McKINNEY, Texas (Court TV) — Teenagers testifying about a deadly stabbing at a track meet have differed on some details in the case, but all have agreed they were shocked by the violence that appeared to come out of nowhere.
Karmelo Anthony appears in court. (Sketch by Pat Lopez)
Karmelo Anthony, 19, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he murdered 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet in 2025. Anthony has not denied stabbing the victim, but rather has argued that he acted in self-defense after Metcalf threatened him and pushed him at the event.
Anthony and Metcalf attended different schools; many of the teens who have testified in the case have described a “tent culture” at track meets in which students from varying schools don’t interact. Student athletes at Memorial High School, which Metcalf attended, said that their coach did not allow any non-students under their tent. Meanwhile, Coach Adam Linwood of Centennial High School, where Anthony was an athlete, characterized the downtime at track meets as more of a “social hour” where kids mingled.
“He just came outta nowhere, with no friends, outta the blue,” one teenage eyewitness from Memorial High School testified about Anthony’s appearance at their school’s tent. “Nobody prompted him to come to the tent.”
All the eyewitnesses agreed that several minutes after Anthony arrived at the school’s tent, he was asked to leave. “We didn’t stand up and gang up on him,” said one witness. “I said, ‘Hey, you’re in our tent. You don’t need to be here.'” Anthony was allegedly asked to leave more than 10 times. “It wasn’t just Austin,” a teenager testified. “People, including myself, were saying for him to leave. I thought it’d get to minor pushing at most. I wasn’t worried about it.”
One witness claimed Metcalf told Anthony, “I’m not gonna fight you at a track meet, dude.” While another witness claimed that Anthony was provoking Metcalf and asking him to fight. One teenager said that Anthony began cursing at the group, saying, “F— y’all. I’m not gonna leave. Y’all are a bunch of p—s, y’all aren’t gonna do nothing about it.”
Several eyewitnesses told different versions of what happened next: While some said Metcalf touched Anthony lightly with one hand, others said that Metcalf pushed the defendant with two hands; one witness claimed that Metcalf pushed Anthony with one hand while grabbing his hoodie with the other. All agreed that Anthony then reached into his backpack and pulled out a knife, which he plunged into the victim’s chest.
Paramedic Neal Adams described responding to the scene and finding the victim. “He was gray, no respirations; he did not have a pulse.” Despite using “intensive lifesaving efforts” that included an automatic CPR machine and giving Metcalf blood, the victim “never regained consciousness” and was pronounced dead.
The wound was two inches and gaping,” Collin County Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura testified on Saturday. “That wound is not survivable. The only way to survive a wound like that would be lying on the operating table with a surgeon ready to suture the wound…and even then it may not work.”
Anthony was taken into custody at the scene. Officer Eduardo Cortez told the jury, “He didn’t talk. I hadn’t asked him any questions when I radioed out that I had the alleged suspect. He said, ‘I’m not alleged. I did it. He put his hands on me. I told him not to.'” Cortez said that Anthony then became emotional as he said, “He put his hands on me. I told him not to. He put his hands on me.” Prosecutors suggested the emotion was feigned because the crying stopped quickly after Anthony was placed into a police car.
Prosecutors have emphasized there was no reason for Anthony to bring a weapon to a track meet, especially because weapons are prohibited on school property. Under Texas law, it’s a crime to carry a knife over five and a half inches; the blade Anthony was carrying was three and a half inches, making it a violation of school policy but not illegal to carry. Frisco police officer Jacob Shalz also clarified for the jury that the knife used in the attack could be popped quickly in a one-handed gesture using the thumb, but was not a switchblade.
Prosecutors rested their case on Saturday; Judge John Roach Jr. denied a defense request for a directed verdict of acquittal.
On Monday, some teen eyewitnesses noted that it had been raining on the day of the track meet and Centennial High School was the only school without a tent. Several witnesses also testified that it was normal for students to visit each other’s tents at track meets.
Court TV’s Cody Thomas contributed to this report.
