Texas teen who fatally stabbed track athlete at school meet found guilty and sentenced to prison

Texas teen who fatally stabbed track athlete at school meet found guilty and sentenced to prison 0 seconds of 32 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Demonstrators protest FIFA policy prohibiting pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flags into World Cup matches 00:46 00:00 00:32 00:32 More Videos 00:46 Demonstrators protest FIFA policy prohibiting pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flags into World Cup matches 01:12 Putin rejects Zelenskyy's offer to meet, saying he sees 'no point' in it 00:32 Putin says it is 'far too early' to talk about whether he will run for another term as president 01:33 One week before kickoff, New York readies for the World Cup boom 00:37 Pope says he’s competing with another VIP in Madrid this weekend: Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny 01:51 Larger-than-life looks at fashion graduate show 01:05 Pope Leo XIV celebrates art, culture and sport at Madrid cultural event 00:47 Pope Leo is greeted by enthusiastic crowds at soccer stadium in Madrid Close 1 of 7 | A jury rejected Anthony’s claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in stadium bleachers last year. The trial drew attention far beyond the booming Dallas suburb where the two students attended different high schools. 2 of 7 | A person walks around announcing the guilty verdict in the Karmelo Anthony trial in front of the Collin County courthouse, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) 3 of 7 | A crowd gathers by Collin County Sheriffs vehicles parke in front of the Collin County courthouse after the Karmelo Anthony verdict was reached Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) 4 of 7 | Law enforcement officials stand in front of the Collin County courthouse after the verdict was reached in the Karmelo Anthony trial Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) 5 of 7 | Karmelo Anthony supporters voice their opinions in front of the Collin County courthouse after a verdict was reached Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) 6 of 7 | An Austin Metcalf supporter holds a sign as law enfrocement officilals walk past in front of the Collin County courthouse following the verdict in the trial was reached Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) 7 of 7 | Collin County Sheriff vehicles sit parked in front of the Collin County courthouse after the verdict was reached in the Karemlo Anthony trial Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in McKinney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) By JAMIE STENGLE Updated 3:36 AM MESZ, June 10, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit McKinney, Texas (AP) — A Texas teenager who fatally stabbed a 17-year-old track athlete from a rival team during a high school meet was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday in a case that drew wide attention beyond the booming Dallas suburb where they were students. A jury rejected Karmelo Anthony’s claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in stadium bleachers last year. Most people who testified were students who described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team. Anthony, now 19, did not testify at trial and only his mother took the stand during the sentencing phase, telling jurors her son was sorry and asking for their mercy. Notoriety about the case spread, in part, because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors that the tragedy had nothing to do with race. Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, had also criticized those who sought to stoke racial divisions after his son was killed. A year later, he said again in court that it was never about race while his voice swelled with anger over the death of his son. Prosecutor tells jury that teen’s killing at a Texas track meet was murder, not self-defense Testimony ends after 4 days, closing arguments set in trial of fatal Texas track meet stabbing Former FedEx driver sentenced to death for killing 7-year-old girl after delivery at her Texas home “You failed your parents, you failed yourself and you failed society,” said Metcalf, looking at Anthony after the teenager was sentenced. Jurors, who deliberated for less than three hours, had the option of a lesser charge, manslaughter, but didn’t choose it. Prosecutor Bill Wirskye had asked for a lengthy prison term. “Mercy to the guilty,” he said, “is cruelty to the innocent.” Earlier Tuesday, during the trial’s closing arguments, the jury heard dueling narratives from Wirskye and defense attorney Mike Howard about what happened in April 2025. Several schools were competing when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Austin Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation. Howard told jurors that Metcalf had “no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo.” “Texas law does not require that you wait until you get hit,” Howard said. “In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes.” During the nearly weeklong trial, prosecutors said that Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses have testified that Anthony was the aggressor. “This is not self-defense, folks. It’s murder plain and simple,” Wirskye said. Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report. Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest. The teens, both from Frisco, didn’t know each other. “You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove,” Wirskye said. The prosecutor also made a broader pitch to the jury: “Ultimately, this case is about accountability. What kind of community do you want to live in.” The trial drew lines of spectators hoping to find seats in the gallery and unfolded amid heavy security at the Collin County courthouse. As police officers watched Tuesday, dozens of people stood outside the courthouse in 90 degree Fahrenheit heat (32 degrees Celsius) to await the verdict. There were wails of grief from one woman — “This isn’t real!” — when the result became known. Frisco is one of Texas’ fastest-growing cities and is dotted with dozens of modern school campuses and gleaming athletic facilities. The parents of Anthony and Metcalf have said they were good students who planned to go to college. Several students testified that Metcalf, after ordering Anthony to leave his team’s tent, scoffed before Anthony reached into a bag and pulled out a knife. One teen recalled Metcalf telling Anthony, “You don’t have anything in that backpack. It’s Frisco.” Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.