Karmelo Anthony Found Guilty of Murder, Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison

Karmelo Anthony, 19, was found guilty on Tuesday of murdering fellow high school student Austin Metcalf, 17, at a track meet in 2025.

The Details: Anthony was convicted of murder by a Texas jury and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the stabbing, was charged as an adult. Anthony and Metcalf attended different schools and first encountered each other during a Frisco ISD track meet. The incident happened after Metcalf confronted Anthony about being under another school's tent. Anthony admitted to stabbing Metcalf, but his defense team argued it was self-defense.

Emphasis on Anthony's Defense: Many outlets on the left seemed to sympathize more with Anthony's defense during the case, heavily focusing on the defense's arguments. They generally didn't include arguments from the prosecution or testimony from Metcalf's loved ones; if they did, it was brief. The Guardian (Left bias) cited Anthony's defense team saying he was reacting to "fear and chaos." It reported Metcalf was 6'1 and 213lbs compared to Anthony, who is 5'8 and 130lbs. USA Today (Lean Left) described Anthony as "physically shaking" after the verdict and quoted Anthony's mother pleading for the jurors to "have mercy on my son." It also included his lawyer saying "There is no evidence Karmelo did anything" besides defend himself "in that split second of chaos."

Leading up the Stabbing: In their recount of events leading up to the stabbing, outlets across the political spectrum focused on different aspects. Left- and center-rated outlets generally described the attack from Anthony's perspective, positioning Metcalf as the instigator and Anthony responding to what he felt was danger and intimidation. Right leaning outlets generally focused on the prosecution's description of events.

ABC7Chicago (Center) described Metcalf telling Anthony to leave their school's track tent, scoffing when he didn't and shoving Anthony before being stabbed. NBC News (Lean Left) said Anthony had warned Metcalf not to touch him and that he'd asked if Metcalf was going to be okay after the stabbing. The outlet also contrasted comments from Metcalf's father about his son's 4.0 GPA, by saying Anthony's GPA was 3.7 going into the last weeks of his 2025 school year.

The New York Post (Right) was critical of Anthony's defense and reported that Anthony's lawyer "blame[d]" Metcalf for his own death. It called the self-defense approach "a long-shot" argument and also mentioned that some students testified that Anthony provoked the fight. The Daily Wire (Right) quoted prosecutors saying Anthony "ran for an exit after the stabbing," which is indicative of a "guilty mindset." The Post Millennial (Right) reported that multiple students said Anthony had been asked to leave the tent "about 15 times." It emphasized the prosecution's argument that "self-defense has to be a reasonable belief" and its questioning about why Anthony "didn't just walk away?"

RELATED: Karmelo Anthony Released on Reduced Bond, Family Hires Security

Role of Race: Many outlets highlighted racial components surrounding the case as Anthony is black and Metcalf was white. NBC described protests following the murder, including one led by a Jan. 6 participant who heads a group called "Protect White America." NBC also noted there were no black jurors on the case and wrote that Mecalf's attorneys "downplayed race as an issue." The Post Millennial reported while there were no black jurors, there "were minority members of the jury seated." Another New York Post article reported that "hate-filled protests erupted" outside the courthouse as protesters accused the judicial system of racism against Anthony.

RELATED: Karmelo Anthony's Family Raises Over $400,000 to Combat 'False Narrative'

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