Overview
- A Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of first‑degree murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison following a trial over the April 2, 2025, stabbing of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf, with the sentence reported on Tuesday.
- Prosecutors relied on roughly 21 witnesses, a four‑minute arrest video that included body‑camera audio and the Collin County medical examiner’s testimony that the wound punctured Metcalf’s right ventricle.
- Jurors rejected Anthony’s claims of self‑defense and a Texas ‘sudden passion’ manslaughter theory after about three hours of deliberation.
- Anthony filed a notice of appeal and a pauper’s oath seeking appointed appellate counsel and was moved into Texas Department of Criminal Justice custody at the Wallace Pack Unit, where a new prison booking photo was published.
- The case has produced emotional victim impact statements, protests, celebrity criticism, small online petitions and disputes over jury makeup, all of which defenders say could factor into post‑trial legal challenges and public debate.