Karmelo Anthony gets 35 years for the murder of Austin Metcalf at track meet

Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teenager convicted of murdering fellow student Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday, according to several local outlets. Anthony will become eligible for parole once he has served half of that term, Fox 4 reported.

The sentence was delivered hours after a jury found Anthony guilty of murder. Austin was 17 years old at the time of the stabbing. Anthony was also 17.

Mother's words to the killer

Austin's mother, Meghan Metcalf, addressed Anthony directly during a victim impact statement, drawing a sharp distinction between his sentence and her own grief.

"You may have just been given a sentence of 35 years, you should feel lucky because I've been sentenced to a life without my son," Meghan told Anthony, according to NBC 5.

Meghan described her son as a "peacemaker" and a "protector," and recalled the final morning the two spent together before the April 2025 stabbing.

"There was a part of him you can never take from me, the strength I still get from him every day, because I know what it was like to be loved by him," Meghan said. "My son was murdered. He didn't just die. He was taken from us. Just as he was starting to live."

Twin brother and father speak out

Austin's twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, also turned to face Anthony in court. According to Fox 4, Hunter shared that he has been attempting to find forgiveness and has leant on his faith as he tries to come to terms with the loss of both his brother and closest friend.

"Now I want everything taken from you," Hunter said. "You took everything from me. I wake up every morning and his door is still shut."

Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, remembered his son as "a friend, a leader, and a true warrior" and reflected on watching Austin and Hunter grow up side by side.

"Since the day he first grabbed my finger, he had my heart with it," Jeff said, according to the outlet.

Jeff also informed the court of the harassment his family had endured following Austin's death. He told the court he had been the target of six swatting calls, whilst Austin's mother had been targeted twice.

"I said from day one this was never about race," Jeff said. "It's about right and wrong. We are all humans. We all bleed the same color. You will face those consequences starting today." He then directed his remarks at Anthony himself.

"You failed your parents, yourself, and society. You don't belong in this community," Jeff said. "You can't look me in the eyes, but you can stab my f--ing son?!"

What happened at Kuykendall Stadium

Anthony had maintained throughout the trial that he acted in self-defence during the confrontation at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. His defence attorney, Deric Walpole, had previously told NBC 5 that he had "no reason to think it wasn't self-defense at this time."

According to a probable cause affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE, witnesses told police that Austin had asked Anthony to move from beneath a tent designated for Austin's track team. The affidavit states that the two teenagers had no prior acquaintance.

A witness told investigators that Anthony allegedly responded by reaching into his backpack and warning, "Touch me and see what happens." When Austin made physical contact in an attempt to move him, Anthony allegedly drew a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

The affidavit further alleges that Anthony admitted to the stabbing whilst speaking to a responding officer at the scene. "He put his hands on me," Anthony allegedly told the officer. "I told him not to."

Anthony was also reported to have shouted, "I was protecting myself," as officers placed him under arrest. The jury ultimately rejected the self-defence argument, according to WFAA, NBC 5 and CBS Texas.