UPDATE: Wednesday - 9:00 a.m.
A jury has sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in state prison for the death of Austin Metcalf, rejecting a defense claim of "sudden passion" that could have reduced the penalty.
The verdict was delivered at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when jurors returned to the courtroom after deliberations. Judge John Roach asked Anthony to stand alongside his attorney Mike Howard, who placed a supportive hand on his client's shoulder as the sentence was read.
The jury determined that Anthony did not act under "sudden passion" when he caused Metcalf's death, a finding that carries significant implications for his prison term. Under the sentence, Anthony must serve a minimum of 17.5 years before becoming eligible for parole.
In the moments leading up to the verdict, Anthony appeared visibly distraught in the courtroom, keeping his head down and appearing to sob while receiving comfort from a female member of his defense team.
The "sudden passion" determination was a key element in the case, as such a finding could have resulted in a reduced sentence for Anthony.
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UPDATE - Tuesday - 2:40 pm: KXAS Dallas-Fort Worth reports that a Collin County jury has convicted Karmelo Anthony, a Frisco teenager, of murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a fellow student during an altercation at a high school track meet on April 2, 2025. The jury reached their unanimous verdict after deliberating for less than three hours on Tuesday.
Anthony had previously admitted to the stabbing during the confrontation.
The same jury will now determine Anthony's sentence. Under Texas law, a murder conviction carries a potential sentence of five to 99 years in state prison.
However, during the sentencing phase, Anthony's defense team may argue that the killing occurred under "sudden passion" – an immediate emotional response that prevented the defendant from having time to calm down, according to prosecutor Dewey Mitchell's explanation during jury selection. If the jury accepts this argument, the conviction would be reduced to a second-degree felony, significantly lowering the potential punishment to a range of 2 to 20 years in prison.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
A Collin County jury reached a verdict in less than 3 hours Tuesday in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, a Frisco teenager who admitted to stabbing a student during a confrontation at a high school track meet last year.
The verdict is expected to be read shortly after 2 p.m. The jury began deliberating just before 11 a.m. following closing arguments from both the state and defense.
Anthony is accused of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Both the state and defense rested their cases, and closing arguments were delivered Tuesday morning before the jury received the case.
Anthony faces a murder charge, not a capital murder charge, meaning he will not face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. If the jury finds Anthony guilty, it will choose whether he is guilty of murder or manslaughter.
A murder conviction carries a sentence of between 5 and 99 years in prison. A manslaughter conviction carries a sentence of between 2 and 20 years in prison.
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