'You should feel lucky you got 35 because I've been given a life sentence...': Austin Metcalf’s mother blasts Karmelo Anthony after verdict

Austin Metcalf’s mother Meghan delivered an emotional statement in court after Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of her son. Addressing Anthony directly, as reported by WFAA, she said, "You should feel lucky you got 35 because I’ve been given a life sentence," expressing the lifelong grief she will endure after losing her 17-year-old son. Her remarks came shortly after the jury handed down the sentence in the closely watched Texas murder case. The powerful statement reflected the pain felt by Metcalf’s family, who have struggled with the loss since the April 2025 track meet stabbing. The courtroom grew emotional as family members reacted to the verdict, bringing a dramatic conclusion to a case that drew national attention.

According to investigators, the incident occurred during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in April 2025. As athletes sought shelter under a team tent due to poor weather conditions, a confrontation broke out between Austin and Karmelo. The altercation escalated, ending when Metcalf suffered a stab wound to the chest. Metcalf was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment but later died from his injuries. Anthony was arrested following the incident and maintained that he acted in self-defense.



During the trial, Judge John Roach told jurors that they could consider both the first-degree murder charge and the lesser offense of manslaughter, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Because Anthony was minor at the time of the stabbing, the death penalty was not a possible punishment.

Following the jury's decision to sentence Anthony, now 19, to 35 years in prison for Metcalf’s murder, the victim’s parents addressed him in court, delivering emotional victim impact statements about the devastating loss of their son and the lasting pain their family continues to endure.

Meghan Metcalf, Austin's mother, addressed the defendant, who briefly raised his head from the defense table.

"We will never know what our future could have been," Meghan said through tears, according to WFAA. Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, was also visibly emotional.

"For journalists and activists, this is a story. For our family, this is our reality."

"My house is now quiet," she said.

Meghan told the court that she still hopes to wake up one morning and discover that everything that happened was just a terrible nightmare. Fighting back tears, she said that the only conversations she now has with her son take place at his gravesite.

As she spoke, she looked toward Anthony several times, underscoring the profound grief she continues to carry.

"He didn't just die," she said. "He was taken from us."

Addressing Anthony directly, Meghan added, "You should feel lucky you got 35 years because I've been given a life sentence without my son."

Jeff Metcalf then delivered his own emotional statement.

"We were robbed!" he said directly to Anthony as quoted by the outlet. "Don't look down!"

"This was never about race. It is about right and wrong."

"My boys weren't bullies," he said. "I've been swatted six times. My son's death destroyed the person I used to be. He does not exist anymore."

"People think grief is sadness. It is not. It is rage — pure, unfiltered rage," he said while slamming his fist on the table.

"You don't belong in this community. A piece of me died with my son, and I'm expected to keep living."