Jeff Metcalf, father of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, spoke out in an exclusive interview with ABC News on August 24, 2026, stating that “there’s no such thing” as justice following the conviction and 35-year prison sentence of his son’s killer, Karmelo Anthony. The remarks come directly on the heels of a Collin County courtroom proceeding where a retired judge denied Anthony’s bid for a new trial over the fatal April 2025 track meet stabbing in Frisco, Texas.
A Father’s Life Sentence and the Reality of Loss
When asked by ABC News whether he felt his family received justice, Jeff Metcalf rejected the premise entirely. “No. There’s no such thing. I got handed a life sentence,” Metcalf stated. He broadened that pain to include Austin’s mother, Meghan Metcalf, and his twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, emphasizing that the family no longer gets to see, talk to, or hug Austin.
The emotional toll of the tragedy extends across every family gathering and milestone. “There’s an empty seat at Christmas, Thanksgiving. Unwrapped packages. Graduations, missed. Birthdays. Being an aunt or an uncle. All taken away,” Metcalf shared during the interview.
Austin Metcalf’s Death and Legal Proceedings
The case stems from an altercation at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025, which ended in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison. During the trial in Collin County, prosecutors characterized the killing as unjustified and plain murder, while Anthony’s trial attorneys argued self-defense.
Because the jury reviewed body camera footage featuring Anthony’s own voice saying, “I did it,” Metcalf noted that the trial was “really never about guilt or innocence. It was about how long you’re going to do.”
Following the conviction, Anthony’s new legal team pursued a motion for a new trial. The defense argued that Anthony was coerced into waiving his right to testify due to a dispute over a previously undisclosed agreement between prosecutors and his trial attorneys concerning character evidence. They also claimed that courtroom restrictions imposed by Collin County Judge John Roach denied Anthony a fair trial. Roach was subsequently removed following a defense challenge to his impartiality, leading to the appointment of retired Kaufman County District Judge Michael Chitty, who ultimately denied the motion for a new trial.
Appellate Plans and Public Controversy
Following Judge Chitty’s ruling on Saturday, Anthony’s appellate attorney, Russell Wilson II, announced in a public statement that the legal team intends to continue the fight. They plan to take the case to the Fifth Court of Appeals and pursue every available legal remedy for their client.
Jeff Metcalf remains critical of public commentary surrounding the fairness of the trial, asserting that critics failed to think independently. “Sure, there are people in this world that will believe whatever they’re told,” Metcalf told ABC News.
Addressing the broader cultural conversation, Metcalf acknowledged that using racially charged language in the aftermath of the trial was not his finest moment, though he refused to apologize for it and placed blame on the “other side” for injecting race into a case involving a white victim and a Black defendant. Despite the profound grief, Metcalf expressed complex feelings regarding the perpetrator, noting that while Anthony must be held accountable, he still feels a measure of sympathy given that Anthony’s life is ruined and he can still see his own family.
