Prosecution rests in Karmelo Anthony stabbing trial in McKinney, Texas

Teen witnesses testified Anthony provoked students before fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf at an April track meet. The defense has now begun presenting its case.

Prosecution wraps case in Karmelo Anthony murder trial after teen testimony

Texas prosecutors rested their case Saturday in the first-degree murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, according to Courthouse News Service, after four teenage witnesses took the stand on the sixth day of proceedings in McKinney.

Anthony, 19, of Frisco, has pleaded not guilty to the April 2, 2025, killing of Austin Metcalf, 17, also of Frisco, at a suburban track meet. He faces a sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison if convicted.

A 16-year-old Memorial High School student testified that he heard Anthony say, "I'm not leaving, fuck you all," after being asked to vacate the school's tent during a rain delay. Anthony, a member of the Centennial High School team, had no tent of his own at the meet and was repeatedly told to leave. The witness said Anthony called those present "a bunch of pussies" who were "not going to do nothing about it."

Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye asked whether Metcalf took the lead in the altercation. "Yes, Karmelo put his hand in the bag and said five times, 'touch me and see what happens,'" the witness testified. "Austin said he was not going to touch the guy; he was calm." The witness added that Metcalf "did not deserve" to be killed and that Anthony committed murder.

On cross-examination, defense attorney Toby Shook noted the witness had not mentioned Anthony's cursing in the written statement he gave police after the killing. The witness acknowledged he did not know whether nearby students had heard the remarks.

A second teenage witness, a 17-year-old male Memorial student, testified that no one in the tent knew who Anthony was. "If you are a guest, you are supposed to be on the other side of the stadium," he said. Wirskye asked whether his impression was that Anthony had been trying to provoke Metcalf, and whether Metcalf responded to that provocation. "Yes," the witness said. "He put his hand on his shoulder … you do not expect to see someone get stabbed at a track meet."

Asked whether there was any reason he saw for Anthony to stab Metcalf, or whether Anthony was acting in self-defense, the witness answered: "No. That's lethal force against non-lethal force."

On cross-examination, Shook reminded him that his written police statement described Austin placing a hand on Anthony's shoulder to intimidate him. "More of a warning," the witness said. "Actions speak louder than words."

Prosecutors closed by calling Collin County medical examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, who testified that a two-inch-deep stab wound pierced Metcalf's sternum and the right ventricle of his heart. Several people, including Metcalf's parents, left the courtroom during her testimony.

Defense attorneys immediately moved for a directed verdict, arguing the state had failed to prove the elements of first-degree murder. Collin County District Judge John Roach denied the motion.

The defense then called Centennial coach Adam Linwood, who testified that students from different schools routinely mix during track meets because of the "hours of downtime" between events. He said Centennial requires a coach to be present in each tent and that students sometimes enter tents belonging to other schools. On cross-examination, Wirskye showed Linwood a replica of the weapon and asked whether it was a cleat sharpener. Linwood agreed it was not. Wirskye also asked why Centennial did not have a tent at the meet; Linwood explained it was being transported on a later bus, not the morning bus Anthony had taken.

Defense attorneys have criticized what they described as "noise" and "completely false information" surrounding the trial, which has drawn national attention and online misinformation. The case has attracted scrutiny in part because of the racial dynamic: Anthony is Black, Metcalf was white, and there are no Black jurors on the 12-person panel. The jury was selected from a pool of more than 500 people. During three days of jury selection, Judge Roach allowed prosecutors to strike the remaining three Black potential jurors. A Batson challenge from Anthony's attorneys was denied after prosecutors successfully argued the three were removed for the race-neutral reason of being educators of school-aged children.

The courtroom was filled to capacity with media, supporters of both families, and members of the public. Neither side has commented publicly due to a gag order.

The trial is expected to last two weeks. Judge Roach asked media not to identify the young witnesses by name.

Source: Courthouse News Service