself, and you failed society. You don't belong in this community," he also stated.
Published 12:52 10 Jun 2026 GMT
The father of murdered teenager Austin Metcalf made a heartbreaking five-word demand to his son's convicted killer.
Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of murdering high school athlete Austin Metcalf.
The 19-year-old broke down in tears as the sentence was handed down in a Texas courtroom on Tuesday (June 9), where Austin's family delivered emotional victim impact statements directly to him.
One of the most powerful moments in the courtroom came when Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, demanded that Anthony look at him as he described the devastation caused by his son's death.
"You're going to prison," Jeff told Anthony, per Daily Mail. "You can't even look me in the eyes right now, but you can stab my f**king son in the heart."
Anthony kept his head down as Austin's loved ones continued to speak about the impact of losing the 17-year-old, who was fatally stabbed during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.
"If you ask me what my son's death did to me, I would tell you it destroyed the person I used to be. Not changed me, destroyed me," Jeff told the courtroom.
The grieving father said he forgave Anthony "the day it happened" but would never forgive "what you did."
He also spoke about missing out on seeing his son grow up and admitted he wished he had been there to protect him.
"People think that grief is sadness but it's not. It's rage! Pure unfiltered rage," Jeff shouted. "My son's death didn't just break my heart... It destroyed my sense of safety, my faith in people."
The father also rejected suggestions that the case was about race, telling the court it was instead about accountability.
"We're all humans. We all bleed the same color," he said, before turning back to Anthony, and adding: "You're free to make choices all you want, but you're not free from those consequences. You will face those consequences starting today.
"You failed your parents, you failed yourself and you failed society. You don't belong in this community," he added.
Austin's identical twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, also asked Anthony to make eye contact with him.
"If you could just look me in the eye while I speak, I would really respect that," he said.
Anthony continued looking down as Hunter described the future that had been stolen from his family.
"You took a son, a brother, a friend, and my best friend, from this world," he said. "You took someone from me who was supposed to be an uncle, godfather to my kids. Now I want everything taken from you."
Hunter said Anthony had let "the devil" take over during the confrontation.
"Eventually your name will be forgotten, but my brother's memory will live on," he continued. "I always say 'An eye for an eye,' but you still have air to breathe while my brother is six feet under."
He also shared how his mother cries herself to sleep and how he wakes up every day to find Austin's bedroom door still shut.
Austin's mother, Meghan Metcalf, told the court she had been left "crushed" by her son's death.
"Seeing my loving son, his identical twin, lose the most important person in his life, it crushes you as a mother," she said.
She described Austin as a teenager who brought people together. "He was the peacemaker, the protector," she added.
Addressing Anthony directly, she said: "There is a part of him you can never take away from me or anyone who loves Austin. What it meant to be loved by him. It's the love that I can continue to have in my heart.
"He was taken from us just as he was starting to really live," she continued. "You may have just been given a sentence of 35 years behind bars, but you can consider yourself lucky because I've been sentenced to a lifetime without my son."
Anthony faced between five and 99 years in prison after being found guilty of murder.
His lawyers argued that he acted under "sudden passion," a legal defense in Texas that can reduce the severity of a sentence.
Defense attorney Mike Howard claimed Anthony "didn't have time for cool reflection," arguing: "He acted in that moment and sudden passion applies."
But prosecutor Bill Wirskye disagreed. "Sudden passion doesn't fit here. They've got it wrong," he said. "Sudden passion is when the victim, the dead person provokes. Who caused this? Not Austin Metcalf, Karmelo Anthony did."
Jurors ultimately rejected the argument before sentencing Anthony to 35 years behind bars.
Prosecutors said the late teenager was stabbed during an argument under a tent at a high school track meet in Frisco.
Anthony claimed he acted in self-defense, but witnesses testified that he was the aggressor and told Austin: "Touch me and see what happens."
According to testimony, Austin pushed Anthony before Anthony pulled out a folding knife and stabbed him once in the chest.
A medical examiner testified that the knife pierced Austin's chest bone and punctured the right side of his heart.
Jurors were also shown police body camera footage of Hunter desperately trying to save his brother.
Anthony will have to serve at least half of his 35 year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Published 10:45 25 Jun 2025 GMT
The dad of a teen who was stabbed to death at a track meet has spoken out as the alleged killer, Karmelo Anthony, is charged with murder.
As widely reported, Austin Metcalf, 17, a junior at Frisco Memorial High School and standout linebacker with a 4.0 GPA, was allegedly stabbed in the chest by Karmelo Anthony, a senior from nearby Frisco Centennial High School, on April 2.
The violence reportedly erupted during a rain delay at the event, when Anthony took shelter under a pop-up tent belonging to Metcalf's team. According to Metcalf's twin brother, Hunter, that’s when tensions ignited.
“We asked him to move. He started getting aggressive and talking reckless,” Hunter told reporters.
