Karmelo Anthony Learns His Fate After Austin Metcalf Murder Conviction

Karmelo Anthony is going to prison.

The Collin County jury that convicted him of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf has now sentenced him to 35 years behind bars.

That is the new update after WLTR covered the guilty verdict earlier today.

Anthony was 17 when Metcalf was stabbed during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He is now 19, convicted, and sentenced.

MJTruth posted the immediate reaction question many people are asking tonight.

The court update came after jurors rejected the defense claim that Anthony acted in self-defense.

The earlier verdict was already a massive blow to the defense. The sentence now puts a number on it.

FOX 4 reported the sentencing update from McKinney, Texas:

The jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after half that time is served.

He faced anywhere from 5 to 99 years in prison. Jurors could have also found that he acted under sudden passion.

That would have limited his punishment to just 20 years.

Jurors reached a sentencing verdict after about 2 hours and 20 minutes of deliberating.

The courtroom was full while everyone waited for the jury to return. The Metcalf family and Anthony’s grandmother were spotted inside the courtroom.

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Family members were expected to give impact statements immediately after the sentence was read.

Metcalf’s aunt was the first to address Anthony for victim impact statements. She said April 2, 2025 is a day she’ll never forget.

The call from her sister, Metcalf’s mom, still haunts her.

“As I drove to the hospital, I never believed Austin could be gone,” she said. “The impact of his death is permanent.”

FOX 5 NY had reported earlier that the jury had reached a verdict in the murder trial.

The jury has reached a verdict in the case Karmelo Anthony who is accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf to death during a track meet last year. https://t.co/TcihRAShl7

— FOX 5 NY (@fox5ny) June 9, 2026

Anthony’s mother was the only witness the defense called during the sentencing phase.

She asked the jury for mercy. The jury still came back with 35 years.

CBS Texas reported more from the punishment phase:

A Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the 2025 Frisco track meet murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.

Jurors took two-and-a-half hours to reach the sentence.

The prosecution and defense both waived their right to opening statements in the sentencing phase.

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Prosecutors also chose not to call any witnesses, and the defense ended after just one – Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes.

“He’s my oldest, he’s my firstborn,” she said.

“He will always be my baby. I love him very much.”

“Does your son regret what he did?” the defense asked.

“Yes, he’s very sorry for what he did,” Hayes said.

Anthony faced a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison.

During its closing argument, the state pressed jurors to center their attention on the young life cut short.

“Austin Metcalf was a son. Austin Metcalf was a brother,” the prosecutor said.

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To underscore that point, prosecutors projected an image from last year’s Frisco ISD track meet, where coaches could be seen praying over Austin Metcalf as they pleaded for his recovery.

In the gallery, Austin’s brother, Hunter Metcalf, lowered his head into his hands, visibly shaken.

The case drew national attention because the facts were brutal and the politics around it became ugly fast.

The central courtroom question was still simple. Did Anthony act in lawful self-defense, or did he murder Austin Metcalf?

The jury answered that question with a murder conviction.

HAPPENING NOW: A verdict has been reached in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial pic.twitter.com/6sNJUMKRex

— The Faulkner Focus (@FaulknerFocus) June 9, 2026

Anthony’s supporters can talk about appeals. They can talk about race, pressure, or the emotions around the courthouse.

But the legal reality changed Tuesday night.

Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder, sentenced to 35 years, and remanded to prison for killing Austin Metcalf.