MCKINNEY, Texas — Karmelo Anthony was convicted Tuesday of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a high school track meet, bringing a closely watched Texas trial to a dramatic conclusion after jurors deliberated for roughly three hours.

Anthony, now 19, was found guilty in connection with the April 2025 killing of Metcalf at a track and field competition in the Dallas area. The case attracted nationwide attention and included testimony from more than 20 witnesses called by prosecutors.

Jurors were instructed to weigh a single count of first-degree murder. Following the guilty verdict, the same jury immediately began the punishment phase of the trial to determine Anthony’s sentence.

Under Texas law, Anthony faces a prison term ranging from five years to life after the murder conviction.

Because he was under 18 when the incident occurred, prosecutors were barred from seeking the death penalty.

Judge John Roach Jr. had previously instructed jurors that they could consider the lesser offense of manslaughter if they concluded the killing was the result of reckless conduct rather than an intentional act. A manslaughter conviction would have carried a maximum punishment of 20 years behind bars.

During closing arguments, prosecutors forcefully rejected the defense’s claim that Anthony acted to protect himself.

Lead prosecutor Bill Wirskye argued that the circumstances did not justify the use of deadly force and told jurors that the evidence clearly pointed to murder.

“This is not self-defense, folks. It’s murder,” Wirskye said.

The prosecutor also questioned why Anthony had brought a knife to a school athletic event and characterized the stabbing as an unjustified escalation of a physical dispute.

“You do not get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove,” he told jurors.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors described the attack as a sudden and unprovoked assault.

Defense attorneys countered that Anthony acted out of fear and responded instinctively during a rapidly unfolding confrontation. They argued that he believed he was in danger after Metcalf made physical contact with him.

Seeking to bolster the self-defense argument, the defense called several witnesses, including a former teammate who was present at the meet when the confrontation occurred.

The witness testified that Anthony appeared emotionally shaken immediately after the incident.

“I was hearing him say, ‘I told him not to touch me,’” the teammate told the court.

Evidence presented during the trial included the folding knife authorities say was used in the stabbing, photographs of the weapon, images from the scene, and Anthony’s backpack.

A responding police officer testified that another witness directed investigators to the knife, which was recovered from the bleachers shortly after the stabbing.

Jurors also viewed police body-camera footage recorded at the scene. Prosecutors additionally demonstrated how quickly the knife could be opened and deployed.

According to investigators, the confrontation began when Metcalf approached Anthony and told him he needed to leave an area beneath a team tent.

Police allege Anthony then picked up his bag, reached inside, and warned Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”

Authorities say Metcalf then grabbed Anthony while attempting to move him from the area. Anthony allegedly responded by pulling out a knife and stabbing Metcalf once in the chest before fleeing.

Metcalf collapsed from the wound and later died, leading to the murder charge that culminated in Tuesday’s conviction.

{Matzav.com}