When his brother stepped in, things turned deadly. “He put his hands on me,” Anthony later admitted to police, according to an arrest affidavit.
“I was protecting myself.” But what came next stunned everyone: “I’m not alleged, I did it,” the suspect reportedly confessed.
Hunter tried to save his brother, but the stab wound to the heart was too severe. His twin was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead shortly after.
“He was holding the wound. He was trying to save his brother,” their mother, Meghan Metcalf, recalled. “Just doesn’t make any sense...just because the kid was mad, my son is not here anymore, and I don’t understand it.”
Anthony, 18, has been formally indicted for the murder of Metcalf. The Collin County grand jury handed down the indictment this week, advancing a case that has deeply shaken the local community.
He was arrested on the scene and charged with first-degree murder. Though he was released on reduced bond on April 14 and remains under house arrest, the charge carries a potential sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison.
In Texas, 17-year-olds are prosecuted as adults, though the death penalty is off the table due to Anthony’s age at the time of the stabbing. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that even if prosecutors had sought it, Anthony was too young to face capital punishment.
“If it would have happened six weeks later, he would have been 18. Then it's a different ball game,” said Jeff, Metcalf's father. “We have to play the cards we are dealt.”
While the distraught father said he would have "100 percent" supported the death penalty if Anthony had been 18, he added: “Doesn't matter what I think. Nothing will bring my son back.”
Despite that, he said he's “pleased” the case is moving forward. “With the first-degree murder indictment, it now goes into the court system. I fully believe that justice will be served for Austin Metcalf. I look forward to the forthcoming trial. But it will never bring my son back,” he said, per CBS News.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis acknowledged the emotional weight of the case in a public statement: “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.
"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," he added.
Anthony’s attorney, Mike Howard, released a video statement asserting his client acted in self-defense and is confident in the judicial process.
“Karmelo and his family are confident in the justice system and the people of Collin County to be fair and impartial. Of course, Karmelo looks forward to his day in court,” Howard said.
“Because it’s only in a trial that the full story can be heard, and that impartial justice can be done. We expect that when the full story is heard, the prosecution will not be able to rule out the reasonable doubt that Karmelo Anthony may have acted in self-defense.”
Howard added that he fully expects “the jury will reach the right conclusion and justice will be done".
The next stage in the legal process will be the assignment of a trial judge, who will set a first court appearance date.
Published 16:29 04 Jun 2026 GMT
The murder trial of Karmelo Anthony has begun in Texas, with prosecutors revealing the final words spoken by 17-year-old Austin Metcalf after he was stabbed during a high school track meet.
Anthony, now 19, is charged with first-degree murder over the fatal stabbing at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco on April 2 last year. He has pleaded not guilty and claims he acted in self-defense following a dispute over seating at the event.
Per The Daily Mail, during opening statements on Thursday, Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye told jurors that Metcalf realized he had been stabbed before lifting his shirt and saying: "I've been stabbed."
Prosecutors said the teenager then tumbled down several rows of bleachers as his twin brother, Hunter, rushed to help him.
Wirskye told the court that Anthony used a folding knife during the confrontation and later discarded the weapon before leaving the scene.
According to prosecutors, Anthony attempted to blend into groups of students fleeing the stadium after the incident.
"If you're scared and running away in self-defense, why toss the knife?" the prosecutor said.
"That knife wasn't used to protect him from harm. That knife was used to harm another. Find this man guilty of first-degree murder," he continued, pointing at Anthony.
The prosecution also argued that race should not be considered when evaluating the evidence.
"This case has nothing to do with race," Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye said.
Anthony had his knife ready to stab Austin Metcalf in a "surprise attack," the prosecutor claimed.
"That's why we are here, no other reason," Wirskye said. "This killing, this murder is just senseless."
Anthony's attorney Mike Howard presented a different version of events, arguing that his client acted after being confronted by Metcalf and his brother.
"'What's important to know is Melo is 5'8" and 140 pounds. Hunter and Austin Metcalf are 6'1' about 80 pounds heavier than Melo," defense attorney Mike Howard said, referring to Anthony by his nickname.
"What you will hear is that Melo remained seated, even when Austin and Hunter stood up," Howard continued.
"It is uncontroverted that Austin makes the first physical contact. Austin grabs, punches, pushes. In that split second, Melo has a decision to make, how and when to act."
Howard also described Anthony as a strong student with a 3.7 GPA who played multiple sports and held two jobs, while telling jurors there had been "a lot of noise" and "a lot of completely false information" surrounding the case.
The trial is expected to last around two weeks, with prosecutors planning to present surveillance footage that allegedly captured the incident.
"The video will tell the story," Wirskye said. "The facts of this case are as simple as this act was senseless."
More than 35 witnesses are expected to testify, including student athletes, coaches and Austin Metcalf's twin brother Hunter, who was with him in his final moments.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Anthony faces a sentence ranging from five years to 99 years in prison.
