The trial of Anthony, accused of killing Austin Metcalf, is expected to last two weeks. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.
MCKINNEY, Texas — The trial of 18-year-old Karmelo Anthony continues today in Collin County, after last year’s fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a Frisco ISD track meet.
Jury selection began Monday, June 1. A jury was seated Wednesday, June 3. Opening statements begin this morning. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
New to the case? Watch this overview.
WFAA will stream updates with analysis after the trial each day at 8 p.m. on our free streaming app WFAA+. Here’s how to download it for free.
Frisco track meet stabbing trial: Timeline of the case
The timeline of the case begins April 2, 2025. See a full timeline of the case here.
Anthony, a former student at Frisco Centennial High School, is charged with murder in the April 2, 2025, killing of Metcalf, a student-athlete at Frisco Memorial High School.
Background: Who is Austin Metcalf? Who is Karmelo Anthony?
Investigators say that morning, at a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium, a confrontation began under a team tent where athletes gathered during inclement weather. It ended when Metcalf was stabbed in the chest. Anthony was arrested and has claimed self-defense.
The case quickly drew intense national attention, fueled by social media debate centered on the races of the two young men, public protests, online threats and allegations of doxxing involving people connected to the proceedings.
Because Anthony was 17 at the time of the incident, Texas law allows him to be tried as an adult, and he faces a possible sentence ranging from five years to life in prison if convicted. Because the death did not meet the qualifications to be charged as a capital murder, and because of Anthony’s age, the death penalty was never an option in the case.
Trial rules
Security at the courthouse will be tight.
Judge John Roach Jr. has banned cameras, livestreams and audio recording inside the courtroom. He also designated a security perimeter around parts of the courthouse grounds barring the public — and potential demonstrators — from gathering in those areas. The judge has also issued a gag order limiting public comments about the case from attorneys, witnesses, investigators and others directly involved in the proceedings.
With public seating limited, developments in the case will come from live reporting from inside the courtroom. WFAA has a team covering the case. Collin County reporter Jobin Panicker will be inside the courtroom each day, alongside a courtroom sketch artist. Senior crime and justice reporter Rebecca Lopez will also be at the courthouse each day, both in and out of the courtroom, chronicling case developments. WFAA has also arranged for a legal expert to sit in on the proceedings each day to help provide context and analysis on the WFAA+ daily evening wrap-up.
Background: A visual tour of the actual courtroom.
Day Three: June 4, 2026 – opening statements and testimony
Now that opening statements are over, Jobin Panicker reported on how everyone was arranged in the courtroom for the start of witness testimony.
There are between 8 and 10 teenagers in the courtroom, the rest are adults. There are four rows of seats in the gallery. The media is in the fourth and back row. Pat Lopez, the sketch artist, is in the first row. WFAA’s Rebecca Lopez is in the second row. The Metcalf and Anthony families are in second row but in opposite sides of the courtroom.
Prosecutors called their first witness, Mark Porter, a forensic video analyst with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office. Prosecutor Dewey Mitchell is questioning him.
Jobin Panicker reports:
Defense attorney Mike Howard then gave his opening statement to jurors.
“There’s been a lot of noise around this case,” Howard said. “A lot of completely false information.”
Referring to Anthony by his nickname “Melo,” he described his client as “a son. He is a brother, the oldest of four. He is a friend, boyfriend, a student who graduated with a 3.7 GPA while holding two jobs, playing football, track…”
Howard told jurors that Anthony’s father works as a finance manager with a car dealership, and that his mother is a nurse. They are from Baton Rouge, LA, Howard said. “They wanted their family to have a better life. That’s why they came to DFW middle of freshman year,” Howard told jurors. “They came to Frisco for that better life.”
Howard described what happened on April 2, 2025 at the Frisco ISD stadium.
Every team at the track meet had a tent, except for Anthony’s school Centennial, which only had a tarp. “Melo is in a normal mood. He is relaxing with his teammates,” Howard told the jury.
