2 hours ago
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A Collin County assemblage sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years successful situation for the 2025 Frisco way conscionable execution of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Jurors took two-and-a-half hours to scope the sentence.
The prosecution and defence some waived their close to opening statements successful the sentencing phase.
Mother testifies connected son's remorse
Prosecutors besides chose not to telephone immoderate witnesses, and the defence ended aft conscionable 1 – Anthony's mother, Kayla Hayes.
"He's my oldest, he's my firstborn," she said. "He volition ever beryllium my baby. I emotion him precise much."
"Does your lad regret what helium did?" the defence asked.
"Yes, he's precise atrocious for what helium did," Hayes said.
Anthony faced a punishment scope of 5 to 99 years oregon beingness successful prison.
Prosecutor urges jurors to absorption connected unfortunate
During its closing argument, the authorities pressed jurors to halfway their attraction connected the young beingness chopped short.
"Austin Metcalf was a son. Austin Metcalf was a brother," the authoritative said. "... I'm going to inquire you to see the property of the unfortunate successful this case... Nothing you bash with your verdict, thing you do, volition instrumentality much from Karmelo Anthony than it did from the Metcalfs... Austin Metcalf didn't person the accidental to conscionable the emotion of his life, clasp a plaque astatine graduation."
To underscore that point, prosecutors projected an representation from past year's Frisco ISD way meet, wherever coaches could beryllium seen praying implicit Austin Metcalf arsenic they pleaded for his recovery.
In the gallery, Austin's brother, Hunter Metcalf, lowered his caput into his hands, visibly shaken.
Defense leans connected sudden‑passion claim
The defence pressed jurors to determine whether the shooting resulted from "sudden passion," saying the suspect reacted successful panic without clip to think.
"We respect your verdict, and we respect your role," the defence said to the assemblage successful closing arguments.
"We arsenic Americans spot successful our community," the defence said. "I cognize it's a dense load and I cognize it's a dense value you're carrying ... I tin lone inquire you to see some sides."
They urged jurors to find whether the suspect acted successful a split‑second surge of emotion, noting that specified a uncovering changes however the instrumentality views the decision.
The defence argued that if jurors judge Anthony felt genuine panic and had nary accidental for calm reflection, past abrupt passionateness applies, pointing to the video arsenic evidence.
"This is not astir blaming the victim," they said. "I inquire you to see some sides."
If jurors decided that abrupt passionateness played a role, the condemnation would person been reduced to a second‑degree felony, which carries a imaginable condemnation of 2 to 20 years.
Jury convicted Anthony earlier Tuesday
The assemblage convicted Anthony of execution successful the stabbing decease of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf astatine a Frisco ISD way conscionable – a lawsuit that drew nationalist attention and intensified conversations astir self‑defense, race, and information astatine schoolhouse events.
Anthony, present 19, was accused of sidesplitting Metcalf connected April 2, 2025, astatine Kuykendall Stadium successful Frisco. Prosecutors said helium deliberately stabbed Metcalf during a confrontation betwixt the 2 teens. The defence maintained that Anthony acted successful self-defense.
Jurors returned their verdict aft several days of grounds from dozens of witnesses, including students who saw the altercation, investigators who handled the case, aesculapian experts, and quality witnesses called by the defense.
Anthony was taken into custody soon aft the stabbing and charged with murder. During closing arguments Tuesday, Judge John Roach instructed jurors that they could besides consider a lesser complaint of manslaughter.
According to prosecutors, the 2 teenagers attended antithetic schools and had nary anterior connection. Authorities said the quality began adjacent a squad structure country earlier Anthony allegedly stabbed Metcalf erstwhile successful the chest.
Metcalf was rushed to a hospital, wherever helium aboriginal died from his injuries.
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