Austin Metcalf's father speaks out with claim on son's murder as killer Karmelo Anthony prepares to appeal
Jeff Metcalf, Austin Metcalf's father, has slammed the 'moral decay of society' after his son's murderer, Karmelo Anthony, prepares to appeal his conviction.
Anthony was found guilty of murder earlier this month and sentenced to 35 years behind bars.
The suspect, 17 at the time, claimed he had stabbed Austin, also 17, in an act of ‘self-defense’ back in April 2025, though a jury concluded it was murder.
Anthony is alleged to have pulled a knife from out of his bag after Austin attempted to physically move him, before stabbing him in the chest.
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He is seeking to appeal his conviction though and has assembled a new legal team in the hope of overturning the guilty verdict.
Jeff has been speaking to Fox News as Anthony looks to appeal his conviction, slamming people who have uttered what he described as 'multiple lies and mistruths' about the case and his son.
Speaking to Will Cain on the news channel, Jeff said: "People had their own opinions without even seeing the facts, and that's the part I have trouble with.
"Unfortunately, in today's moral decay of society that we've witnessed, people believe that if they have their own voice, they scream loud enough, they're right."
The View's Sunny Hostin suggested that the jury on the trial shouldn't have ruled out self-defense after she watched bodycam footage of Anthony's arrest, where he could be heard saying throughout: "He put his hands on me. I told him not to but he put his hands on me."
Jeff has hit out at parts of the media making such suggestions.
She added: "They don't know me. They don't know Hunter, Austin. They don't know Karmelo. They're looking for their 15 minutes of fame or their clickbait.
"They're looking to monetize the death of my son. I really wish they wouldn't speak about it at all."
As Anthony was handed a 35-year prison sentence, Jeff is said to have yelled at the suspect in court: "We were robbed. The public response sickens me, especially when a gag order doesn't allow me to defend my son."
The victim's father added: "This was never about race or politics, but what you did was to choose to make it about both. We all bleed the same color. You are free to make choices all of your life, but are not free to not face consequences. They weren't bullies and they weren't racists.
"You failed your parents you failed yourself and you failed society. You don't belong.
"I forgive you, but I do not forgive what you did. You can't even look me in the eye, but you can stab my son in the f****** heart."
Anthony did not respond to the comments in the courtroom.
Callum Jones