HS track athlete stabbed & killed at track meet; suspect found guilty of murder

Did Karmelo Anthony Commit Murder or Was It Self Defense?

  • Murder

  • Self Defense

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O.G. said:
The outrage has died down tho. Maybe bcuz I ain't in Texas.
Click to expand...
It's probably still there but there's only so much people can focus on and there's been a ton of other things overtaking the spotlight within the 1 year since it happened

I read up on the charges and didn't know Texas treats manslaughter and first degree different from a lot of other states which is probably why they're charging him with 1st degree
 
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Track meet stabbing trial day 2: Lawyers on both sides probe potential jurors for biases in Karmelo Anthony case | Live updates

The trial of Anthony, accused of killing Austin Metcalf, is expected to last two weeks. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.
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Jobin Panicker reports that Mitchell, the prosecutor continued to question potential jurors.
He went down a row of potential jurors and asked: “Will age [of the defendant] affect your ability to [render a true verdict]?”
A panelist answered: “I don’t think I can make a decision about somebody so young. One mistake, one argument, one conflict, you can’t say he’s a bad person.”
Several prospective jurors said “…this is not a good week.” Mitchell: “This may not be the trial for you.”
Karmelo Anthony is sitting next to his lawyer Mike Howard. There is a pad of paper, a pen, and a water bottle in front of him.
Attorneys and staff on both sides are writing notes after each and every answer from a prospective juror.
A panel member asks Mitchell "Can you define reasonable doubt?” Mitchell said he cannot, as it will be different for each person.
Mitchell then tackles the race question directly, asking person after person how they feel about this statement: "I don’t feel comfortable finding an African American male guilty of murder.” Because of the audio setup in the courtroom, it's unclear how they answered that question.

Mitchell asked the panel how they felt about this statement: “Race will affect my ability to determine guilt or innocence.” Again, their answers if any were not audible.
Mitchell: "In my 30 years [in law] I’ve never had this conversation with a jury before. We have to be honest about it.”
At one point he said: “I know nobody wants to be on this case.” People in the overflow courtroom laugh.
Mitchell reminds the panel that no one is getting “in trouble” with their answers. He asks again if they can put race aside and use the law and evidence to render a verdict.
10 a.m.
Jobin Panicker reports some of the back and forth as jurors answer questions from prosecutor Dewey Mitchell, the county's chief felony prosecutor and lead jury picker, according to a commendation he received a few years ago.
Juror: "I have a son the exact same age of the defendant. I don’t know if that will affect me... What if that had happened to my kid?”
Mitchell asks for a show of hands. “Who has high schoolers?” It's unclear who, if anyone, raised their hands since jurors are not shown on the courthouse video feed which is, again, only broadcast inside an overflow courtroom at the courthouse.
A juror said she is an educator in Frisco ISD. “This is close enough to home, I am not confident I could completely be fair.”
Mitchell, to the jury pool: “How many teachers do we have?” Again, we do not know how many raised their hands, but Anthony and Metcalf were both in high school when the incident occurred, and educators will likely be called as witnesses.
A jurors said: “I don’t know if I feel right putting a brother in jail.” This draws a reaction in the overflow courtroom. Two men in front of Panicker shook their heads.
One juror said they have moral and religious beliefs that prevent them from sentencing someone.

Another is recounting an experience with their own child and possible bullying at school. Mitchell interrupts and says, “I’ll come back to you because I want to talk about self-defense.”
Mitchell then went over the charges. he said Texas doesn't classify murder by degrees like in other states. Texas has different names for different types of homicide: negligent homicide and manslaughter (which is assessed based on recklessness of one's actions), murder (intentional or knowingly taking of a life) and capital murder (murder plus committing another felony like robbery).
Mitchell: "What if someone says, ‘I didn’t mean to kill somebody?’” He asked jurors if they think that still constitutes murder. “There is nothing in the law that says I have to plan out to kill someone," Mitchell said. A panelist asks about premeditation. Mitchell said that may interest you during the punishment phase.
Mitchell told the pool that the lawyers are looking for people “who can render a true verdict based on the law and the evidence." He said at some point he will talk about what "sudden passion" means legally.
 


