A Texas high school track and football coach fought through tears on Thursday as he recalled the harrowing events that followed after one of his athletes, Austin Metcalf, was stabbed and killed at a regional track event last spring.
Coach Robert Starr told the court that he recalled seeing a “commotion” over by the tent where his athletes were huddled at Kuykendall Stadium on April 2, 2025. Starr then made his way over to the tent where he found 17-year-old Austin Metcalf laying on the ground.
“His face is purple, and he has a big hole in his chest,” Starr said on the first day of the trial of Metcalf’s accused killer, Karmelo Anthony.
According to a police report based on an eyewitness, “Anthony was from Centennial High School and was sitting under the Memorial High School tent. [The victim] had told Anthony that he needed to move out from under their team’s tent and Anthony grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside and proceeded to tell [the victim], ‘Touch me and see what happens.’ No one really thought Anthony really had any weapons in his bag and [the victim] proceeded to touch Anthony and then Anthony told [the victim] to punch him and see what happens. A short time later, [the victim] grabbed Anthony to tell him to move and Anthony pulled out what [the witness] recalled as a black knife and stabbed [the victim] once in the chest and then ran away.”
Starr recalled how he made his way over to where the trainers were working feverishly to revive Metcalf, and how Austin’s twin brother, Hunter, pleaded with him to “do something.”
“I just knew Austin was gone,” the coach said.
Exhibits shown to the jury revealed that the coach texted Austin’s number the day after the fatal attack, telling him, “I love you man. Sorry I didn’t say enough.”
The coach said that Austin, who also threw discus and shot put, was helping the team maintain the tent and move equipment. He also explained how at a track event the tent is seen as a team’s “spot,” not to be intruded upon by another team’s players.
Anthony’s legal team is claiming self-defense and saying that the teen suspect was protecting himself against the unarmed, white football player.
Because Anthony was 17 years old at the time of the incident, he cannot face the death penalty under Texas law. If convicted, Anthony will face 5 to 99 years, or life, in a Texas prison, and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.