The defense team rested Monday in the murder trial against 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a Texas teen accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf last year at a Collin County high school track meet.
During the trial’s fourth day, the defense indicated that they had presented their evidence, with the jury scheduled to hear closing arguments Tuesday morning.
As CriminalEnterprise reported, Anthony, a Centennial High School student, is accused of attacking Metcalf, 17, a Memorial High School student, over a seating dispute in April 2025, at Frisco’s David Kuykendall Stadium.
The incident happened after Anthony sat under a tent designated for Memorial students and refused to leave when confronted by members of their track team.
While the prosecution, who rested its case Saturday, argued that the attack had been an unjustified “sneak attack,” the defense argued that Anthony acted in self-defense while in fear for his safety.
One of the defense witnesses who took the stand Monday, identified as one of Anthony’s teammates, described hearing Anthony express remorse following the stabbing.
“I was hearing him say, ‘I told him not to touch me,’” the witness told the court.
What led up to the stabbing, however, had been a source of deep contradictions among numerous eyewitnesses.
While one witness stated that Metcalf put his hands on Anthony, he described it as “minor pushing at most.” But the witness also admitted to seeing Anthony sway back after being pushed, FOX 7 Austin reports.
Another witness described the shove as aggressive. However, under cross-examination by the prosecution, the witness stated that Anthony had been in the wrong and had provoked the incident.
A witness for the defense described Metcalf as towering over Anthony in a “linebacker drill” stance while Anthony sat on a seat under the tent. He also stated that “both twins eventually jumped on Karmelo,” referring to Metcalf and his brother, Hunter.
Witnesses for the prosecution, however, stated that Hunter was not involved in the physical confrontation and that Memorial teammates did not gang up on Anthony.
Witnesses for the prosecution agreed that Anthony was the aggressor, with one 16-year-old witness stating that Anthony called Memorial students “a bunch of p***ies,” Courthouse News Services reports.
The defense pointed out that out of the dozens of people under the tent, no one else reported hearing Anthony say those words.
Anthony initially went under the tent to find shelter from the rain, after spotting Memorial student Edwin “Eddie” Parra under the tent, the defense argued.
Under questioning by the prosecution, Parra contended that he barely knew Anthony.
The defense then showed photos of Anthony hanging out in Parra’s bedroom and posing for photos on his couch. They also presented a series of personal text messages between the pair that suggested the pair had been friends.
Under oath, however, Parra maintained that his testimony had been truthful, claiming that “every now and then” he got together with Anthony, and that it only happened because Anthony’s girlfriend had been his friend.
If the jury doesn’t reach a decision by Tuesday evening, they will be sequestered overnight in a nearby hotel.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Anthony faces five to 99 years or life in prison under Texas law.
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[Featured images: Metcalf/Memorial High School; Anthony/Frisco PD]
