Peter Rosenberg, a radio DJ and commentator for WWE and ESPN, says that while Karmelo Anthony’s murder of Austin Metcalf is an “overall tragedy,” he questions why Anthony had “the book” thrown at him and how that will help the Metcalf family.
Rosenberg made the comments on a recent episode of The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show.
“Why is the solution to all of these things, ‘How badly can we punish the teenager who did it?’ I understand the feeling of anger and pain that the family would have. I don’t understand why we govern our laws based on that, though. It’s obviously an overall tragedy, and obviously, punishment should take place. But why is the Metcalf family going to be better off because Karmelo Anthony gets the book thrown at him and they decide he’s a murderer?”
Anthony, 19, was convicted on Tuesday for the April 2025 stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. Anthony is black, and Metcalf was white. Anthony, a Frisco Centennial student at the time, took shelter in the Frisco Memorial tent during a rainy period, where Metcalf and his teammates had congregated. Witnesses claimed Anthony was asked to leave roughly “15 times,” but refused to leave.
The former Frisco Centennial student claimed self-defense, alleging that Metcalf and his brother, Hunter, ganged up on him while trying to remove him from the tent. And that he stabbed Metcalf out of fear for his safety.
The Collin County jury found no evidence of self-defense and sentenced Anthony to a 35-year prison sentence.
Despite Rosenberg’s claim that Anthony had “the book” thrown at him, the 35-year sentence the 19-year-old received falls far short of the 99 years he could have received under Texas law. Moreover, Anthony will be eligible for parole at the midway point of that sentence. If he qualifies, Anthony could be released from jail at the relatively young age of 37.
That sentiment was echoed by Metcalf’s mother, Megan, after Anthony’s sentencing on Tuesday.
“Now I only have videos and memories of his laugh… You may have been given a sentence of 35 years,” the grieving mother said. “You should feel lucky. I’ve been sentenced to a lifetime without my son.”