A 19-year-old charged with first-degree murder and facing a possible life sentence has seen his self-defense account questioned by testimony from a teen witness at trial.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, is accused of killing Austin Metcalf during an incident in April 2025.
Prosecutors allege the two became involved in a dispute at Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas, during a track meet. Investigators believe the confrontation began after Anthony would not leave a rival team’s tent, even after being asked repeatedly.
According to the allegations, Anthony then produced a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.
Metcalf, 17, was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment but later died from his injuries.
Anthony was arrested afterward. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and maintains he acted in self-defense.
The case has drawn national scrutiny in part because Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white.
Supporters have claimed the arrest and prosecution are influenced by race, and demonstrations have been held outside the courthouse as the trial continues.
Anthony’s family has also raised funds for his legal defense through a GiveSendGo campaign. As of the time of writing, donations to the page exceed $623,000.
The fundraising effort has also been described as helping with moving costs for Anthony’s family amid reports of “escalating threats to their safety and well-being.”
Several teenage witnesses have testified so far. One account presented to the jury appeared to challenge Anthony’s contention that he had no choice but to defend himself.
The witness said Anthony kept his hands out of view inside a backpack until Metcalf pushed him at the shoulders in an attempt to make him leave the tent. The witness then testified that Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf.
“That’s lethal force against non-lethal,” the 17-year-old witness said, per New York Post.
The same witness also disputed Anthony’s claims that he was being surrounded by Metcalf and Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, testifying that they did not observe anyone closing in around Anthony.
Another teen witness told the court they believed Anthony “tried to provoke us” when he was told to leave the tent.
Anthony’s attorneys have continued to argue that he acted out of fear and that his response was a split-second decision under pressure.
“In that split second, Melo has a decision to make: how and when to act. Self-defense is useless if you wait too late to defend yourself. He reacts in a split second of fear, chaos.
“After Karmelo defended himself with that knife, he ran. He didn’t stab again. He dropped the knife. He didn’t stab anyone else.”
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