Testimony from multiple eyewitnesses cast doubt on Karmelo Anthony’s claim that he acted in self-defense when he fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet.
Several student witnesses described a confrontation in which Anthony, 19, allegedly refused repeated requests to leave a tent occupied by students from Frisco Memorial High School before the encounter turned deadly.
One 17-year-old student-athlete testified that Anthony did not appear to be acting in self-defense.
According to the witness, Anthony kept his hands inside his backpack until Metcalf shoved him, at which point he allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the teen in the chest.
“That’s lethal force against non-lethal,” the witness told the court.
The testimony directly challenged a central argument advanced by Anthony’s defense team. Anthony has claimed that Metcalf and his brother, Hunter, confronted him together, forcing him to use the knife to protect himself.
However, the 17-year-old witness testified that he never observed the brothers ganging up on Anthony.
Other witnesses described an escalating confrontation after Anthony entered the Frisco Memorial team tent.
According to testimony, students repeatedly asked Anthony to leave, with one witness estimating that the requests were made as many as 15 times.
A 15-year-old witness told the court that Anthony “tried to provoke us” after being asked to leave. The witness later stated, “He committed murder.”
A 16-year-old student recounted that Anthony sat down inside the tent and attempted to start a conversation, allegedly saying, “Crazy weather, huh?”
Witnesses testified that members of the Memorial team then asked Anthony to leave. Instead, they said, he became increasingly agitated and refused to go.
According to testimony, Anthony responded by saying, “F–k y’all. I’m not going to leave.”
Witnesses further alleged that Anthony taunted the students, saying, “Y’all are a bunch of p–sies. Y’all not going to do anything. Touch me and see what happens.”
Several witnesses also testified that Metcalf sought to avoid a physical confrontation.
According to their accounts, Metcalf told Anthony, “I’m not going to fight you.”
One student offered a different version of events, testifying that Anthony had been invited into the tent by a teammate. However, the witness also stated there was no apparent reason for someone to bring a knife to a track event.