Karmelo Anthony Sentenced To 35 Years After Conviction In Stabbing Death Leads To Uproar
A Collin County jury found Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of fellow student Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.
Black News 
A Collin County jury has convicted Karmelo Anthony of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, who was white, during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, bringing a closely watched case that split America along the racial seam, to a close.
According to Newsweek, Anthony, 19, who is black, was found guilty Tuesday by an all-white jury deliberating for less than three hours. Following the conviction, the same jury sentenced him to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Metcalf
The fatal encounter occurred during a track and field event last year when an argument between the two teenagers escalated after Anthony sought refuge from the rain under another school’s tent. According to testimony and police records presented during the trial, the confrontation unfolded in a matter of minutes before Anthony stabbed Metcalf once in the chest. The wound proved fatal.
Prosecutors argued throughout the trial that Anthony’s actions amounted to an unjustified act of violence rather than self-defense. They maintained that the evidence showed Anthony intentionally escalated the confrontation and was not facing a threat that warranted the use of deadly force.
Defense attorneys painted a different picture, telling jurors that Anthony acted in a split-second attempt to protect himself during a tense and rapidly developing situation. They pointed to statements Anthony made immediately after the incident, including his claim to responding officers that he had been “protecting” himself.
The jury ultimately sided with prosecutors, unanimously rejecting the self-defense argument and returning a guilty verdict. Jurors had been sequestered following closing arguments, an unusual move in Collin County that reflected the high-profile nature of the case.
During the sentencing phase, jurors were also asked to consider whether the killing occurred under the immediate influence of “sudden passion,” a legal finding under Texas law that could have reduced Anthony’s sentencing exposure. Had jurors accepted that argument, the offense would have been punished as a second-degree felony, carrying a potential sentence of two to 20 years in prison, CBS News reports.
Prosecutors argued that the evidence did not support such a finding, and jurors agreed, rejecting the sudden-passion claim before imposing a 35-year prison sentence.
Under Texas law, a murder conviction carries a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison.
Anthony reportedly teared up as the sentence was announced.
See social media’s uproar below.