And Here we go
Good luck kid

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Judge Roach announced that 18 jurors, including six alternates, had been selected to hear the case.
Earlier this afternoon, the judge denied challenges lodged by defense attorney Mike Howard who claimed that the prosecution's last three strikes were based on race and gender. "Those three were 100% of the available African-American jurors in the strike zone," Howard said. Prosecutors told the judge they struck those particular jurors because they are educators. After considering Howard's objections, Roach determined that the state had race-neutral reasons for striking those jurors.
As a reminder, press and the public were not allowed in the actual room where jurors were questioned. Instead, those proceedings were only visible on a closed-circuit video feed shown in an overflow room. That video feed did not show any jurors.
After the panel was brought in, Judge Roach gave the jurors a series of instructions, prohibiting them from discussing the case with anyone, even among themselves. He also told them not to watch any TV, listen to radio or read about the case.

"You will render a verdict only on the evidence presented," he told them.
The defense has elected for the jury, rather than the judge, to determine punishment.
He told jurors to be in place at 7:30 a.m. Thursday for opening statements. He said the trial will go to 6 p.m. that day.
3:30 p.m.
The judge and lawyers are now striking jurors from the pool, hoping by the end of today to select 12 jurors and a half dozen alternates.
3 p.m.
Rebecca Lopez filed her report after the Q&A portion of voir dire was completed today:
Defense attorney Mike Howard started out asking prospective jurors a question: "If it's you and feel like your life is in danger, do you have the right to defend yourself?"
He asked the panel if they can set aside their biases.
"I'm not sure," one said.
"I read a lot about this case," another said. "The difference here is that I've been in similar situations. I can tell you how I handled it. I ran like hell."
Howard asked about the burden of proof always being on the prosecution, and panelists' opinions about when a defendant doesn't testify.
"I have followed this case a lot," another said. "It's hard to follow and not have a defendant say something and not hold it against them."
"I understand not speaking but I feel like if you were innocent you would be yelling it from the rooftops," another said.
"I would look for you to prove something to me," another said.
"If it were me and I knew I was not guity, wild horses couldnt' keep me off the stand," another said.
"Doesn't seem logical not to hear the other side of the story," another said. "Hard to say not guilty if I don't hear that person's side of the story."
Howard then talked to the jury pool about Texas law on weapons, which allows people to take guns into certain places. He said that extends to knives with blades under 5 and a half inches.

A small knife can legally be taken into a high school sporting event, Howard said. That is not criminal activity, he said.
On the subject of self defense, Howard told potential jurors that deadly force can be used to defend yourself when you reasonably think you are preventing deadly force against you.
He said if you are in a public place, haven't provoked a person or engaged in criminal activity and you have a knife under 5 and a half inches, then you are justified in using deadly force.
One juror said, "If it were me and someone is being aggressive I would just walk away."
Another: "There are times in which force is necessary."
Howard noted that once self defense is raised and the judge allows it, then it is up to the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that self-defense was not a factor.
Then he talks about the fact that during the trial the defense can request that manslaughter, and negligent homicide be included as lesser charges.
Then he randomly asked the jurors about how they felt about immigration. Some jurors said they didn't want to answer. Many were neutral. Some were in favor and some were not.
Howard asked about punishment, specifically whether people were uncomfortable giving the lesser end of the punishment for different charges.
He ended by thanking the panelists. "This is not easy. Thank you for your service."
2 p.m.
Jobin Panicker filed this update describing the end of the defense Q&A with jurors:
Defense attorney Mike Howard asked the jury pool a series of hypothetical questions probing their views on what punishments are too heavy and too light for particular crimes.
"If you have a found a defendant guilty of murder, anyone not consider even 5 years as punishment?"
"If you have found a defendant guilty on a manslaughter charge, anyone not consider 2 years as a punishment?"

