Murder Trial Evidence
Judge Releases Crucial Evidence from Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial, Offering New Insights
Key Points
Investigators said the confrontation started at the Frisco track meet when Anthony was sitting under Memorial High School’s team tent and Austin Metcalf told him to leave.
In the videos shown to jurors, Anthony can be heard making self-defense-related statements, including: "I was just protecting myself," and later, "He put his hands on me. I told him not to, he put his hands on me."
911 callers described immediate emergency treatment, including a call stating, "We're doing compressions and giving him mouth-to-mouth," and another calling for rapid response: "I need paramedics at Kuykendall Stadium right away."
After the stabbing, family members said 17-year-old Metcalf died in the arms of his twin brother.
A Texas judge has released the first public look at evidence from the Karmelo Anthony murder trial, including surveillance footage, 911 call recordings, and crime-scene photos. CBS News reported that Judge John Roach made the materials public on June 19, 2026 — nearly two weeks after jurors convicted Anthony of first-degree murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison.
The evidence covers the April 2, 2025, stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at Kuykendall Stadium during a Frisco ISD track meet. Cameras were banned from the courtroom, so the release offers the first chance for the public to see and hear what jurors saw during the trial, NBC DFW reported.
A Tent Dispute That Turned Deadly in Seconds
The confrontation started when rain forced students to seek shelter. Anthony, a student at Centennial High School, sat under the Memorial High School team tent. Austin Metcalf, 17, told him to leave. According to FOX 4, that dispute quickly escalated into a stabbing. Anthony pulled a pocketknife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest. Metcalf later died in the arms of his twin brother.
The physical difference between the two was significant. Anthony stood 5'8" and weighed 130 pounds. Metcalf was 6'1" and 213 pounds. The defense used that gap to argue Anthony felt trapped and afraid. Prosecutors called it an "ego-driven" response to a minor social slight, FOX News reported.
Surveillance Video Captures Stabbing and Anthony's Flight
The newly released footage shows the confrontation under the school tent. In body-camera video, Anthony can be heard saying, "I was just protecting myself," and, "He put his hands on me. I told him not to, he put his hands on me." Separate surveillance footage then shows Anthony running away from the scene after the stabbing, CBS 19 reported.
Prosecutors pointed to that flight as evidence of guilt. They argued Anthony's own words — "Touch me and find out," said before the stabbing — showed he was the aggressor, not the victim. Under Texas law, a person cannot claim self-defense if they provoked the confrontation, NBC DFW noted.
911 Calls Captured the Desperate Race to Save Metcalf
Multiple 911 recordings played in court reveal the chaos after the stabbing. One caller said, "We're doing compressions and giving him mouth-to-mouth." Another urged, "I need paramedics at Kuykendall Stadium right away." Athletic trainers treated Metcalf on the scene before he was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to FOX 4.
Jury Took Two Hours to Reject Self-Defense Claim
Jurors deliberated for just two hours and 20 minutes before finding Anthony guilty on June 9, 2026. Prosecutor Bill Wirskye told the jury, "You don't get to meet a shove with a stab." The jury then sentenced Anthony to 35 years — near the middle of the 5-to-99-year range for first-degree murder in Texas, FOX News reported.
Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, addressed Anthony directly at sentencing. "You should feel lucky you got 35 years," he said. "Austin will never walk through that door again." Anthony's legal team filed a notice of appeal the next day. Appellate experts say the appeal will likely focus on jury selection, since the 12-person jury included no Black members, according to CBS News.
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