As the weather turns bad, “Melo goes to look for a place to get out of the rain,” and goes to the Memorial HS tent where Metcalf is. Howard told jurors they video they will see establishes some things but will not show everything. “Melo walks out and sees someone he recognizes” from Memorial HS, Howard said. The two were talking and “everything seemed fine,” Howard said. “Everyone there (under tent) except for Melo is from Memorial,” Howard said.
Howard told jurors that Austin and his twin brother, Hunter, confronted Anthony, who is 5’8 and about 130 pounds. Howard said that Metcalf and his brother are 6’1 and about 213 pounds, which is about 83 pounds heavier than his client.
Howard said Anthony told them “as long as you don’t touch me, we’re cool.” Howard said Austin Metcalf said, I know you don’t got anything in that bag.
“Austin (Metcalf) makes the first physical contact,” Howard told jurors. “Austin grabs, shoves, pushes” Anthony, the defense lawyer said. Jeff Metcalf, Austin Metcalf’s father, shook his head when Howard said this.
Howard said Anthony was forced to decide with what to do “in fear and chaos.” “After Anthony defended himself, he ran,” Howard told jurors. He dropped the knife by the bleachers, Howard said. “He left it right by the tent.” Howard said Anthony fell as he was going down the bleachers. Howard said prosecutors contention that Anthony was “slipping away” was wrong. Anthony went directly to a coach, Howard told jurors.
Jobin Panicker reports:
Prosecutors have made several pretrial motions for the judge to consider. The defense has not objected.
Everyone in the courtroom rose as the jury entered the courtroom and took their seats.
Each side is allotted 20 minutes for opening statements.
First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye began for the prosecution.
“He plunged a knife into his heart and ran away,” Wirskye tells jurors describing what he says Anthony did to Austin Metcalf. Wirskye called the killing “an unjustified, provoked murder.”
“This case is not self-defense,” he said. “This was simply senseless.”
Wirskye told jurors they would see surveillance video, and “that video tells the story.” He references words witnesses claim Anthony said before Metcalf was stabbed: “Touch me, see what happens.” Wirskye argues that Anthony provoked and goaded Metcalf into “touching him.”
“This is an provoked, unjustified murder,” Wirskye said. “This killing is senseless.”
At one point, Wirskye points to Anthony, who at the time was a student at Frisco Centennial High School, attending a track meet at Metcalf’s Frisco Memorial High School. “This man,” Wirskye told jurors, made a “bee line” for the Memorial tent. Several memorial athletes told Anthony to leave, Wirskye said. The tent, he said, was their “locker room.” Wirskye said Anthony goaded and taunted and provoked Metcalf. Wirskye said Anthony produced a knife and “swiftly and plunged it into Austin.” Wirskye said Anthony than ran off and tried to “blend in.” Wirskye told jurors that students at the track meet pointed out Anthony as he “is trying to leave the track meet.”
Wirksye told jurors that when an officer who arrived on scene encountered Anthony, he radioed “I have the alleged suspect.” Wirskye said the officer reported that Anthony then told him, “I am not alleged, I did it.”
Anthony also allegedly told the officer “he touched me first and I told him not to,” according to Wirskye. He told jurors tossed the knife and “tried to slip away from the scene.” He told jurors they will see video from the scene and that they will hear from the witnesses.
“You cannot provoke someone and produce a knife and take a life,” Wirskye said.
Good morning. Opening statements are set to begin at 9 a.m.
Jobin Panicker, one of our reporter’s inside the 296th courtroom, filed this report a few minutes ago:
Austin Metcalf’s parents Jeff and Meghan are in the courtroom. Karmelo Anthony’s parents Andrew Anthony and Kala Hayes are also here. Sketch artist Pat Lopez is in the front row. There are more than 200 people waiting to get inside this courtroom. The 27 spots for the public filled up ten minutes after curfew lifted.
The courtroom is nearly full. The public is seated. The prosecution and defense are present. Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner is now in the courtroom. Karmelo Anthony is the courtroom. He is wearing a suit.
Members of the public who get a seat inside the crowded courtroom are issued lanyards. Court staff made an announcement that any member of the public who leaves should drop their lanyard off so that the next person waiting in line can then get a spot inside.