Karmelo Anthony, accused of fatally stabbing student Austin Metcalf during a high school track championship in Frisco, Texas, will be tried as an adult, according to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office.
The violent incident occurred last month at Kuykendall Stadium after a heated dispute reportedly broke out between the two teens over seating arrangements. What should have been a simple disagreement turned deadly, with Anthony allegedly plunging a knife into Metcalf, ending the young man’s life.
Despite the brutal nature of the crime, Anthony’s legal path is far from harsh. Though he has officially been charged with first-degree murder, it won’t be until June that a grand jury decides whether he will stand trial or be allowed to walk free.
In the meantime, rather than sitting in jail, Anthony remains under house arrest—not in a modest home, but in his parents’ newly purchased $900,000 mansion in Frisco.
MURDER: Karmelo Anthony has finally been charged with first-degree murder for killing Austin Metcalf. We won't know until June whether the grand jury will let Anthony walk or make him stand trial. In the meantime he's at his Frisco mansion enjoying the good life. pic.twitter.com/B0NO0dlu90
— @amuse (@amuse) May 23, 2025
His bond, initially set at $1 million, was controversially reduced to just $250,000, which his family promptly paid, thanks in part to a crowdfunding campaign on GiveSendGo that raised over $525,000.
They have also reportedly purchased a new Cadillac, raising serious questions about whether the justice system is enabling comfort over consequences for violent offenders—at least when their families can afford it.
In Texas, minors aged 16 or 17 can be tried as adults for serious offenses like murder, and prosecutors have opted to pursue that route. If convicted, Anthony faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
The Supreme Court prohibits life without parole or the death penalty for crimes committed by juveniles, a legal precedent some argue ties the hands of prosecutors seeking real accountability.
“This is not about what we want—it’s about what the law permits,” said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis, emphasizing that even if his office wished to pursue the harshest penalties, the courts would block them.
But what’s raised even more eyebrows is that Anthony was still allowed to graduate high school, despite being accused of murder. The news has stunned the community and deeply angered the victim’s family.
Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, expressed frustration over a hollow gesture to award his late son an honorary diploma, noting that Anthony’s graduation feels like a slap in the face.
“It’s a nice gesture,” Metcalf said, “but in the long run, my son doesn’t get a diploma. So, there’s part of me that says maybe Mr. Anthony shouldn’t get one either.”
As the legal system continues to move slowly—and some say, too softly—many in the community are asking hard questions about justice, privilege, and whether Texas law truly protects victims and their families, or bends too far in favor of violent youth offenders.