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
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.