‘Lucky you got 35 years’: Austin Metcalf’s mom tells Karmelo Anthony

After Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, the victim’s parents delivered emotional impact statements in court.

WFAA-TV reports Austin’s mother, Meghan Metcalf, addressed Anthony directly, saying he should consider himself “lucky you got 35 years, because I’ve been given a life sentence without my son.”

She said her family would “never know what our future could have been” and said the loss of her son left their home “quiet.”

“For journalists, activists, this is a story. For our family, this is our reality,” she said, adding she still hopes to wake up and discover the tragedy was only a “nightmare.”

Meghan Metcalf said she now speaks to her son only at his gravesite and stressed “he didn’t just die — he was taken from us.”
Emotions run high after Karmelo Anthony found guilty of murder 
Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, also spoke directly to Anthony, telling him, “We were robbed” and insisting the case “was never about race” but about “right and wrong.”

He defended his sons against accusations of bullying and said the family has faced harassment since Austin’s death.

“My son’s death destroyed the person I used to be,” Jeff Metcalf said. “People think grief is sadness; it is not. It is rage. Pure, unfiltered rage.”

Though he said he forgave Anthony on the day of the incident, he made clear that he does not forgive his actions.

What happened between Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf?

Anthony, now 19, was charged in the 2025 death of Metcalf at a track meet outside of Dallas. The case has drawn national attention and featured emotional testimony from more than 20 prosecution witnesses who were in court last week.

The jury only had to consider the single charge of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors told the jury during closing arguments deadly force has to be “immediately necessary” to be legal. Anthony’s attorneys argued he acted in self-defense and reacted in fear during a “split second” moment after Metcalf made physical contact.
Why the Karmelo Anthony trial sparks broader debate over race and fairness 
According to police reports, Metcalf told Anthony he needed to move out from under their team’s tent at the track meet.

Anthony allegedly then grabbed his bag, reached inside and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”

A police report states Metcalf grabbed Anthony to tell him to move. Anthony then allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before running.

Advocate claims key video not shown to jury

An advocate for Anthony said during a press conference Wednesday a key piece of evidence was omitted from court proceedings.

“At no point in that video do you see Hunter (Metcalf) holding his brother, at no point in that video do you ever see those boys going back to the tent and sitting down, that was a lie,” the woman alleged.

“I also have questions, I don’t know how the defense did not play that video, because when you see that video it was self-defense,” she claimed.

SOURE https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/austin-metcalfs-mom-statement-karmelo-anthony/

Austin Metcalf’s Dad Goes Ballistic on Karmelo Anthony After Conviction

FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth Composite

Austin Metcalf‘s father tore into convicted killer Karmelo Anthony … making it clear he was full of equal parts rage and sadness over his teenage son’s murder.

Yelling while slamming his fist into the podium during the victim impact statements … Jeff Metcalf said a part of him was killed when his 17-year-old son was stabbed to death by Anthony — and he demanded the 19-year-old look him in the eye, according to WFAA

Frisco Memorial Football

Metcalf reportedly shouted … “We were robbed! Don’t look down! You can’t look me in the eyes, but you can stab my f—ing son! You don’t belong in this community!” Jeff also said the case was not about race, despite narratives … it was about right and wrong.

Collin County Jail

According to the outlet — Meghan Metcalf, Austin’s mother, also addressed Anthony … telling him he was lucky he only got 35 years behind bars … because the family has a life sentence of Austin never coming back.

A Texas jury found Anthony guilty of murder following four days of testimony, in which Karmelo’s attorney failed to convince jurors his client acted in self-defense.

Anthony will be transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, where he will serve out his sentence.

Karmelo Anthony’s GiveSendGo fund shutdown after receiving more than $630K, including thousands after his sentencing

(Photo credit: Help Karmelo Official Fund)

The 19-year-old’s GiveSendGo account became a topic of interest leading up to his trial; website founderJacob Wells said that no money hae been withdrawn.

The ongoing fallout from Karmelo Anthony receiving a 35-year sentence after being convicted for the murder of Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Texas last April has added a new wrinkle: community support.

Anthony’s GiveSendGo account saw a massive number of donations since it was established last year in the aftermath of his arrest and indictment. Donations reached nearly $630,000 at the time of Tuesday’s verdict, in which a Collin County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Metcalf. Following the verdict and subsequent sentencing, the fund saw an overnight increase of more than $4,000 and continued to grow until the company behind the fund closed it.

“Our hearts are with Austin’s family, his twin brother and everyone grieving a loss that no verdict can undo,” the statement began. “This fundraiser was created to support pre-trial needs, and those funds were disbursed over the past year for lawful purposes, including legal defense and family relocation. With that stated purpose now complete, the fundraiser has been closed. Our policy is that a fundraiser’s stated purpose stays accurate, so givers always know what they are supporting.”

Initially held on a $1 million bond following his arrest for the April 2025 killing, Anthony’s parents helped raise the money for him through community donations. The teen was released on a $250,000 bond after it was lowered, and he was remanded to house arrest ahead of trial.

While online speculation suggested that some of the funds had been used to help Anthony secure the bond, GiveSendGo founder Jacob Wells told TMZ that no money had been taken out of the account. At the time of it swelling beyond six figures, Kayla Hayes, Anthony’s mother, stated the family did not use the money to purchase a house.

“There are scenarios where people die where the outcome isn’t guilt,” Wells told TMZ. “Just because Karmelo has admitted to killing someone doesn’t mean that he’s a murderer. It means that he killed somebody. He, like everyone in the United States, deserves the same presumption of innocence that everyone else does. That same due process that has existed for everyone.”

Anthony was convicted and sentenced on Tuesday after less than eight hours of combined deliberation between his initial trial and sentencing. During the sentencing phase of his trial, Hayes asked jurors for “mercy” for her son.

She was the defense’s lone witness.

Following the verdict, celebs weighed in on Anthony’s trial and verdict with Cardi B slamming the 35-year sentence as “disgusting.”

“This is not justice,” she tweeted Tuesday night. “This is trying to make an example!!”

The 19-year-old is currently being held at the Collin County Jail in a more secure area of the facility, according to TMZ, separate from other inmates.

SOURE: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/austin-metcalfs-dad-goes-ballistic-144032226.html