Karmelo Anthony Fights Back: Launches Appeal Against 35-Year Prison Sentence

Karmelo Anthony is challenging his 35-year prison sentence following his conviction for the murder of Austin Metcalf. This development comes as Anthony, now 19, has officially filed an appeal, as confirmed by recent court documents.

Anthony’s appeal was lodged just a day after his sentencing for the fatal stabbing of Metcalf during a track meet in April 2025. Legal documents obtained by TMZ detail this swift move toward contesting the verdict.

Mike Howard, the defense attorney representing Anthony, revealed to the outlet that they had informed the court of their intention to appeal immediately after the trial’s conclusion. “We believe there are several important issues for the appellate courts to consider. An appeal is the next part of the legal process and a right afforded every American,” Howard stated.

In contrast, a source familiar with the Metcalf family’s sentiments shared with TMZ that they are “very happy” with the sentence handed down to Anthony, suggesting a sense of justice served on their part.

Meanwhile, a source close to the Metcalf family told TMZ that they are ‘very happy’ with the sentence Anthony received. 

The case has shocked America, especially from a racial standpoint, as Metcalf was white and Anthony is black.

Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the fatal attack, sobbed in court on Tuesday, and his family burst into tears as the judge handed down the verdict. 

His mother begged the jury to show him mercy as an audible gasp was heard inside the courtroom when his sentence was handed down hours later. 

Karmelo Anthony has launched an appeal fighting his 35 year prison sentence for murdering Austin Metcalf, according to newly filed court records

Metcalf was bled out in his brother’s arms after Anthony stabbed him to death at a track meet in Frisco in April 2025

Throughout the trial, Anthony and his legal team have claimed that he stabbed Metcalf in an act of self-defense after they got into a confrontation during a rain delay at the sporting event. 

Metcalf called out Anthony for standing under a tent that did not belong to his school, the Frisco Police Department said.

Anthony had originally faced between five to 99 years in prison for knifing Metcalf, but after the verdict was passed at the Collin County courthouse on Tuesday, prosecutors agreed to consider ‘sudden passion’ as a factor when determining his sentence.

‘Sudden passion’ is a legal term in Texas that allows a criminal to argue they were in an intense emotional state when they committed wrongdoing. It would have reduced Anthony’s murder to a second-degree felony, for which he could have served as little as two years behind bars.

It was then left up to the jury to decide whether to apply the ‘sudden passion’ argument to the case and reduce Anthony’s murder charge or stick to their original verdict.

The jury then spent less than three hours passing its guilty verdict, and another roughly two and a half hours before they handed down their sentence.

Anthony will now have to serve at least half of the sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, delivered an emotionally intense victim impact statement after his son’s killer was found guilty. 

Metcalf called out Anthony for standing under a tent that did not belong to his school on the day of the deadly encounter, the Frisco Police Department said

He demanded that Anthony look at him as he said: ‘You’re going to prison. You can’t even look me in the eyes right now, but you can stab my f***ing son in the heart.’ 

His grieving father further described the ‘unfiltered rage’ he feels over his son’s death.

‘If you ask me what my son’s death did to me, I would tell you it destroyed the person I used to be. Not changed me, destroyed me,’ Jeff told the court.

He said he forgave Anthony ‘the day it happened’ but did not forgive ‘what you did.’

Jeff said his family was ‘robbed’ of seeing Austin grow up and regretted he wasn’t there to defend his son at the sporting event in April 2025.

‘People think that grief is sadness but it’s not. IT’S RAGE!!! Pure unfiltered rage,’ Jeff shouted as he slammed his fist down.

‘My son’s death didn’t just break my heart,’ he continued, claiming it also destroyed ‘my sense of safety, my faith in people.’

Jeff also struck down arguments that the case was about race – as Anthony is a black teenager and Metcalf was white.

Instead, he argued, the case was about ‘right and wrong.’

Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf (pictured with his late son), delivered an emotionally intense victim impact statement after his son’s killer was found guilty

‘We’re all humans. We all bleed the same color,’ Jeff noted, before addressing Anthony himself. 

Metcalf’s mother, Meghan, and his twin brother, Hunter, also delivered emotional statements.

Hunter, who held his brother in his arms while he bled out that day, started off by telling Anthony: ‘If you could just look me in the eye while I speak, I would really respect that.’

But Anthony kept looking down as Hunter said he wanted ‘everything to be taken’ from him. 

‘You took a son, a brother, a friend, and my best friend, from this world,’ Hunter said, getting emotional. ‘You took someone from me who was supposed to be an uncle, godfather to my kids. Now I want everything taken from you.’

Meghan said she was left ‘crushed’ by Austin’s death and seeing the effect it had on Hunter.

‘Seeing my loving son, his identical twin, lose the most important person in his life, it crushes you as a mother,’ she said.