"If a person has never been convicted of a felony, and is found guilty of manslaughter, you could consider probation?"
Some panelists feel two years is too low to consider for "killing someone." Others said they do not understand the question. A few felt they could not consider probation.
One juror said would use the evidence to render a verdict -- then follows it up with "Judge Roach is scary!" People laugh inside the overflow courtroom.
Howard reminded panelists that there will be witnesses who are young and there will be some intense questioning. He also reminds them to set aside their thoughts on the personalities in the case. "It's OK to think, 'I don't like that Mike Howard guy.'" He told the panel it is not OK, however, if they cannot set aside their feelings about the attorneys when rendering a verdict.
"This is not easy," Howard said to the pool as he finished his questioning.
Judge Roach then told both sides they are going to his office to figure out a plan. "By the end of the day we will have a jury," the judge said.
 

Defense says Karmelo Anthony reacted out of "fear" before allegedly stabbing Austin Metcalf​

Lead defense attorney Mike Howard began by stating there was a lot of noise around the case that has taken away from the person that Anthony is – a son, a brother, the oldest of four, a friend and an "A" student.

Howard described Anthony's success as a student-athlete, all while being diagnosed with epilepsy.

He then shared how Anthony ended up in the section where he allegedly got into an altercation with Metcalf.

Howard said Anthony walked around to get out of the rain and recognized someone near the Memorial tent, where he entered and was told to leave by Metcalf.

He said Anthony, who is 5'8" and about 130 pounds, was confronted by both Austin and Hunter Metcalf, who are 6'1" and about 215 pounds.

Howard said the jurors will hear two different accounts of how the confrontation happened but wanted to make it clear Metcalf made "the first physical contact, in spite of the warning" to not touch Anthony.

He said Anthony "made a split-second" decision out of fear.

Prosecution calls Tarrant County video expert as first witness as jurors watch video of stabbing​

Following opening statements, the prosecution called its first witness, Mark Porter, a video analyst for the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office.

Porter shared his background and knowledge of video enhancement, including the surveillance video that captured the stabbing.

The prosecution then entered the enhanced surveillance video as evidence in the case and showed jurors the first frame – a wide shot of the stadium, showing both Austin and Hunter Metcalf walking into the stadium and Anthony being escorted out in handcuffs by police.

Jurors then began watching the surveillance video frame by frame, leading up to the stabbing, while Porter testifies about the analytics of his work.

The jurors saw the moment students gathered under a yellow tent with the Memorial High logo. And at a 10 a.m. timestamp, there's some pushing among individuals under the back of the tent, but it's difficult to tell what's happened. Then, the video shows all those under the tent scatter quickly. The video then shows Anthony running out of the stadium less than a minute after the stabbing.

Prosecutors are painstakingly going over the video, showing the jury only a few seconds of it at a time.

Video from another camera shows Anthony being chased while running near the edge of the stadium, and he put his hands up in the air before two uniformed police officers handcuffed him.

Defense cross-examines video expert witness, criticizes surveillance video​

After a noon lunch break on Thursday, the court resumed with the prosecution continuing to show the jury both the unaltered and enhanced videos of the moments leading up to the stabbing. But according to CBS News Texas reporter JD Miles, so far, the magnified videos, which have never been viewed by the public, still do not produce a clear visual of what happened under the tent in the bleachers of the stadium where Metcalf was fatally stabbed.

Prosecution then passed the witness to the defense for cross-examination.

Defense attorney Toby Shook commented on how unclear the video of the incident was, asking the question, "You really can't tell what people are doing under the tent, can you?" concerning whether you can tell what led up to the stabbing.

The witness, Porter, answered, "No, sir."

"There's really no way to determine when an argument starts or stops, can you?" Shook asked.

"No, sir," said Porter.

"You wouldn't be able to tell the jury there's an argument?" Shook asked.

"No, sir," said Porter.

State calls Frisco Memorial head track coach to the stand​

The state has called Rob Starr, the 41-year-old head track coach at Frisco Memorial High School, to the witness stand.

Starr is also the position coach for the football team at Memorial and knew both Austin and Hunter Metcalf and their parents: Austin Metcalf for about 1 year, and Hunter Metcalf for about 2 years.

Starr said tents at track meets are a big deal, "a million-dollar industry," and help keep everybody separated, adding that a coach usually hangs out by the tent for "proximity control."

The coach also said that "weapons are not allowed in any shape, form or fashion."

