Karmelo Anthony Appeal Ends With 35-Year Prison Sentence

The Karmelo Anthony appeal ended with a 35-year prison sentence Tuesday after a Texas jury found the 19-year-old guilty of murder. The case that began with a fatal track meet stabbing now carries a decades-long punishment and a public fight over self-defense, race and adult prosecution under Texas law.

Texas Jury Reaches Verdict

Anthony was convicted in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who died shortly after being struck in the chest with a folding knife at a track meet when both boys were 17. Prosecutors said Anthony escalated the confrontation. His legal team argued he acted in self-defense after being physically confronted by a larger member of the opposing track team.

The sentence came this week, putting the teenager tried as an adult under Texas law behind bars for 35 years. That outcome ended a case that had already moved far beyond the courtroom.

Collin County Courthouse Tensions

Outside the Collin County Courthouse on Tuesday, supporters of Metcalf and Anthony clashed as the verdict landed. At least one woman held a sign that said “Austin: Say His Name.”

The fight over the case had already spilled online, where false information spread through fake autopsy reports and a fake social-media account impersonating the Frisco police chief. An online legal-defense fundraiser raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, giving the case a wider public reach before the jury spoke.

Race, Politics and Reaction

The case became a flashpoint in online political and racial discussions in Frisco, a Dallas suburb. The prosecution said the case had nothing to do with race, and Metcalf’s father disavowed those who focused on race as a factor.

Reaction after the verdict reflected that split. Cardi B wrote, “Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING… This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!” Jake Lang shouted “lynched” outside the courthouse, while Dominique Alexander said, “Black lives do not matter in Collin County.” Jason Whitlock called the violence “senseless” and said Anthony “should've pleaded insanity,” which he described as the only “real explanation for his behavior.”

For Metcalf’s family, the sentence closes the criminal case with a long prison term. For Anthony, the ruling leaves the conviction in place and turns the next stage toward prison rather than a continued fight over the facts that a Texas jury already accepted.