Jeff Metcalf says he feels sorry for his son’s killer Karmelo Anthony and revealed when he forgave him.
Jeff Metcalf, 56, spoke out in an interview broadcast Tuesday, offering a stunning emotional response to the man convicted of murdering his 17-year-old son Austin at a school track meet in Frisco, Texas. The father said he had forgiven Anthony, 19, immediately after the fatal stabbing on April 2.
“I feel sorry for him,” Jeff Metcalf said, adding that Anthony’s “life is pretty much ruined.”
He continued, explaining the personal toll that holding onto anger would have taken. “I forgave [Anthony] the first day it happened,” he shared. “I had to. If I didn’t, I’d be eaten up. I’d be angry. I might go do something. I’d be looking for revenge.”
The interview came after Anthony saw his request for a new trial denied by a judge on Saturday. Anthony had been sentenced to 35 years in prison in June after a jury rejected the defense’s “sudden passion” claim. The legal team had argued that the killing was not premeditated but occurred in a moment of intense emotion.
Jeff Metcalf’s comments mark a striking contrast to the legal outcome, where accountability remains central to his view. He emphasized that despite his personal forgiveness, Anthony “had to be held accountable” for the murder.
The case has drawn national attention, with fundraising efforts emerging on both sides. A legal defense fund for Anthony neared a $300,000 goal, while a fund for the Metcalf family also approached $300,000. Anthony had previously been released on house arrest after a judge reduced his bond from $1 million to $250,000 during the pretrial phase.
Neither Anthony’s lead appellate attorney, Russell Wilson II, nor the lead defense attorney during his criminal trial, Mike Howard, responded immediately to requests for comment following the father’s interview.
In the viral moment that launched the case into national headlines, Austin Metcalf, a Texas high school football star, was stabbed in the heart and left to die in his twin brother’s arms at the track meet. The confrontation between the two teenagers escalated rapidly, though accounts of who initiated the physical altercation have been disputed. Anthony’s father had previously claimed his son “did not start brawl” and described him as a “good kid,” while prosecutors successfully argued for a murder conviction.
Jeff Metcalf’s twin sons were both athletes at Memorial High School in Frisco, and Austin’s death sent shockwaves through the community.
Anthony remains in custody serving his 35-year sentence as his legal team pursues appellate options.