A defense witness testified Monday that Karmelo Anthony was upset and “distraught” after fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a Texas high school track meet, saying Anthony repeated that he had warned Metcalf “not to touch me.” The testimony came on the fourth day of Anthony’s murder trial in Collin County court in McKinney, Texas, as both prosecutors and defense attorneys said they had finished presenting evidence. Closing arguments were scheduled for Tuesday.
Anthony, now 19, is accused of murdering 17-year-old Metcalf in April 2025 at a school stadium in Frisco, a suburb north of Dallas. Prosecutors say the stabbing was an unjustified attack that grew out of a dispute over whether Anthony could sit under the tent of Metcalf’s team during a rainy track meet. Defense attorneys argue Anthony felt threatened and acted in self-defense after physical contact was made.
On Monday, one of Anthony’s teammates testified for the defense that Anthony appeared emotional immediately after the stabbing. The witness said he heard Anthony say, “I told him not to touch me.” The judge has barred the public identification of young witnesses in the case.
The killing drew broad attention and was widely discussed on social media, including posts that framed the case in racial terms. Anthony is Black and attended Frisco Centennial High School, while Metcalf was white and attended Frisco Memorial High School.
Prosecutors rested their case on Saturday after jurors heard from several witnesses who were present at the meet. Some students testified that Anthony had been asked to leave the tent and that he was the aggressor in the confrontation.
The courtroom was again crowded Monday with spectators, including the parents of both teenagers and younger attendees. If jurors do not reach a verdict Tuesday, they are expected to be sequestered in a hotel and return to court Wednesday. Judge John Roach Jr. instructed them not to discuss the case with anyone and warned them, “for God’s sake do not go on social media.”
