It was a fatal crime.
The teenager charged in the killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf will face trial as an adult in Texas.
Metcalf was fatally stabbed last month at a high school track event after reportedly telling Karmelo Anthony, also 17, that he was sitting in the wrong spot. Anthony has been charged with first-degree murder and, according to an arrest warrant, confessed to police, saying, “I did it.”
Since Texas allows for concurrent jurisdiction, prosecutors can try minors, usually aged 16 or 17, as adults for certain offenses, Capital B reports. The Collin County District Attorney’s Office, located north of Dallas, is handling the prosecution. While Anthony was charged with first-degree murder in April, a grand jury will review the evidence and decide whether to formally indict him on that charge or a lesser one, such as manslaughter.
If found guilty of first-degree murder, Anthony could face life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 40 years, but he is not eligible for the death penalty. “The Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty cannot be sought for crimes committed by 17-year-olds, nor can they be sentenced to life without parole,” Collin County DA Greg Willis told the New York Post.
Initially, Anthony’s bond was set at $1 million, but a Collin County judge reduced it to $250,000 and placed him under house arrest at his parents’ home, as reported by The Daily Wire. The case, which has drawn racial attention, made news again recently when it was revealed that Anthony was permitted to graduate from high school.
Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, expressed frustration over the decision to allow Anthony’s graduation and said he was met with resistance when seeking answers from Frisco Independent School District Superintendent Mike Waldrip. “I’ve been stonewalled,” Jeff said. “They told me I needed to make an appointment, which I did.”
According to CBS News, there was reportedly an agreement between the school district and Anthony’s family permitting his graduation. Jeff Metcalf questioned how the district justified this, especially given policies about mandatory expulsion and graduation. He noted that Anthony may have been placed in a program allowing him to complete his education at home while earning credits toward a diploma.
An online campaign has called for Austin Metcalf to receive an honorary diploma, but Jeff shared mixed feelings about this. “That would be a nice gesture since his name would be called before his brother’s,” he said. “But ultimately, it won’t bring my son back. It’s symbolic, but my son won’t have a diploma, so part of me wonders if Mr. Anthony should get one either.”
