Southwest
Teen suspect free on bond after allegedly stabbing Texas track star Austin Metcalf to death
After a significant bond reduction Monday morning, the 17-year-old accused of stabbing Frisco, Texas track star Austin Metcalf to death has been released from jail.
Karmelo Anthony, 17, faces first-degree murder charges in Metcalf’s death. His bond was dropped from $1 million to $250,000 Monday morning, FOX Dallas Ft. Worth reported.
Anthony’s bond conditions include house arrest and an ankle monitor, and he will only be able to leave his home with the judge’s permission.
His newest criminal defense attorney, Mike Howard, hired Saturday, confirmed immediately after the hearing that Anthony would post bond, but said he was unsure exactly when that would happen.
“I anticipate that he will be able make bond,” Howard told reporters after the hearing. “I can’t speak to how quickly that will go. The funds that have been raised are not quick to come out and then there’s obviously a process to the release process once bond is posted.”
Anthony is accused of stabbing Metcalf, also 17, at a high school track meet. Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms.
Karmelo Anthony, 17, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. (FOX 4)
MOURNING MOTHER, TWIN BROTHER OF SLAIN TEXAS TEEN SPEAK OUT: ‘LOST MY BEST FRIEND IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE’
The Anthony family had crowdfunded almost $415,000 on the platform GiveSendGo as of Monday morning.
“Every Texan has the right to defend themselves when they reasonably fear for their life,” Howard said. “Self-defense is a protection that applies to each and every one of us. There are two sides to every story.”
“This is a tragedy all the way around for both families,” he added. “Rushing to judgment, trial by public perception, and trial by media is not how we ensure justice is done. We are confident that, after a full investigation, that the truth will come out.”
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said the case will be taken to a grand jury.
“The judge has made the call, and so what’s important is what’s next,” he said. “Frisco PD will be finishing up their investigation. They will submit the case to my office. We will review it and ultimately present it to a grand jury, and so that’s what’s next. That’s really much, pretty much all I can say right now. We do our, speaking as far as the facts go, in the courtroom.”
If convicted, Anthony cannot face the death penalty because he is a juvenile, thanks to a 2005 Supreme Court ruling in a case called Roper v. Simmons.
GRIEVING TEXAS FATHER SPEAKS OUT AFTER SON WAS STABBED TO DEATH AT HIGH SCHOOL TRACK MEET
Austin Metcalf, 17, was stabbed to death at a Texas track meet. (Jeff Metcalf)
“The Supreme Court has said not only can you not seek the death penalty against someone who committed a crime when they’re 17, you can’t even get them life without parole,” Willis said last week. “That would not be something we could do even if we wanted to.”
Metcalf was laid to rest Saturday.
“My son is gone, and he’ll never come home again,” Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, said Thursday on “America Reports.”
“Do not politicize this,” he added. “It’s not… this is a human being thing. This person made a bad choice and affected both his family and my family forever.”
“People ask me, how can you forgive this other person? I said I forgive the other person because the forgiveness is not for him. The forgiveness is for me so I can have peace,” he said.
“His life is destroyed. My life is destroyed.”
The altercation unfolded under a tent at a track meet in Frisco. The arrest report from the incident said Anthony “grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside it” and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”
Austin Metcalf, 17, was fatally stabbed at a track meet on Wednesday. (FOX DFW Chopper)
TEXAS TRACK MEET STABBING SUSPECT TOLD RESPONDING OFFICERS HE ‘DID IT’: DOCS
In the next moment, a witness told police that Anthony “reached into his bag and the male took a knife out of the bag and stabbed Austin.”
The witness told the officer that Anthony deserted the scene following the stabbing. Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms.
Anthony told the responding school resource officer, who cuffed him upon arrival at the scene, that he was protecting himself. The officer also noted blood on Anthony’s left middle finger.
One officer at the scene referred to Anthony as the alleged suspect, and Anthony made a “spontaneous statement,” according to the report: “I’m not alleged, I did it.”
File photo of Austin Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, who was stabbed in the chest allegedly by 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a student-athlete from Frisco Centennial High School. (Courtesy Jeff Metcalf)
Anthony also asked the officers if Metcalf was “going to be OK” and asked if what happened could be considered “self-defense,” the report said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Howard for comment.
Fox News’ Adam Sabes, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Brooke Taylor and Lindsey Reese contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman ambushed, violently attacked by robber in downtown Long Beach
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Los Angeles, Ca
Jury says it is deadlocked in trial of man accused in Palisades Fire
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
-
California3 minutes agoNewsom urges a national ‘billionaires’ tax’ while fighting one in California
-
Colorado10 minutes agoAvalanche Re-Signs Kulak | Colorado Avalanche
-
Connecticut13 minutes ago40 Years, Zero Accountability: The Union Deal That’s Been Emptying Connecticut’s Wallet
-
Delaware18 minutes agoMajor bills loom as Delaware lawmakers face final day of session
-
Florida25 minutes agoFlorida is bungling its food assistance money; it could hurt 3 million
-
Georgia28 minutes agoNew Georgia laws going into effect July 1, 2026 | What to know
-
Hawaii33 minutes agoHilo Pride parade and festival on Saturday – Hawaii Tribune-Herald
-
Illinois43 minutes agoIllinois Democrats face backlash after blaming Trump in Chicago cross-burning case | Fox News Video