Published 16:41 05 Apr 2025 GMT
After being arrested for allegedly murdering a 17-year-old at a track meet, the accused teenager had some chilling words for the police.
The devastating incident unfolded at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on April 2, resulting in the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
According to reports, the altercation began when Metcalf and his twin brother, Hunter, noticed 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a senior at Centennial High School, seated under their team's pop-up tent during a rain delay.
Hunter recounted: "We asked him to move. He started getting aggressive and talking reckless."
The situation escalated rapidly when Austin intervened, leading to Anthony allegedly retrieving a knife from his backpack and stabbing Austin in the chest.
Hunter, witnessing the tragic event, attempted to save his brother but was unable to stop the bleeding. Austin was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly thereafter.
Their mother, Meghan Metcalf, remembered Austin as "the most amazing kid," highlighting his academic achievements and aspirations to play college football.
Speaking of son Hunter attempting to save Austin, the mom told WFAA: "He was holding the wound. He was trying to save his brother."
"Just doesn't make any sense," the grieving mom added. "Just because the kid was mad, my son is not here anymore, and I don't understand it."
Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, conveyed his grief and pride in his son, describing him as "a bright young man with a great future ahead of him."
He added: "His smile would light up the room. His passion for football was unbelievable."
Anthony was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder. He is currently being held at Collin County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
An arrest warrant affidavit revealed that Anthony admitted to the stabbing, reportedly stating: "I'm not alleged, I did it," and claiming self-defense by saying: "I was protecting myself. He put his hands on me."
Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, expressed profound grief and questioned the circumstances that led to his son's death.
Per the New York Post, he said: "I'm not trying to judge, but what kind of parents did this child have? What was he taught? He brought a knife to a track meet and he murdered my son by stabbing him in the heart.
"The guy was in the wrong place and they asked him to move and he bowed up [became angry and aggressive]. This is murder."
Andrew Anthony, Karmelo's father, defended his son, describing him as a "good kid" and asserting: "He was not the aggressor, he was not the one who started it."
The father went on: "Everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be.
"He’s a good kid. He works two jobs. He’s an A student, has a 3.7 GPA. I feel bad for the other parents and family, and words can’t explain how both [families] have been affected by this tragedy."
The Frisco Independent School District released a statement expressing condolences: "Frisco ISD shares in the grief of everyone impacted by this heartbreaking loss, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the victim's family, students, staff, and our community during this difficult time."
A GoFundMe campaign established in Austin's memory has raised over $200,000 to support the Metcalf family during this challenging period.
Published 17:06 05 Apr 2025 GMT
The father of a teenager who is accused of murdering a 17-year-old at a track meet has spoken out about the incident.
Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed during an altercation at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco on April 2.
According to the Frisco Police Department, the altercation occurred around 10:00AM between Metcalf, a junior at Frisco Memorial High School, and Karmelo Anthony, 17, a senior at Frisco Centennial High School.
Witnesses reported that the dispute began over seating arrangements in the stadium's stands during a weather delay.
Metcalf and his twin brother, Hunter, asked Anthony to vacate a seat under their school's tent. The situation escalated quickly, culminating in Anthony allegedly stabbing Metcalf in the chest.
Despite immediate medical attention, including CPR and a blood transfusion, Metcalf succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.
Hunter Metcalf, who held his twin brother after the attack, expressed disbelief over the senselessness of the act, stating: "I don't know why a person would do that to someone, just over that little argument," per told WFAA.
"He didn't deserve it," Hunter added, per NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. "I know people that lose their family members all the time, but I just didn't know it would be mine so soon. My best friend, my brother, my whole life."
Their mother, Meghan Metcalf, remembered Austin as "the most amazing kid," highlighting his academic achievements and aspirations to play college football.
Speaking of son Hunter attempting to save Austin, the mom told WFAA: "He was holding the wound. He was trying to save his brother."
"Just doesn't make any sense," the grieving mom added. "Just because the kid was mad, my son is not here anymore, and I don't understand it."
Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, conveyed his grief and pride in his son, describing him as "a bright young man with a great future ahead of him."
He added: "His smile would light up the room. His passion for football was unbelievable."
A GoFundMe campaign established in Austin's memory has raised over $200,000 to support the family during this difficult time.
As reported by the New York Post, Karmelo Anthony's father, Andrew Anthony, defended his son, asserting that Karmelo "was not the aggressor" and emphasizing his academic achievements and work ethic.
The father said: “Everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be. He’s a good kid. He works two jobs. He’s an A student, has a 3.7 GPA."
He added: "He was not the one who started it. I feel bad for the other parents and family, and words can’t explain how both [families] have been affected by this tragedy."
Anthony was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder. He is currently held at the Collin County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
According to the arrest report, Anthony allegedly confessed to the stabbing, claiming self-defense.
He reportedly told officers: "I was protecting myself," and inquired whether the incident could be considered self-defense.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by NBC DFW, Anthony allegedly told the arresting officers: "I’m not alleged, I did it."
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