Karmelo Anthony, convicted of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Texas high school track meet in April 2025, is actively seeking to appeal his 35-year sentence. A new legal team, reportedly working pro bono, has joined his effort, including Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP, and attorneys from Ben Crump Law.
Anthony's defense team had argued self-defense during the trial, asserting that Metcalf was the aggressor. However, Jeff Metcalf, Austin's father, disputes this, stating there was no fight or mutual combat. "The only time that people stood up was when after Austin was stabbed, because they realized it happened so fast," Jeff Metcalf told Fox News Digital.
During the trial, Collin County Courts made graphic audio and visual evidence public, including autopsy photos and crime scene images. Jeff Metcalf stated he had not seen most of the images and did not wish to. "Do I think it's morally correct to show that? No, because, really, the wound has nothing to do with the case," he said, adding that his family was escorted out of the courtroom during the presentation of this evidence. Court records describe the fatal wound as a two-inch stab wound that involved a twist and pull.
Jeff Metcalf has also criticized what he perceives as the media's politicization of his son's murder, turning it into a racial narrative. He emphasized the importance of character over race. The family is continuing their healing process, with Austin's twin brother also profoundly impacted by the loss.
Anthony was sentenced to 35 years for the murder. Surveillance footage released by Collin County Court shows Anthony being placed in handcuffs shortly after the stabbing. The knife used in the murder, described as a folding pocketknife with a dark blade and gray handle, was photographed by authorities. Anthony is currently in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.