A highly watched murder trial involving Karmelo Anthony, a Black Texas high school student, began in McKinney, Texas, with prosecutors and defense attorneys offering sharply different accounts of a fatal stabbing at a track meet that killed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a white student from a rival school. The case has drawn intense public attention because of its racial dynamics, the age of the students involved, and the emotional testimony presented at the start of the proceedings.
According to prosecutors, the confrontation happened in April 2025 during a track and field event in Texas when Anthony allegedly went under a tent to escape rain. The tent was associated with Frisco Memorial High, Metcalf’s school, and Metcalf told Anthony to leave. Prosecutors say a fight followed after Anthony allegedly challenged Metcalf, and that Metcalf either pushed or grabbed him before Anthony pulled a knife from his bag and stabbed him in the chest. In opening statements, Collin County prosecutor Bill Wirskye told jurors that Metcalf’s final words were, “I’ve been stabbed,” before he stumbled down the bleachers as his twin brother rushed to help him.
Wirskye argued that the killing was not self-defense, describing it as a deliberate act. He also told the jury that Anthony dropped the knife and tried to walk away from the stadium by blending in with other students leaving the event, but was stopped by a coach. Prosecutors say Anthony later told police, “I’m not alleged, I did it,” though a report also says he cried and insisted he had acted in self-defense because Metcalf had put his hands on him.
Anthony’s defense team is centered on the claim that he acted to protect himself. Defense attorney Mike Howard told jurors that Metcalf was physically larger and more intimidating, saying Anthony was 5-foot-8 and weighed about 140 pounds, while the Metcalf twins were 6-foot-1 and about 80 pounds heavier. Howard said Austin Metcalf made the first physical contact and that the encounter escalated in a split second. He argued that Anthony reacted in self-defense, ran away after the stabbing, and did not stab anyone else.
Anthony has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. The trial is expected to last about two weeks and has already sparked heated reactions outside the courthouse. Demonstrators on both sides gathered in McKinney, with supporters of Anthony calling for his release and others making racially charged statements. The case has also drawn scrutiny because none of the 12 seated jurors are Black, despite hundreds of prospective jurors being questioned.
Security has been heightened at the courthouse, and the judge has imposed strict rules on the proceedings, including limits on public discussion by attorneys. As testimony begins, the trial is shaping up to be one of the most closely followed criminal cases in Texas, with questions of self-defense, intent, race, and the final moments of a teenage victim now at the center of the case.
