Karmelo Anthony is set to be incarcerated for decades after a jury sentenced him to 35 years for the murder of Austin Metcalf. The sentence, coming at the end of a controversial and divisive criminal case, has furthered divisions, with supporters of Anthony questioning the harshness of the sentence as well as the exclusion of Black jurors from the trial.
Jury rejects ‘sudden passion’ argument, gives 35-year sentence
A Texas jury on Tuesday sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison after finding him guilty of murder for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in 2025. The sentencing phase of the trial was short, with both the prosecution and defense foregoing opening statements. In all, only one witness testified during the sentencing hearing — Kala Hayes, Anthony’s mother.
Hayes pleaded with the jury on behalf of her 19-year-old son.
“He’s my oldest, he’s my firstborn,” Hayes said. “He will always be my baby. I love him very much.”
When asked by defense lawyers if Anthony regretted his actions, Hayes said, “Yes, he’s very sorry for what he did.”
In closing statements, prosecutors focused on Metcalf’s youth and the impact that his killing had on his family. Anthony’s lawyers, meanwhile, attempted to argue that the killing was the result of “sudden passion,” a legal concept that would apply if Anthony acted in a moment of panic or terror. The jury, which deliberated for 2½ hours, rejected this argument, which would have reduced the sentence range for Anthony to between 2 and 20 years.
As Blavity previously reported, Anthony was convicted earlier Tuesday in a case that divided the public over the issue of self-defense and took on racial overtones as well. Supporters of Anthony argued that Metcalf and his twin brother were the aggressors in the confrontation that resulted in Anthony taking a knife from his bag and stabbing Metcalf, while detractors and the prosecution claimed that Anthony provoked the confrontation and escalated it beyond what was allowed by using a knife against Metcalf. The fact that Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white also led many to view the case in racial terms, with Anthony and his family enduring threats and harassment.
Case remains divisive amid accusations of racial bias
The verdict and sentence imposed on Anthony have not ended the controversy or divisions surrounding the case.
“Only 35 years,” posted one pro-Trump account on social media. “If the victim was black and the perp white,” implying that Anthony received a lighter sentence because of race.
Others, meanwhile, condemned the sentence as overly harsh.
“Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING…” rap star Cardi B posted after the sentencing. “This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!”
Angela Luckey, president of the Grand Prairie chapter of the NAACP, called the case “tragic for both families.” She argued that “the school district and the athletic department of that school district owe some blame as well” for not better supervising the area where the confrontation between Anthony and Metcalf happened.
She also drew attention to the fact that there were “no Blacks on the jury,” an aspect of the case that has drawn controversy and criticism after prosecutors struck all Black members of the jury pool from the case over the objection of the defense. Luckey said there was a “double standard” for Black men when it came to issues of defending themselves.
Tuesday’s verdict and sentencing may not be the end of this case, as Anthony’s lawyers are likely to appeal. His legal team is expected to point to the exclusion of Black jurors as they challenge the results of the trial. Whether any such appeals succeed or not, public sentiment remains deeply divided as one teenager is dead and another faces decades in prison for his murder.