Texas Teen Found Guilty in Fatal Stabbing at High School Athletics Event
A Texas teenager was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday for the fatal stabbing of a fellow student at a high school athletics event in the Dallas area.
The trial of Karmelo Anthony, which has been racially polarising, concerned the April 2025 death of Austin Metcalf and attracted national attention. The case sparked a debate about self-defence and school safety. Both individuals were 17 years old at the time of the incident.
Prosecutors contended that Anthony threatened Metcalf before intentionally killing him, whereas defence lawyers maintained that Anthony acted in self-defence.
Anthony received a sentence of 35 years in prison.
Although Anthony was 17 at the time of the murder on 2 April 2025, Texas law permitted him to be charged as an adult.
The death penalty was not considered since Anthony was a minor at the time of Metcalf's death.
Trial Proceedings and Testimonies
During the trial, prosecutors called nearly two dozen witnesses, focusing their evidence on eyewitness accounts.
One of the most emotional testimonies was delivered by Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr Elizabeth Ventura, who described a large, gaping wound in Metcalf's chest and stated that the knife had pierced his heart.
Student witnesses for the prosecution described Anthony as the aggressor.
The defence also presented multiple witnesses, including students and track coach Adam Linwood, who testified that Anthony had been nominated for the role of team captain.
Anthony was reported to have performed well academically, holding near-perfect grades that resulted in a 4.0 grade point average (GPA), according to a Dallas-area NBC News affiliate.
Prosecutors noted that the two young men did not attend the same school and had no prior connection.
Verdict and Community Response
On Tuesday, the Texas jury reached a guilty verdict in less than three hours.
The civil rights organisation Next Generation Action Network, which had advocated for Anthony, pointed out that not one juror was black.
Judge Roach had permitted the jury to consider manslaughter charges, which would have carried a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The Frisco School District issued a statement following the verdict:
"Our community has carried the weight of this tragedy for more than a year, and our thoughts remain with the impacted families, friends and classmates,"
"We respect the judicial process and will continue to support our students with compassion and care. We know this trial has brought strong emotions and deep grief, and we ask that our community continue to support each other with respect, sensitivity and understanding."
