The dad of a teen who was stabbed to death at a track meet has spoken out as the alleged killer, Karmelo Anthony, is charged with murder.
As widely reported, Austin Metcalf, 17, a junior at Frisco Memorial High School and standout linebacker with a 4.0 GPA, was allegedly stabbed in the chest by Karmelo Anthony, a senior from nearby Frisco Centennial High School, on April 2.
The violence reportedly erupted during a rain delay at the event, when Anthony took shelter under a pop-up tent belonging to Metcalf’s team. According to Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, that’s when tensions ignited.
“We asked him to move. He started getting aggressive and talking reckless,” Hunter told reporters.
When his brother stepped in, things turned deadly. “He put his hands on me,” Anthony later admitted to police, according to an arrest affidavit.
“I was protecting myself.” But what came next stunned everyone: “I’m not alleged, I did it,” the suspect reportedly confessed.
Hunter tried to save his brother, but the stab wound to the heart was too severe. His twin was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead shortly after.
“He was holding the wound. He was trying to save his brother,” their mother, Meghan Metcalf, recalled. “Just doesn’t make any sense…just because the kid was mad, my son is not here anymore, and I don’t understand it.”
Anthony, 18, has been formally indicted for the murder of Metcalf. The Collin County grand jury handed down the indictment this week, advancing a case that has deeply shaken the local community.
He was arrested on the scene and charged with first-degree murder. Though he was released on reduced bond on April 14 and remains under house arrest, the charge carries a potential sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison.
In Texas, 17-year-olds are prosecuted as adults, though the death penalty is off the table due to Anthony’s age at the time of the stabbing. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that even if prosecutors had sought it, Anthony was too young to face capital punishment.
“If it would have happened six weeks later, he would have been 18. Then it’s a different ball game,” said Jeff, Metcalf’s father. “We have to play the cards we are dealt.”
While the distraught father said he would have “100 percent” supported the death penalty if Anthony had been 18, he added: “Doesn’t matter what I think. Nothing will bring my son back.”
Despite that, he said he’s “pleased” the case is moving forward. “With the first-degree murder indictment, it now goes into the court system. I fully believe that justice will be served for Austin Metcalf. I look forward to the forthcoming trial. But it will never bring my son back,” he said, per CBS News.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis acknowledged the emotional weight of the case in a public statement: “We know this case has struck a deep nerve – here in Collin County and beyond. That’s understandable. When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core.
“The justice system works best when it moves with steadiness and with principle. That’s what we’re committed to. And that’s exactly what this case deserves,” he added.
Anthony’s attorney, Mike Howard, released a video statement asserting his client acted in self-defense and is confident in the judicial process.
“Karmelo and his family are confident in the justice system and the people of Collin County to be fair and impartial. Of course, Karmelo looks forward to his day in court,” Howard said.
“Because it’s only in a trial that the full story can be heard, and that impartial justice can be done. We expect that when the full story is heard, the prosecution will not be able to rule out the reasonable doubt that Karmelo Anthony may have acted in self-defense.”
Howard added that he fully expects “the jury will reach the right conclusion and justice will be done”.
The next stage in the legal process will be the assignment of a trial judge, who will set a first court appearance date.