<\/p>\n
Lori Arnold of North Texas holds a sign that reads \u201cJUSTICE 4 AUSTIN\u201d outside of the Collin County Courthouse as closing arguments are scheduled to start in Karmelo Anthony\u2019s murder trial in McKinney, TX, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Anthony is accused of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last April at a Frisco track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Jasmine Noelle walks around draped in an American flag outside of the Collin County Courthouse as closing arguments are scheduled to start in Karmelo Anthony\u2019s murder trial in McKinney, TX, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Anthony is accused of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last April at a Frisco track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Henry of McKinney blows a horn outside of the Collin County Courthouse on the day closing arguments are scheduled to start in Karmelo Anthony\u2019s murder trial in McKinney, TX, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Anthony is accused of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last April at a Frisco track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Signs in support of Karmelo Anthony outside of the Collin County Courthouse on the day closing arguments are scheduled to start in Anthony\u2019s murder trial in McKinney, TX, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Anthony is accused of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last April at a Frisco track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
The exterior of the Collin County Courthouse as Karmelo Anthony\u2019s murder trial is underway in McKinney, TX, Saturday, June 6, 2026. Anthony is accused of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last April at a Frisco track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.<\/p>\n
Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Officers from Collin County Sheriff\u2019s Office SWAT team stand outside Collin County Courthouse during Karmelo Anthony\u2019s trial, Monday, June 8, 2026, in McKinney. Anthony is charged in the stabbing death of student-athlete Austin Metcalf at a Frisco ISD track meet last year.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Henry of McKinney prays for both families, Anthony and Metcalf outside Collin County Courthouse during Karmelo Anthony\u2019s trial, Monday, June 8, 2026, in McKinney. Anthony is charged in the stabbing death of student-athlete Austin Metcalf at a Frisco ISD track meet last year.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Jurors began weighing murder charges Tuesday against\u00a0Karmelo Anthony, who is accused of killing a teenager last year at a Frisco track meet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They began deliberating after closing arguments from prosecutors and attorneys for Anthony, who said he was defending himself when he stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Anthony was also 17 at the time.<\/p>\n
The 12-member jury can also consider a lesser charge of manslaughter, state district Judge John Roach Jr. said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
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The case has drawn national attention from the start and generated a flood of misinformation and racist vitriol on social media. Anthony is Black. Metcalf was white.<\/p>\n
Journalists from The Dallas Morning News will provide live updates throughout the day from the Collin County courthouse in McKinney.<\/p>\n
From Monday:<\/strong>\u00a0Defense rests case after Anthony not called to testify<\/a><\/p>\n Karmelo Anthony said he was defending himself<\/a> when he fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf.\u00a0How does that claim work in a trial?<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n To successfully argue self-defense in Texas, a defendant must reasonably believe the force they used was necessary to protect them from serious bodily injury or death.\u00a0As in all criminal trials, prosecutors have the burden of proving the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Even in self defense, that burden of proof remains with the prosecution.\u00a0A person claiming self-defense can\u2019t be the aggressor or engaged in criminal activity at the time.<\/p>\n “A key consideration in self-defense cases is what would an ordinary, prudent person in the same situation do,” Dallas criminal defense attorney Nigel Redmond said<\/a>. “Would they do the same thing you did if they faced the same threat?”<\/p>\n The crowd outside the courthouse is growing as the jury deliberates inside. Television crews set up equipment as others bowed their heads in prayer circles and found shade beneath trees.<\/p>\n The case has ignited sharp divisions and drawn demonstrators on both sides since the trial began June 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI just felt that we all needed a little bit more prayer, a little bit more understanding, a little bit more clarity and a little bit more love,” said Jasmine Noelle, who wore a traditional African dress and draped herself in an American flag.<\/p>\n \u2014 Sana Muneer and Lola Jahant<\/p>\n During the state\u2019s closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Bill\u00a0Wirskye <\/a>disputed the defense\u2019s claims and asked jurors to focus, in part, on Anthony\u2019s apparent mindset when he decided to bring a knife to the track meet.