Karmelo Anthony Trial: Jury selection begins for deadly Frisco track meet stabbing

McKINNEY, Texas - Jury selection began on Monday in the murder trial for Karmelo Anthony. He’s charged for the 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet.

Police said Anthony and Metcalf got into an argument over seating in the stands, and Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest with a pocketknife. 

The defense is expected to rely heavily on a self-defense argument. That means prosecutors will have the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Anthony was not acting in self-defense.

This case has been a racially charged case with a lot of speculation and rumors. For months, it has played in the court of public opinion.

That’s why court officials have taken steps to keep the proceedings orderly. No cameras will be allowed inside the courtroom and electronic devices will be limited.

The goal is to prevent the trial from becoming a courthouse spectacle and to minimize outside influence.

Jury Selection Begins

What's new:

Protesters on both sides of the case were set up outside the courthouse in McKinney on Monday morning ahead of the jury selection process.

Roughly 200 people were called in for the pool of potential jurors. They were each given a questionnaire to fill out and told they would be notified via text or email if they needed to return on Wednesday for further questioning.

The selection process is expected to last through Wednesday. Testimony should begin with opening statements on Thursday. 

The judge is expected to ban all cellphones in the courtroom once testimony begins.

Prosecutors have a list of 35 witnesses to call on, so the trial could last up to two weeks.

Frisco Track Meet Stabbing

The backstory:

Karmelo Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in connection with 17-year-old Austin Metcalf's fatal stabbing on April 2, 2025.

Witnesses reported that Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest with a pocketknife during a seating dispute during a regional track meet. 

Anthony was a student at Centennial High School but was sitting under the Memorial High School tent. Metcalf reportedly told him to leave.

There is no evidence that the two young men knew each other.

CONTINUED COVERAGE: Frisco Track Meet Stabbing

Dig deeper:

An arrest report for Anthony detailed his interactions with police in the moments following the fatal stabbing.

According to the court document, witnesses pointed him out to a school resource officer, who was the first to arrive on the scene. The officer spotted Anthony on the north end of the of the track.

"I gave the suspect instructions to keep his hands up in the air. During this time, the suspect said verbally out loud, ‘I was protecting myself,’" the report states.

The suspect also told the officer, "He put his hands on me."

After the officer mentioned to others that he had the alleged suspect in custody, the report states Anthony said, "I’m not alleged. I did it."

"He put his hands on me. I told him not to," Anthony continued as officers walked him out of the stadium in handcuffs to the squad car.

The report states Anthony also asked the officers, "Is he going to be okay?" And he "asked if what happened could be considered self-defense."

What they're saying:

In the days following the stabbing, the case exploded online. 

From jail, Anthony claimed he acted in self-defense. He was initially held on a $1 million bond. Twelve days after the incident, however, a judge reduced his bond to $250,000, citing factors that included his lack of a prior criminal record.

Three days later, Anthony's family held a press conference and urged the public to lower the temperature surrounding the case.

"I don't know why we are being targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial," said Anthony's mother, Kayla Hayes.

Attention intensified further when Metcalf's father attended the press conference and was escorted out by Dallas police after organizers said he was not invited.

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