Testimony in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony intensified on Saturday as witnesses challenged his claim of self-defense in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a 2025 Texas track meet.

Anthony, now 19, is accused of killing Metcalf after a confrontation at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains that he acted in self-defense.

However, multiple teen witnesses who took the stand described a very different sequence of events. According to courtroom reporting, several students testified that Anthony appeared to linger inside the rival team’s tent despite being asked to leave, and that tensions escalated before the stabbing occurred.

One witness, a 17-year-old student who knew Metcalf, told the court he did not believe the incident met the threshold for self-defense. He described the force used as disproportionate, stating, “That’s lethal force against non-lethal,” according to CBS reporting of the testimony. The witness also told jurors he did not see evidence of Anthony being surrounded or physically overwhelmed before the stabbing, challenging the defense’s narrative of an immediate threat.

Other students provided accounts of verbal exchanges in the moments before the incident. One witness recalled Anthony sitting within the tent and refusing repeated requests to leave. The situation allegedly escalated into verbal confrontation, with witnesses describing profanity and resistance, though accounts differed on whether Anthony was actively provoked or simply present in a restricted area.

Several witnesses also described the emotional aftermath of the stabbing, saying Metcalf collapsed and was visibly gravely injured as others attempted to assist him. Prosecutors have used these accounts to support their argument that the stabbing was intentional and not a proportionate response to any perceived threat.

The prosecution has further emphasized forensic evidence presented earlier in the trial, including medical testimony indicating Metcalf suffered a fatal chest wound. The medical examiner previously ruled the death a homicide.

Defense attorneys continue to argue that Anthony acted in self-defense after a confrontation escalated. They have suggested that the interaction at the tent was not unusual in the context of a large track meet, where students from multiple schools often interact. The defense has also pointed to inconsistencies between witness recollections as they attempt to challenge the prosecution’s version of events.

The emotional weight of the trial has been evident throughout proceedings, with multiple witnesses breaking down while describing the incident. Jurors have also been shown graphic evidence, which reportedly prompted visible reactions in the courtroom.

Anthony faces a potential sentence ranging from five years to life in prison if convicted. The trial is expected to continue with additional witness testimony as both sides work to establish whether the actions in question meet the legal definition of self-defense or unlawful use of deadly force.

As the case develops, the central dispute remains sharply divided: whether Anthony was responding to a genuine threat or whether he escalated a confrontation into a fatal act of violence.