‘Please have mercy on my son’: Karmelo Anthony’s mother begs all-non-Black jury before teen receives 35 years for Austin Metcalf’s murder

Karmelo Anthony's mother, Kayla Hayes, made an emotional appeal for leniency before a Collin County jury sentenced her 19-year-old son to 35 years in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. The sentence was handed down Tuesday, June 9, just hours after Anthony was found guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing at a Frisco high school track meet in April 2025. He faced up to life in prison.

During the punishment phase of the trial, Hayes asked the jury to show compassion toward her son, describing him as a remorseful young man. "He's my oldest, he's my first born, he will always be my baby," she said as quoted by Texas Public Radio. "I love him very much."

When asked whether she believed her son regretted what had happened, Hayes replied: "Yes, I know my son. He's very sorry for what he did."


She also added in her testimony with a direct appeal to the panel: "Please have mercy on my son."

The case stems from a confrontation at a track meet held at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco in April 2025. Investigators said the altercation began under a team tent where athletes had gathered because of inclement weather and ended when Metcalf was stabbed in the chest.

Anthony was arrested after the incident and maintained that he acted in self-defense. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Anthony threatened Metcalf before intentionally killing him, while defense attorneys contended that he was protecting himself.

According to testimony presented during the nearly weeklong trial, Anthony had been sitting under the Memorial High School tent, which was set up in the bleachers for athletes from multiple schools. Witnesses said Metcalf and others repeatedly told Anthony to leave, leading to an escalating confrontation.

The case has attracted national attention and generated debate over race, with Anthony being Black and Metcalf white. Following the 35-year sentence, Angela Luckey, president of the NAACP chapter in Grand Prairie, raised concerns about the all-non-Black jury and called for stronger supervision of student-athletes at school events, reports CBC.