Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. However, his time in prison will begin in isolation.
According to a report from TMZ Sports, a representative for the Collin County Jail confirms that, for now, Anthony will be held in a remote part of the jail away from the general population, out of concern for his safety.
“We’re told the jail is taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of all inmates in the facility … but the rep declined to comment on why Anthony specifically is being kept in isolation,” TMZ Sports reports.
Anthony was found guilty of murder for the April 2, 2025, killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Both Anthony and Metcalf were in attendance at a regional track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Anthony, then a student at Frisco Centennial High School, took shelter from the rain in the Frisco Memorial tent, where Metcalf and his teammates were based.
According to eyewitnesses, Frisco Memorial athletes told Anthony to leave their tent “roughly 15 times.” Each time, Anthony refused to leave. Eventually, Anthony reached into his bag and warned Frisco Memorial players, including Metcalf, what would happen if they tried to remove him.
Witnesses claim Metcalf told Anthony he was not going to fight him, but when Metcalf put his hands on Anthony to remove him, Anthony stabbed the teenager in the heart with a 5-inch knife.
Lawyers representing Anthony pursued a self-defense strategy that jurors ultimately found wanting after numerous eyewitnesses, including a witness called by Anthony’s own defense team, asserted that Anthony, not Metcalf, had provoked the incident.
On Tuesday, Anthony received his 35-year sentence. He will be eligible for parole after 17.5 years.