DALLAS — The murder trial of 18-year-old Karmelo Anthony is set to begin Monday in Collin County, after last year’s fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a Frisco ISD track meet.
Jury selection begins Monday, June 1, with opening statements tentative set to begin Thursday, June 4. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
WFAA will stream updates with analysis after the trial each day at 8 p.m. on our free streaming app WFAA+. Here’s how to download it for free.
Frisco track meet stabbing trial: Timeline of the case
The timeline of the case begins April 2, 2025.
Anthony, a former student at Frisco Centennial High School, is charged with murder in the April 2, 2025, killing of Metcalf, a student-athlete at Frisco Memorial High School.
Investigators say that morning, at a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium, a confrontation began under a team tent where athletes gathered during inclement weather. It ended when Metcalf was stabbed in the chest. Anthony was arrested and has claimed self-defense.
The case quickly drew intense national attention, fueled by social media debate centered on the races of the two young men, public protests, online threats and allegations of doxxing involving people connected to the proceedings.
Because Anthony was 17 at the time of the incident, Texas law allows him to be tried as an adult, and he faces a possible sentence ranging from five years to life in prison if convicted. Because the death did not meet the qualifications to be charged as a capital murder, and because of Anthony’s age, the death penalty was never an option in the case.
Trial rules
Security at the courthouse will be tight.
Judge John Roach has banned cameras, livestreams and audio recording inside the courtroom. He also designated a security perimeter around parts of the courthouse grounds barring the public — and potential demonstrators — from gathering in those areas. The judge has also issued a gag order limiting public comments about the case from attorneys, witnesses, investigators and others directly involved in the proceedings.
With public seating limited, developments in the case will come from live reporting from inside the courtroom. WFAA has a team covering the case. Collin County reporter Jobin Panicker will be inside the courtroom each day, alongside a courtroom sketch artist. Outside the courtroom, senior crime and justice reporter Rebecca Lopez will also be chronicling case developments. WFAA has also arranged for a legal expert to sit in on the proceedings each day to help provide context and analysis on the WFAA+ daily evening wrap-up, which will be hosted initially by Jason Wheeler and later by senior investigative reporter Tanya Eiserer.
June 1, 2026 – jury selection begins
9 a.m.
A large pool of potential Collin County jurors was set to show up to the courthouse this morning. They will undergo questioning by Judge Roach, the lawyers for Karmelo Anthony and prosecutors to determine whether they will be able to serve on the jury.
8:30 a.m.
WFAA has had a crew out at the Collin County since before dawn. Chris Sadeghi reports that people were lining up at 6 a.m. to try to get a seat inside the courtroom. By about 7 a.m., a few demonstrators were out along along the road leading to the courthouse with a sign that says “justice for Austin Metcalf.” He said security is visibly increased at the courthouse.
Jobin Panicker is making his way into the courthouse, and both he and Rebecca Lopez have seats inside the courtroom today. Stand by for updates all day long on the latest from inside – and outside – the courtroom.
