Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial opens with clashing portraits of a fatal stabbing

As the murder trial of a Texas teenager accused of stabbing a fellow high schooler at a track meet got underway Thursday, prosecutors and the defense offered sharply divergent accounts of the events leading up to the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.

Karmelo Anthony, 19, was arrested last year and charged in connection with stabbing Metcalf during an altercation at a track meet at a high school in Frisco, a sprawling suburb of Dallas. He has pleaded not guilty.

Anthony’s attorney, Mike Howard, argued that his client acted in self-defense, reacting to “fear and chaos.”

“After Karmelo defended himself with that knife, he ran. He didn’t stab again. He dropped the knife. He didn’t stab anyone else,” Howard said.

The case has drawn national attention amid an explosive online debate along racial lines. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white.

“This case has nothing to do with race,” Texas prosecutor Bill Wirskye said. “This case is not self-defense. Unjustified provoked murder — that’s why we’re here this morning.”

Next Generation Action Network, a civil rights organization, said Wednesday on X that it was “outraged” that none of the jurors selected — 11 women and seven men — are Black.

“The prosecution used its final strikes to remove the remaining qualified Black jurors from the jury pool, raising serious concerns about fairness and equal justice,” the group said. “We respect the court, but we will not remain silent.”

Several of the jurors are people of color, but none are Black.

The trial’s first witness was a video expert analyzing security video in which Anthony and Metcalf scuffled before Anthony fled toward the stadium exit. The second witness was Frisco Memorial High School track and assistant football coach Robert Starr.

Jeff Metcalf said his son was killed when another student armed with a knife got upset when he was told he was in the wrong spot. Austin Metcalf was stabbed in the chest and died in his twin brother’s arms, his dad said. His twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, was not in the courthouse Thursday.

“They were twins, identical twins, and his brother was holding on to him, trying to make it stop bleeding, and he died in his brother’s arms,” Jeff Metcalf said at the time. “I rushed up there and I saw him on the gurney, and I could tell — they said he wasn’t breathing. I could see all the blood, and I saw where the wound was, and I was very concerned, so I had to find his brother, and we rushed to the hospital. And we prayed, and it’s God’s plan. I don’t understand it, but they weren’t able to save him. This is murder.”

Austin Metcalf’s last words were revealed during the trial Thursday.

“I’ve been stabbed,” he said, according to Wirskye.

He had a 4.0 GPA, he was MVP of the football team, and he was headed for college, his father said.

“He was on the right track,” Jeff Metcalf said. “He was loved by many. He was a leader.”

In June 2025, Anthony was charged with first-degree murder.

“We know this case has struck a deep nerve — here in Collin County and beyond,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said at the time. “That’s understandable. When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core.”

On Thursday, prosecutors said Anthony “lied when he got caught.”

“He tossed the knife immediately after. Why toss the knife? Someone who’s scared doesn’t do that,” Wirskye said.

In Texas, 17-year-olds are considered adults. If Anthony is found guilty, he could face five years to life in state prison.

Anthony posted a $250,000 bond for his release and has since been under house arrest. He was permitted to graduate from high school and finished with a 3.7 GPA, Next Generation Action Network told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

“We are proud to share that Karmelo Anthony will graduate and receive his high school diploma, and that his academic achievements will not be disrupted,” it said at the time.

Anthony was not allowed to participate in any senior graduation activities, NGAN told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

Representatives of Anthony have created a crowdfunding page — which has now raised over $600,000 — to help him pay for legal fees and moving costs.