{"id":2453127,"date":"2026-06-10T17:34:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T17:34:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2453127"},"modified":"2026-06-10T17:34:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T17:34:45","slug":"karmelo-anthony-trial-defense-attorney-says-slain-teen-austin-metcalf-used-deadly-force-ahead-of-stabbing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/karmelo-anthony-trial-defense-attorney-says-slain-teen-austin-metcalf-used-deadly-force-ahead-of-stabbing\/","title":{"rendered":"Karmelo Anthony Trial: Defense Attorney Says Slain Teen Austin Metcalf Used ‘Deadly Force’ Ahead of Stabbing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

UPDATE:<\/strong> Karmelo Anthony has now been found guilty of murder. <\/p>\n

Read on for our initial coverage of his defense team\u2019s controversial strategy.<\/p>\n

As we previously reported, Anthony was arrested for stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf<\/a> at a high school track meet in 2025.<\/p>\n

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The mug shot of accused murderer Karmelo Anthony. (Collin County)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Metcalf died of his injuries, and Anthony was charged with murder.<\/p>\n

Anthony\u2019s trial took a shocking turn Tuesday when the teenager\u2019s attorney appeared to place responsibility for the fatal confrontation on Austin Metcalf himself.<\/p>\n

Anthony, 19, has pleaded not guilty and maintains that he acted in self-defense.<\/p>\n

But during closing arguments, defense attorney Mike Howard delivered a claim that left many observers stunned.<\/p>\n

According to NBC News<\/a>, Howard argued that Metcalf \u201chad no legal right to use force\u201d to remove Anthony from a team tent belonging to another school. <\/p>\n

Howard contended that while Metcalf could ask Anthony to leave, he was not legally permitted to physically eject him.<\/p>\n

The attorney then doubled down on the defense\u2019s self-defense theory, arguing that Anthony had an \u201cabsolute right\u201d to protect himself as he believed he was being subjected to lethal force.<\/p>\n

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Not surprisingly, the argument did not appear to sit well with supporters of the Metcalf family who were present in the courtroom.<\/p>\n

One observer reportedly reacted with visible disbelief as Howard laid out the defense\u2019s version of events.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors, meanwhile, have painted a very different picture throughout the trial. <\/p>\n

They argue that Anthony escalated what should have been a minor dispute and responded with deadly force during a confrontation that never justified a fatal stabbing. Witness testimony presented during the trial has also challenged Anthony\u2019s claim that he was acting in self-defense.<\/p>\n

The case stems from a confrontation that took place in Frisco, Texas, where Metcalf allegedly asked Anthony to leave a team tent occupied by students from another school. The disagreement quickly escalated, ending with Metcalf suffering a fatal stab wound.<\/p>\n

Anthony faces a first-degree murder charge and could receive a life sentence if convicted. Jurors have also been instructed that they may consider a lesser manslaughter charge.<\/p>\n

With closing arguments now complete, the case is headed to the jury, which must decide whether Anthony acted in lawful self-defense or whether prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the killing was murder.<\/p>\n

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n