A Texas jury found African American juvenile offender Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder this Tuesday for stabbing 17-year-old white youth Austin Metcalf during a school track competition last year. The murder trial began last week, and the jury rejected the arguments presented by the defendant's attorneys that the attack was in self-defense.
According to the reconstruction of the event made by the prosecutors, the victim told Anthony that he was sitting in the wrong area. That was when Anthony challenged Metcalf, prompting the latter to grab him to move him. Immediately afterward, Anthony pulled out a knife, stabbed him in the chest once, and fled the scene.
Anthony's defense argued that the stabbing was a case of self-defense, as the defendant was supposedly protecting himself during the confrontation. Anthony, who is now 19 years old, was convicted of first-degree murder and faces a sentence of between 5 and 99 years in prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment.
A key witness sank the defense
Over the weekend, numerous witnesses who witnessed the event testified in court that the African American offender instigated the fight and stabbed Metcalf in an unprovoked attack. A total of 21 people were called to the stand by the prosecution, including students and former students who witnessed the brutal stabbing, who testified that Anthony was looking for a fight.
