Jurors began hearing opening statements Thursday in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, kicking off a closely watched Texas track meet stabbing case that has been surrounded by racial tensions and competing narratives.
Anthony, who is Black, is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of fellow high school student Austin Metcalf, who is White, during a Frisco track meet in April 2025 and has maintained that he acted in self-defense. Both were 17 at the time.
In opening statements reported by FOX 4 Dallas, Collin County prosecutor Bill Wirskye told jurors the evidence would show Anthony provoked a confrontation with a student he did not know before fatally stabbing him.
“He used a hidden knife, opened in his hand, plunged into Austin Metcalf’s chest causing his death, and then ran away,” Wirskye said.
Wirskye described the killing as a “provoked unjustified murder” and pushed back on two issues that have dominated public discussion of the case.
“This case has nothing to do with race. This case is not self-defense,” he told jurors.
Defense attorney Mike Howard countered that Anthony acted out of fear during a rapidly unfolding encounter and urged jurors to focus on the evidence rather than public perception.
“There’s been a lot of noise around this case,” Howard said. “A lot of completely false information.”
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Howard told jurors the evidence would show Anthony was a student-athlete, honor-roll student and teenager working two jobs who found himself in a chaotic confrontation.
According to Howard, Anthony remained seated while Metcalf approached him and Metcalf’s twin brother stood in front of him. Anthony placed his hand inside his bag as the encounter escalated and made a split-second decision as the group was “turning on him.”
“He reacts in a split second of fear and chaos,” Howard said.
Howard argued Anthony did not threaten anyone else, discarded the knife near the tent and made no effort to conceal it afterward. He told jurors they must decide whether prosecutors can eliminate all reasonable doubt, including the possibility that Anthony acted in lawful self-defense.
The first witness called by prosecutors was forensic video analyst Mark Porter, who handled surveillance footage from the track meet. Jurors are expected to view that video as part of the state’s case.
Security remained exceptionally tight as proceedings got underway. Only 27 members of the public were allowed inside the courtroom, while roughly 100 others waited outside in hopes of gaining access. Everyone entering the courtroom was required to pass through multiple security checkpoints, and court officials scrapped a previously discussed overflow viewing room, leaving many members of the public unable to observe the proceedings.
According to reporters on scene, a woman wearing a Karmelo Anthony shirt was stopped from entering the courthouse and instructed to turn the shirt inside out before being allowed inside, underscoring the strict efforts to maintain neutrality inside the building.
Metcalf’s parents were seated on the prosecution side of the courtroom, while members of Anthony’s family sat on the defense side. Anthony appeared in court Thursday wearing a gray suit, according to FOX 4 Dallas.
Outside the courthouse, supporters on both sides gathered throughout the week, holding signs and chanting as tensions surrounding the high-profile case remained on full display.
A 12-person jury was seated Wednesday after several days of jury selection. None of the jurors selected are Black, according to FOX 4 Dallas. The outlet reported that prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over race-related issues during jury selection, including a Batson challenge filed by Anthony’s attorneys after several prospective jurors were struck from the panel.
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“This case in particular has a lot of disturbing history when it comes to misinformation online, rumors, doxing, things like that,” Rosenthal said ahead of trial.
Rosenthal said the widespread attention surrounding the case could complicate efforts to identify jurors who have not already formed opinions based on what they have seen online or in news coverage.
With opening statements expected to begin, attention will now shift to how prosecutors and defense attorneys frame the fatal encounter and the self-defense claim likely to be at the center of the trial.
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“Self-defense is a really intricate defense that you have to sort of set up,” Rosenthal previously told Fox News Digital.
Under Texas law, self-defense is considered what attorneys call a “confession and avoidance” defense, meaning a defendant admits to the conduct but argues it was legally justified under the circumstances.
“The crux of the issue is that you cannot provoke the harm and then retreat behind self-defense,” Rosenthal said.
A district court official previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that three people were escorted from the courthouse after attempting to take photographs or video. Photography is prohibited under a standing courthouse decorum order that applies to all proceedings at the courthouse.
Anthony’s attorney, Mike Howard, has maintained that the full circumstances surrounding the confrontation have yet to be heard in court.
“We expect that when the full story is heard, the prosecution will not be able to rule out the reasonable doubt that Karmelo Anthony may have acted in self-defense,” Howard said following Anthony’s indictment.
Prosecutors are expected to call roughly 35 witnesses during the trial, which could last up to two weeks. Roach has also imposed a gag order restricting public comments from attorneys, witnesses, investigators and others directly involved in the case.
Anthony was indicted by a Collin County grand jury after prosecutors presented evidence related to the fatal confrontation that unfolded during a track meet at Frisco’s Kuykendall Stadium on April 2, 2025.
According to the arrest report, the confrontation occurred inside a Memorial High School team tent during a weather delay. Investigators allege Anthony warned Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens,” before reaching into a bag and pulling out a knife.
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Witnesses told police Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest during the encounter. Metcalf later died from his injuries.
According to police records, Anthony told responding officers that he acted in self-defense. Investigators also reported that Anthony made a spontaneous statement after being detained, telling officers, “I’m not alleged, I did it.”
The case quickly became a national flashpoint, fueled by extensive social media commentary, allegations of misinformation, public demonstrations and fierce debate over the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
If convicted of murder, Anthony faces a sentence ranging from five years to life in prison under Texas law.
Fox News’ Brooke Taylor, Sarah Alegre, and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
