It took just three hours for a Texas jury to reach a verdict in the murder trial of 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony in a case that garnered national attention.
On Tuesday, Collin County jury found Anthony guilty of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of fellow high school student Austin Metcalf during a Frisco track meet in April 2025. Both students were 17 at the time of the incident. Anthony was sentenced 35 years in prison and will be eligible for parole after serving half of that time.
The case became racially charged after Anthony’s family and supporters tried to suggest his and Metcalf’s race – black and white, respectively – somehow played a role in the murder. That narrative has continued in the wake of the verdict and has led to threats and other troubling behavior against the Metcalf family.
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, to discuss how he is feeling in the wake of the trial, the behavior of the Anthony family and supporters, and what he wants people to know about his late son.
On the Verdict
Jeff was among the members of the Metcalf family who delivered emotional victim impact statements remembering Austin in the wake of Anthony’s sentencing, but Megyn asked him how he felt after hearing the guilty verdict.
“Realistically, I mean, there was a sense of relief, and it was going to be a sense of relief no matter what was said. I just needed to get through this timeframe of this process,” he shared. “It’s been a long time since my son was murdered and not being able to speak while my dead son’s being dragged through the mud, memes, pictures – let me make one thing clear – that has went on from both sides, and I don’t condone any of it.”
He condemned any and all attacks in the case. “I’ve seen the things that they’ve made about Karmelo, and it’s disgusting. It’s just as vile as the things that are done about my son and those people that are so far left or so far right that has the need to attack a dead child or a child that’s going to prison, or any child, it doesn’t sit well with me,” Jeff said. “[Anthony] is going to have to take the consequences for his actions, but we don’t need piling on. I mean, this has been a tragedy for both families.”
On Spreading Disinformation
The Anthony family has been on a media tour in the wake of the verdict and spreading disinformation about the trial and the facts of the case. That does not sit well with Jeff, who described it as a “constant state of denial.”
“Unfortunately, you know, the Anthonys still continue to deflect from the truth. The truth has been out there. The truth was exposed… All the lies have been debunked,” he said. “If they were at the trial during sentencing or during impact statement, they would have some more information, but they chose to abandon their child at that point and let him be there by himself. That alone, to me, says a lot about their parenting skills and who they are as people. That is a true reflection of their character.”
He reflected on how he would have handled such a situation. “I mean, it would be hard for me to accept that my son is a murderer, but the difference between me and them would be I would hold my son accountable. I would make him apologize, and I myself would reach out and apologize and ask, ‘Is there anything I can do? I am so sorry. This is terrible. My son made a mistake. He’s going to have to pay for it,'” Jeff said. “But the lack of remorse, the lack of humility, and all you want to do stand up there and give me some fake crocodile tears… to try to ask for sympathy or more money or whatever you need.”
“I can tell you what you need: God in your life. And if you already have it, trust Him and lean into His understanding, stop spreading lies, and just accept the truth,” he added.
Jeff ran through some of the false information, including about the diversity of the jury which had no black jurors. “The truth was presented in the court… There was no mistrial of justice,” he said. “There was no all white jury. There was many minorities. You can’t fill out your form stating your bias, if you expect to be picked as a juror. That just totally eliminates you. Everything about the thing was fair.”
On the Threats Against Him
On the topic of fairness, Jeff gave his thoughts on Anthony’s punishment. “The sentence he received was too light to begin with,” he said. “He’s lucky he got 35 because – as my ex-wife pointed out – me, her, [Austin’s twin brother] Hunter, and the rest of our family, we’ve all been served a life sentence.”
They have also been forced to live under threat. “My house has been swatted, my ex-wife’s have been swatted,” Jeff said.
When Megyn asked about the reported death threats, Jeff said they are a “daily occurrence of vile texts, actual phone calls that actually, you know, they want to talk to me.” He said he turns them “over to law enforcement” and “they’re going to handle it.”
On Lingering Questions
Jeff said he hasn’t been able to learn much about Anthony over the court ostensibly the last year and there was “not one time” the family tried to contact him to express remorse or anything of the sort.
“All I know is he was put on house arrest, and he got to enjoy his freedom as he gets to stay at home and play video games and eat pizza and have friends over, gets to go to the library, gets to go with his haircut. Still basically still gets to live until the trial,” he said. “I knew nothing. I don’t know where they live. They don’t communicate… ever since the press conference, when I came to try to bridge the gap and they had me removed.”
He admitted there is one particular thing he wished he could learn from Anthony. “My biggest question that really I’ll never get answered is: Why did you not get up on the stand and tell your story,” Jeff shared.
On Austin’s Legacy
Jeff also opened up about his late son. “Austin was special. He had the ability to be a leader, to show compassion, to encourage his teammates, to lift up and discover,” he explained. “I tried to make [Austin and Hunter] go to church so many times before, but they found it through God, through their friends. God works through them. So, I was fortunate that he found God.”
“I was very, very lucky to have him as a son,” Jeff concluded, “and there I could go on for days to tell you stories about Austin and Hunter and me.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Metcalf by tuning in to episode 1,338 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.