Kayla Hayes, the mother of Karmelo Anthony, made a heartfelt plea for leniency before a jury in Collin County, which subsequently sentenced her 19-year-old son to 35 years in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. This sentence was delivered on Tuesday, June 9, shortly after Anthony was convicted of murder for the fatal stabbing that occurred during a high school track meet in Frisco in April 2025.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, Hayes urged the jury to exhibit compassion towards her son, portraying him as a young man filled with remorse. “He is my oldest, my firstborn, and he will always be my baby,” she stated, as reported by Texas Public Radio. “I love him very much.”
When questioned about her belief regarding her son’s feelings of regret over the incident, Hayes responded: “Yes, I know my son. He is very sorry for what he did.”
Following this, she made a heartfelt plea to the panel during her testimony, “Please have mercy on my son.”
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Karmelo Anthony case: Here’s what went wrong
This case originates from an altercation that took place during a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco in April 2025. According to investigators, the conflict initiated beneath a team tent where athletes had sought refuge from adverse weather conditions and culminated in Metcalf being stabbed in the chest.
Following the incident, Anthony was apprehended and asserted that he had acted in self-defense. Throughout the trial, prosecutors maintained that Anthony had threatened Metcalf before deliberately taking his life, whereas defense attorneys argued that he was merely defending himself.
During the nearly weeklong trial, testimony revealed that Anthony was seated beneath the Memorial High School tent, which had been erected in the bleachers for athletes from various schools. Witnesses reported that Metcalf and others persistently instructed Anthony to vacate the area, resulting in a confrontation that escalated.
This case has garnered national attention and sparked discussions regarding race, particularly given that Anthony is Black and Metcalf is white. In the wake of the 35-year sentence, Angela Luckey, the president of the NAACP chapter in Grand Prairie, expressed concerns about the all-non-Black jury and advocated for enhanced oversight of student-athletes during school events, as reported by CBC.
