Witness at Karmelo Anthony murder trial makes bombshell self-defense claim over Austin Metcalf stabbing
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Frisco Police Department
A teenager who is facing life imprisonment for first-degree murder had his self-defense claim challenged by a witness who gave testimony during his trial.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was charged with first-degree murder after he fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf in April 2025.
The pair are believed to have had a confrontation at Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas, because Anthony refused to leave the rival team’s tent at a track meet, despite being asked to on numerous occasions.
Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.
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Metcalf, 17, was rushed to hospital for urgent medical attention but sadly succumbed to his injuries.
Anthony was later arrested and he has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, claiming he acted in self-defense.
The case has gained nationwide attention due to Anthony being Black and Metcalf being white, and there has been protests outside the courtroom during the 19-year-old's ongoing trial.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised to cover Anthony's legal costs after his family set up a GiveSendGo page.
At the time of writing, the page has received more than $623,000 in donations.
As well as legal fees, the money will go towards relocating his family who have reportedly faced 'escalating threats to their safety and well-being'.
There has been multiple teen witnesses during the trial so far. One person's testimony poked holes in Anthony's self-defense claims.
This witness said that Anthony kept his hands hidden in backpack until Metcalf shoved his shoulders to get him to leave their tent. They proceeded to say that Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf.
"That’s lethal force against non-lethal," the 17-year-old witness said, per New York Post.
The same witness refuted Anthony's claims that he only pulled out the knife because he was being ambushed by Metcalf and his twin brother, Hunter, and said they did not see anyone crowd around Anthony.
Another teenage witness alleged that Anthony 'tried to provoke us' when he was asked the leave the tent.
Anthony's legal team have backed the teenager's self-defense claims and have argued that he acted out of 'fear'.
His lawyer Mike Howard told the court: "In that split second, Melo has a decision to make: how and when to act. Self-defense is useless if you wait too late to defend yourself. He reacts in a split second of fear, chaos.
"After Karmelo defended himself with that knife, he ran. He didn’t stab again. He dropped the knife. He didn’t stab anyone else."
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