<\/p>\n Wirskye said Anthony\u2019s decision to bring the knife, his refusal to leave the tent, the surveillance footage and the witness testimony were enough for a murder conviction.\u00a0He argued Anthony provoked Austin Metcalf into pushing him \u2014 a finding that, if jurors agree, would bar Anthony from claiming self-defense under the jury charge.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoked the shove,\u201d Wirskye told jurors.<\/p>\n Wirskye also acknowledged inconsistencies in the students\u2019 earlier testimony, saying such discrepancies are common in trials. But he argued those differences were ultimately inconsequential because the witnesses were aligned on one key point: Anthony was not acting in self-defense.<\/p>\n Wirskye dismissed the defense\u2019s theory that Metcalf impaled himself on Anthony\u2019s knife as \u201cludicrous,\u201d but urged jurors to return a verdict of manslaughter if they believed it had merit.\u00a0When the state finished, jurors were directed out of the courtroom to begin deliberating.<\/p>\n Jeff Metcalf, Austin Metcalf\u2019s father, kept his head down for much of the defense\u2019s closing arguments, but lifted his eyes\u00a0toward the state\u2019s closing.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Jurors can consider manslaughter in addition to the murder charge against Karmelo Anthony, District Judge John Roach Jr. said Tuesday as he read the instructions to the jury.<\/p>\n If convicted of murder, Anthony could face five years to life in prison. But manslaughter, a lesser charge, carries a sentence of two to 20 years.<\/p>\n Closing arguments have wrapped up, with each side allotted 35 minutes to make their final case. Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye waived the state\u2019s right to go first.<\/p>\n Anthony\u2019s lead defense attorney, Mike Howard, began his closing argument by challenging the state\u2019s portrayal of the case, arguing that Austin Metcalf did not have the legal authority to \u201cput his hands on\u201d Anthony.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cA hit, a shove, a push,\u201d Howard told jurors, \u201c\u2019Melo had an absolute right to defend himself from that.\u201d<\/p>\n Howard revisited the Collin County medical examiner’s testimony in closing. He used a highlighter to demonstrate the possible angle of the knife wound on Metcalf, describing it as \u201cawkward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He argued that an intentional, aggressive stabbing motion would have produced a different wound, suggesting instead that the wound was consistent with a hasty action taken in self-defense.<\/p>\n Supporters of\u00a0Karmelo Anthony<\/a> brought three large wooden signs, each about four feet long and two feet tall, to the courthouse. Using drills to fasten the sign to yard sticks, they propped up the signs to stand in the protest area.<\/p>\n One of the signs read \u201cunited we stand, divided we fall.”\u00a0Another said, \u201cSelf defense is not a crime Karmelo Anthony should do no time.\u201d The third read, \u201cHands off Karmelo Anthony, let the truth be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n Shortly before 9 a.m., Lorenzo Henry stood outside the courthouse and raised a shofar horn to his lips. Blowing into it, a distinct note emanated through the curved mouthpiece, directly toward the courthouse.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s like bringing a doorbell to heaven, basically calling the armies of God, the angels,\u201d Henry said of the horn\u2019s sound. \u201cLet them gather up around this place because that’s what we need right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Henry, a pastor at Kingdom Application Ministries in McKinney, has stood outside the courthouse every Thursday for six months. He has stood there for several days of the Karmelo Anthony trial, which began June 1, praying for both the Metcalf and Anthony families.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the Metcalf family, my heart goes out to them,\u201d Henry said. \u201cAlso for the Anthony family, my heart goes out to them, because they’ve been going through this for a whole year waiting on this to happen, and now they’re looking at losing their son in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n His arms raised above his head, Henry swayed to gospel music flowing from a speaker, which was next to a sign that read \u201cFree Hugs & Prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one should be losing children at such a young age, being dead or in the system,\u201d Henry said. \u201cNothing good can come from this that I see except God do something about it. And so we’re gonna let God be God and just pray that he intervenes like he’s never done before.\u201d<\/p>\n A handful of Karmelo Anthony supporters, all dressed in purple, gathered beneath blue tents Tuesday morning outside the courthouse in McKinney. Hand-drawn signs, decorated with colorful\u00a0handprints and hearts, lined the entry way. Other signs read \u201chands off\u201d and \u201cSelf defense is not a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 Lola Jahant and Sana Muneer<\/p>\n Closing arguments are slated to begin shortly. These give prosecutors and defense attorneys a final chance to summarize the evidence and tell jurors how they believe it should be interpreted. Their remarks are not evidence, but they can shape how jurors weigh testimony, exhibits and the legal instructions before deliberations begin.