Full Breakdown
Murder Trial of Karmelo Anthony for 2025 Frisco Stabbing
6/3/2026, 12:05:51 AM
Stabbing
On April 2, 2025, at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a junior at Frisco Memorial High School, was stabbed in the chest during a seating dispute at a track meet. Witnesses identified Karmelo Anthony, 17, a Frisco Centennial High School student, as the assailant. Police say Metcalf told Anthony to move from under his team’s tent; Anthony produced a pocketknife and stabbed Metcalf once before fleeing.
Trial
Collin County prosecutors charged Anthony with first-degree murder. Jury selection began Monday, May 27, 2025, at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney; opening statements are set for Thursday, May 29. Judge John Roach issued a gag order and barred electronic devices, photography, and live streaming. Anthony’s bond was reduced to $250,000, with house-arrest, parental supervision, and a no-contact condition with the Metcalf family.
Statements
Frisco Independent School District expressed grief and sympathies to the victim’s family. Meghan Metcalf, Austin’s mother, called the incident “senseless.” Hunter Metcalf, Austin’s twin brother, echoed that description. Anthony’s mother, identified as Kala Hayes and Kayla Hayes, said her family has been “targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial” and demanded equal legal rights for her son.
Defense
Anthony’s defense will argue self-defense, claiming Metcalf placed his hands on Anthony and that he feared imminent harm. Legal analyst Randy Zelin notes that justification for lethal force requires an immediate threat of deadly force, and a stabbing with a pocketknife does not meet that threshold. Zelin calls the defense’s racial framing “desperate,” suggesting a “race card” approach.
Reaction
Protests outside the McKinney courthouse displayed opposing views. Media framed the case as racially charged, noting Anthony’s identification as Black and Metcalf’s as White. Critics argue this framing could affect public perception and jury deliberations.
Conflicts
Sources list Anthony’s age as both 17 and 18 years at the time of the stabbing. The mother’s name appears as both Kala Hayes and Kayla Hayes. No evidence confirms a prior relationship between Anthony and Metcalf.
Quotes
“I’m not alleged. I did it.” — Karmelo Anthony, in police custody
“He put his hands on me. I told him not to,” — Karmelo Anthony, to a school resource officer
“You can’t be justified in killing someone with a knife and stabbing them in the chest if they were not about to use immediately use deadly force on you.” — Randy Zelin, legal analyst
“It was really senseless. I don’t know why a person would do that to someone, just over that little argument.” — Hunter Metcalf, brother of Austin Metcalf
Next
If a jury is seated, opening statements will begin Thursday, May 29, 2025, followed by testimony. The prosecution has identified 35 witnesses, suggesting a trial lasting up to two weeks.
