A Collin County courtroom turned emotional Monday as Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Austin Metcalf. Anthony appeared visibly shaken as Metcalf’s family delivered powerful victim impact statements describing their grief and loss.

In emotional victim impact statements delivered after Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years for killing Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet last year, the slain athlete’s mother spoke about how deeply she misses her son.

 

img-6355-1.jpg Pat Lopez

“Now my conversations with him are one-sided, sitting at his grave,” Meghan Metcalf said. “… I have to accept that instead of walking beside me, he’s walking above me.”

She described the daily reminders of loss.

“Going into an empty room, empty bed, and once again remembering Austin is dead,” she said.

His mother recalled that Austin was a “morning kid” and a “hugger,” adding that her son “always had a way of bringing people together. He was a peacemaker.”

She also spoke directly to the nature of his death.

“My son was murdered. He didn’t just die,” she said, noting that the hardest part is living with the loss every day.

She reflected on her love for her boys – Austin and his brother, Hunter.

“From the moment my boys were born, they were my world,” she said. “Now my house is quiet.”

Remembering Austin, she said, “Austin’s laughter would fill the room.” She added, “Seeing my twin (Hunter) lose the most important person in his life crushes his mother.”

Addressing Anthony, she said, “You should feel lucky, because I’ve been sentenced to a lifetime without my son.”

Dad speaks of loss, rage and resilience

Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, spoke through deep emotion as he described his son as “boy, twin, son, leader, true warrior.” He recalled early memories – Austin grabbing his finger as a baby, catching his first fish, and taking his first buck – and said, “Watching him grow up through the years went way too fast.”

He praised Austin’s athletic talent, telling him, “I truly believe you had a great career ahead of you,” and “Your intensity on the field showed the leader you were.”

Photos of Austin appeared on a large screen as his father explained that the family had created a scholarship in his memory “so people know what it’s like to be a leader.”

He said he was proud of Austin’s faith but devastated by the future that had been stolen from him.

“The saddest part is we don’t get to see you achieve all your goals… We were robbed,” he said.

Turning to Anthony, he told him not to look down and called him “despicable.”

He condemned public reactions, saying, “The public’s response sickens me… The moral decay is frightening.”

He insisted the case was “never about race” and pleaded, “Please don’t make it about race.”

He described the harassment his family endured, including repeated swatting, and said his son’s death “destroyed the person I used to be.” He added, “My son’s death didn’t just break my heart; it broke my nervous system… People will think grief is sadness; it’s not, it’s rage. Pure unfiltered rage.”

Looking directly at Anthony, he said, “You failed your parents, you failed yourself, and you failed society… You don’t belong in this community.”

He pounded the podium as he continued, “You can’t even look me in the eye right now, but you can stab my (expletive) son in the heart.”

He ended with, “RIP Austin Metcalf, love pops.”

Brother speaks to grief and forgiveness

Hunter Metcalf, Austin’s brother, delivered an emotional and direct statement, addressing Anthony face-to-face and asking him to look him in the eye. He spoke about his struggle over the past year to forgive, leaning on his faith as he tried to understand why his brother had to die.

He emphasized the depth of his loss – not just losing a brother, but his best friend and the future uncle to his children.

“You took a son, a brother, a friend, my best friend from this world,” he said. “… You took someone away from me who was supposed to be an uncle to my kids… Now I want everything taken from you.”

He expressed anger, grief, and a desire for Anthony to live every day with the weight of what happened. “You let the devil take over in that moment,” he said. “… Eventually your name will be forgotten, but my brother’s memory will live on.”

Hunter said his brother’s memory will endure long after Anthony’s name fades, and he closed by describing the values he and Austin shared: loyalty, respect, and kindness.

Aunt shares pain of permanent loss

Austin Metcalf’s aunt, Marlee Needham, described the day he died as a “day I’ll never forget.” She said she “never truly believed that Austin could be gone,” and recalled the heartbreaking moment she had to tell Austin’s grandmother. Needham called the impact of his loss “permanent.”

“There’s a void in our family that can never be filled,” she said.

Needham explained that the family has leaned on its faith, though it hasn’t eased the pain.

“We must trust in God’s plan even when we don’t understand it,” she said.

She shared that Austin often babysat her daughters and said, “I loved watching him compete and excel as an athlete.” She added, “We will never know what his future would have been.”

Becoming emotional, Needham noted that “Hunter must live every day without his brother.” She continued, “One question will always remain – why? The question may never be answered.”

In closing, Needham reminded the court, “This is not a story. This is our reality, and we will live with this loss forever.”