<\/p>\n Here’s a look back at the high-profile trial for those catching up.\u00a0<\/p>\n The trial began June 1 with 600 Collin County residents called to jury duty<\/a>. For comparison, that\u2019s twice the number of people who were summoned for the Tanner\u00a0Horner death penalty case in Tarrant County, which also received substantial publicity.\u00a0<\/p>\n State District Judge John Roach Jr. pared down the pool to the 12-person jury<\/a> on June 3. Defense attorneys accused prosecutors of striking three Black jurors \u2014 the only three Black candidates left in the jury pool \u2014 without proper cause. Prosecutors are required to provide a \u201crace-neutral\u201d reason for striking the jurors, and they said it was because all three were educators. The judge sided with prosecutors.<\/p>\n Both sides laid out their cases during opening arguments June 4<\/a>. Prosecutors argued Anthony provoked the confrontation, seizing on brief physical contact as an excuse to commit murder. Anthony\u2019s defense attorneys argued he made a split-second decision in the face of a threat from teenagers larger than him \u2014 an act they say amounted to self-defense.<\/p>\n Witnesses, many of whom are minors, have described the conflict that led to the stabbing and\u00a0chaotic aftermath<\/a>. Jurors got their first glimpse of the pocketknife<\/a> prosecutors say\u00a0Anthony used to fatally stab Austin Metcalf.<\/p>\n Four students called by the state who saw the confrontation differed on some details, but all agreed on one point. Anthony was the aggressor. The prosecution rested its case <\/a>Saturday.<\/p>\n On Monday, attention turned to the defense<\/a>, which called several witnesses, including Anthony\u2019s coach, who said athletes commonly shared tents during track meets. Anthony did not testify in his defense.<\/p>\n The jury heard testimony from two students and a\u00a0Frisco police officer.\u00a0<\/p>\n A 17-year-old Centennial High School student called to testify Monday didn\u2019t witness the stabbing itself, but said he later saw Anthony crying on the track while being comforted by a coach.<\/p>\n During direct examination by lead defense attorney Mike Howard, the student told jurors he was warming up on the field when he noticed a shift in demeanor among athletes gathered under Frisco Memorial\u2019s tent. He testified that he saw what appeared to be a shove, describing a boy\u00a0\u2014 later identified as Metcalf\u00a0\u2014 extending both arms and making contact with Anthony.<\/p>\n Prosecutors challenged the narrative during cross-examination, using surveillance video to demonstrate that parts of his recollection didn\u2019t match the timeline captured on camera.<\/p>\n Related: Behind the gavel: A look into the veteran judge overseeing the Karmelo Anthony trial<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Another Frisco student, 17,\u00a0testified that he saw several people standing around Metcalf and Anthony when the altercation occurred.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of a sudden, I saw someone get pushed or punched,\u201d he told lead defense attorney Mike Howard on the stand, adding that he saw the student who was struck make a swinging motion with his arm.<\/p>\n During cross-examination, prosecutor Bill\u00a0Wirskye again challenged the recollection, citing video evidence which he said showed a different version of events than what the student previously said in his police statement.<\/p>\n After the students testified, Frisco police officer Beau Riley was briefly questioned. Defense attorneys appeared to suggest that a student under Frisco Memorial\u2019s tent may have recorded part of the altercation between\u00a0Metcalf and\u00a0Anthony. But the line of questioning ended without establishing whether any such video exists.<\/p>\n Judge Roach then excused the jury for an early lunch break. Court was expected to resume at 12:30 p.m, though it remained closed to the public and media until about 2:20 p.m.<\/p>\n Once court resumed,\u00a0Roach said closing arguments would begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and that he would allow the jury to deliberate as long as they want. If the jurors call it a day without reaching a decision, they will be sequestered in a hotel, without their phones, until they return to the courthouse, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting close, I\u2019m telling ya,\u201d Roach told jurors before dismissing shortly before 2:30 p.m.<\/p>\n On social\u00a0media, some have called for Anthony to receive the death penalty. That’s not on the table, though. Here’s why.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anthony, like Austin Metcalf, was 17 at the time of the stabbing. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that executing anyone for a crime committed while under the age of 18 constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment,” making Anthony ineligible for a death sentence under federal law.\u00a0<\/p>\n If convicted, Anthony faces five years to life in prison.<\/p>\n