Prosecutors Say Karmelo Anthony Fatally Stabbed Austin Metcalf at Frisco ISD Track Meet

A murder trial for Karmelo Anthony began with jury selection on June 1 in Collin County, after prosecutors accused him of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old student-athlete, during a Frisco Independent School District track meet on April 2, 2025.

“Prosecutors told jurors Thursday that a Texas teenager competing at a high school track meet provoked a 17-year-old athlete from a rival team before fatally stabbing him in the stadium's bleachers as other students looked on”

ABC7 Los Angeles

Investigators told the court that Anthony and Metcalf, who attended different schools and did not know each other, got into an altercation at Kuykendall Stadium before Anthony allegedly stabbed Metcalf, who later died at the hospital and whose death prosecutors are treating as homicide.

ABC7 Los Angeles

In opening statements, prosecutor Bill Wirskye told jurors the case involved an unjustified killing, saying, "We are all here because Karmelo Anthony decided to take a knife to a high school track meet and provoke another young man who he didn’t know into touching him."

Defense attorney Mike Howard argued the stabbing was self-defense, telling the jury, "Self-defense is useless if you wait too late to use it," as the trial proceeded under strict rules set by a Collin County judge.

The judge adjourned court for the day and instructed jurors to return at 9 a.m. Monday, reminding them not to discuss the case or consume any news about the trial in the meantime.

As testimony continued, a teen witness told the jury he believed Anthony provoked the confrontation, answering, "Yes," when asked whether Karmelo Anthony provoked the confrontation.

Defense witnesses and cross-examination focused on the tent area and who called Anthony over, with a 17-year-old Memorial student saying it was Metcalf’s brother, Hunter, who first called attention to Anthony, and that the interaction between Eddie and Melo was friendly before it escalated.

CBS News

Prosecutors countered that the killing was not self-defense, with Wirskye describing it as a "senseless murder" and a "sneak, surprise attack" as he argued Anthony "knows he goaded the murder."

In court, jurors also heard from Collin County Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, who testified that Metcalf’s stab wound to the chest was 2 inches in length and was "gaping," and that the wound was not survivable.

The trial’s evidence included surveillance video and body-worn camera footage, and the judge barred public identification of minor witnesses while the case drew national attention.

Jurors viewed the pocketknife prosecutors say Karmelo Anthony used to fatally stab Austin Metcalf, with Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye displaying a 3.5-inch black blade with a textured silver handle.

Defense attorneys argued that the dispute began when Metcalf and others told Anthony to leave their team’s tent during a rain-delayed track meet in Frisco, and they maintained Anthony made a split-second decision in the face of a threat.

Prosecutors emphasized that the act was intentional and not a defensive reaction, with Wirskye telling jurors that the victim didn’t realize he had been stabbed immediately and that Anthony began pleading, "He touched me first," when students pointed him out to officers.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Anthony faces up to life in prison, and the trial is expected to last approximately two weeks as testimony and evidence continue.

The case also includes courtroom restrictions, including a judge’s order barring public identification of minor witnesses and rules prohibiting attorneys from discussing the case publicly, as the jury weighs whether Anthony’s actions were justified.