On Tuesday, a jury in Collin County, Texas, convicted Karmelo Anthony of murder for his April 2, 2025, stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. Hours later, that same jury sentenced the now 19 year old to 35 years in prison.
The jury rejected the defense’s argument that Anthony acted with “sudden passion” and, therefore, should have a reduced sentence between two and 20 years. Because Anthony committed the crime as a minor, however, he will be eligible for parole in 17-and-a-half years after he serves half of his sentence.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis praised the outcome, telling reporters outside the courthouse that “justice was served.” But not everyone is in agreement. Protesters and people associated with the Anthony family have racialized this case from day one and continued to do so in the wake of the verdict.
Among them? Lame-duck Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), who made stunning – and inaccurate – claims about the case on her podcast.
Crockett’s Crazy Claims
On Tuesday’s episode of Clock It with Crockett, the outgoing congresswoman, who is also a lawyer, made a series of increasingly outlandish assertions about Metcalf’s murder and the trial. She began by attempting to downplay the size of the knife Anthony plunged into his victim’s chest.
“Was it a switch? I don’t know what he had,” Crockett claimed, as one of her guests described it as a “multi-tool” akin to a Swiss army knife.
“Yeah, like with the little scissors and everything and whatever. So, it was small,” she alleged. “Well, I would argued the size of it alone you wouldn’t even think it’s a deadly weapon.”
On Wednesday’s edition of The Megyn Kelly Show, defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh did not mince words when discussing the inanity of Crockett’s claim. “She’s an idiot. That was a ridiculous statement to be made on so many fronts,” he said. “It did the trick, Congressman Crockett, so you know it’s a deadly weapon, okay? That was insane.”
But it only got worse from there. Next, Crockett presented her own factually devoid version of what happened during the confrontation that preceded the stabbing.
“If a 300-pound man is beating me, like on top of me and beating me down, I’m not limited to fists,” Crockett said, seemingly suggesting that she too would have stabbed Metcalf. “I would argue that even the only time we go into things like people’s hands being considered deadly weapons is typically like if they’re a professional boxer or that kind of stuff, but I think by the time you start getting to like football player, good argument. Good freaking argument.”
“We’re not talking about like the golfers, we’re talking about football players, right,” she continued. “Like, this is what they are trained to do, is to inflict like serious physical contact, and it’s my understanding that the decedent [was a football player].”
Metcalf did play football, but he was a far cry from the 300 pounds Crockett claimed. She also completely misrepresented what is known about the confrontation. “Assumes facts not in evidence,” Eiglarsh scolded. “I mean, [Metcalf] pushed [Anthony]. That’s it… Anyone watching her would erroneously think this 300-pound person is pounding him, which would change the facts. That is what she is erroneously suggesting. That is dangerous, what she is doing.”
And then there was the blatant cries of racism. “Black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day – a fear and agony that, I promise you, the Metcalfs probably never spend a day living that way,” Crockett declared. “We’re gonna have to have just a real conversation about race in this country.”
Racialized Rage Bait
Megyn said there is only one way to interpret Crockett’s claims. “To create a race riot, would you talk differently than that,” she asked. “She is not confused. She is just going with the race thing and pandering. Her career [in Congress] is over… She is bitter. She has decided to lean into this persona and, apparently, it includes pandering to this panel of other black women and one guy about how it’s all Austin Metcalf’s fault because of his hands.”
Former litigator Viva Frei believes two things can be true. “It is political and legal retardation. There is no other way to explain this. I’m convinced she is actually just stupid, but she is maliciously motivated,” he said. “And the only grip that they can get out of this – other than demonizing and dehumanizing the victim – is to stir up a base that they know is stupid and that they know is ready for action and willing to gobble down their lies because it makes them feel good and it gives them something to feel good about themselves about.”
Investigative journalist Sarah Fields, who was in the courtroom for the duration of the trial, agreed. “To them, Austin is not a victim, they are the victim. They have all painted themselves as a victim,” she explained. “It is professional victimhood, and, without their professional victimhood, they would have nothing.”
In Megyn’s view, the motivation is clear. “It’s a group of race hustlers who are trying to create a race war. Meanwhile, the victims, who happen to be white, haven’t done any of that… It’s the perpetrators, associates, and supporters who are trying to create a race war here, even though this was a black on white crime,” she noted. “It’s totally outrageous.”
“All I have to say is, enjoy prison. That’s where you belong. You are so lucky you got a 35 year sentence. I would have sentenced you to 99 years, which was an option for this jury, and I wouldn’t have felt bad about it for two seconds. Good riddance.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Eiglarsh, Frei, and Fields by tuning in to episode 1,336 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.