Rapper Cardi B ignited a firestorm on social media Tuesday night after denouncing the murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence handed down to Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teenager who fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet last year.
A Collin County jury deliberated for about three hours before reaching its unanimous verdict, finding Anthony guilty of murder. The verdict was read by Texas District Court Judge John Roach Jr. and could have carried a maximum of 99 years. Anthony was 17 at the time, but Texas law allowed him to be charged as an adult. He is now 19.
Frisco police were called to Kuykendall Stadium at about 10 a.m. on April 2, 2025, after Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest during a confrontation in the stadium stands. According to witnesses, an argument began when Metcalf, a Memorial High School junior, told Anthony, a Centennial High School student, to move from underneath Memorial’s pop-up tent during a downpour. Anthony admitted to the stabbing and claimed self-defense. Jurors rejected a “sudden passion” premise from the defense, which could have allowed for a reduced sentence of less than 20 years.
Following the verdict, Cardi B posted on X her reaction, writing: “Wow! Just freakin wow! DISGUSTING… This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!” The Grammy-winning rapper also shared posts supporting Anthony, including messages claiming he deserved better and criticizing what supporters viewed as efforts to damage his reputation. The post generated significant engagement on social media.
The backlash was swift. Tomi Lahren, a Fox News political commentator, fired back on X: “Yes, the example is, don’t stab somebody in the chest. Thanks for playing.” Zeek Arkham, a former New York Police Department officer and host of the “Reasonable Suspicion” podcast, also replied: “’Trying to make an example?’ Yes, Cardi…stabbing people is bad. We should make stabbing people as unattractive as possible. Might cause people to think before they stab someone.”
Following the verdict, Metcalf’s parents and his twin brother delivered emotional victim impact statements, addressing Anthony directly. During the sentencing phase, Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes, testified and asked the jury for mercy, saying her son was “very sorry” for what he did.
Following the sentencing, Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, held an emotional press conference outside the Collin County Courthouse, forcefully defending his late son’s memory against public backlash and revealing the family had been targeted by multiple “swatting” calls.
The conviction drew national attention well beyond the Dallas-area suburb where the two teens attended rival schools.
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