Starr said that students have to sign a code of conduct, which includes that they will not bring weapons.

"You wouldn't expect that at a Frisco ISD track meet," said Starr.
 

Memorial track coach testifies about Austin Metcalf's final moments at track meet​

Memorial head track coach rob Starr said that Memorial was the host school for the track meet on April 2, 2025. He added that the team would be down certain coaches because of the responsibilities that come with being the host school

Due to that, he enlisted some of the throwers, who are typically the leaders, including Austin and Hunter Metcalf, to help, saying the throwers are usually in charge of setting up the tents.

Starr said he sent a text to Austin Metcalf that day that he needed to step up and help.

Starr said that heading into the district meet, he was a little upset with Austin Metcalf. At a previous meet, he said Austin Metcalf threw and then left early to go fishing. He actually kicked Austin Metcalf off the team, but they talked and he let him back on.

The coach said there was never a rain delay that day and Memorial athletes were mostly under the tent, though some other schools' athletes went back to their buses.

Starr had to leave to get a crockpot from a coach who was waiting in concessions for him around 10 a.m. He heard a commotion, so he started hustling to see what happened, dropping the crockpot and starting to jog. Starr said he jumped a fence and tried to get back to the tent.

Coach testifies he found Metcalf with "a hole in his chest"​

"I'm thinking, 'Man there are no coaches by my tent,'" Starr said on the witness stand. "I come over there... and my memory is kind of shaky, but what I do see is Austin on the ground and his face is purple, and he has a hole in his chest."

Holding back tears, Starr said everyone was screaming his name. He said Hunter said, "Coach Starr, do something!"

The coach testified that he was told Karmelo Anthony "did it." He hopped over the gate and approached Anthony, and stopped him.

"It's surreal, and it wasn't violent", said Starr. "He said, 'He put his hands on me,' and he was hysterical."

Starr says he (Starr) got really upset, walked away and threw his hat on the ground. He then went over to Austin Metcalf and put his hand on his leg as the coaches were praying.

Starr said he then went to Hunter Metcalf, who was hysterical, and he prayed with him, adding that at that point it rained hard for a minute and he knew Austin Metcalf was gone.

Austin Metcalf's father, Jeff Metcalf, sat in the courtroom, wiping away tears.

The prosecution passed the witness to the defense.

Prosecution questions Memorial track coach​

Memorial High School head track coach Rob Starr told the prosecution it was not normal for students to walk around during downtime and talk to other students while at track meets.

Starr said, although it happens, his policy is "that's not acceptable," and believes other Frisco coaches feel the same way.

Questioned about kicking Austin Metcalf off the track team, Starr said he wanted ot teach him a lesson.

Memorial High School athletic trainer takes the stand​

Tiffany Whitaker, an athletic trainer at Memorial High School, is the next witness to take the stand.

She said she spends a lot of time with athletes and knew Austin and Hunter Metcalf. She referred to the tents at track meets as "locker rooms," stressing the importance of staying in your tent. Whitaker said it is normal to say hello to someone in another tent, but not to "plant yourself there."


Athletic trainer recalls efforts to save Austin Metcalf after stabbing​

Memorial High School athletic trainer Tiffany Whitaker said on the witness stand on Thursday afternoon that when screaming started around 10 a.m. on April 2, 2025, she moved on to the track, looking to see what was going on.

Whitaker said she asked a student what was going on, and the student indicated that Anthony stabbed Metcalf and tossed a knife.

Whitaker said she stopped Anthony and had a brief interaction, then went to Metcalf, although at the time she didn't know it was him. The student trainer thought he was having a seizure.

Whitaker said she went to his head and helped with evaluating him and a coach said he could feel a pulse.

Whitaker said she noticed Metcalf was blue. She started rescue breaths, and another coach did chest compressions until the AED arrived; however, that didn't help. They continued CPR until paramedics arrived.

"I'm kind of in autopilot," Whitaker said.

They stopped treatment when paramedics arrived.

The prosecution passed the witness to the defense. During questioning by the defense, Whitaker said that when she saw Anthony, he was running and people were chasing him.
 
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