In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the heartbreaking case of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a high school student whose life was tragically cut short during what should have been an ordinary day at a track meet.

In April 2025, a confrontation between two young men at a Frisco, Texas, athletic event ended in an act of violence that shocked a community and made headlines across the country. What began as a disagreement escalated in a matter of moments, leaving one family grieving the loss of a son, brother, friend, and teammate.

As a forensic death investigator, I walk through the known timeline of events, the investigation that followed, and the legal proceedings involving Karmelo Anthony. I also discuss the difficult realities surrounding youth violence, split-second decisions, and the devastating consequences that can follow.

But as with every case I cover, I want to keep the focus where it belongs.

On Austin.

On the life he lived, the people who loved him, and the future that was taken from him far too soon.

This episode is approached with compassion and respect for everyone affected by this tragedy. Beyond the headlines, this is the story of a young life lost and a community forever changed.

This episode contains discussion of violence, homicide, and the death of a minor. 

Listener discretion is advised.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

00:06

Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I’m your host, Julie Mattson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine-tingling, unusual, and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner. 

00:24

Do I have some stories for you? Are you ready? Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Pushing Up Lilies. I just want to say how much fun I had at CrimeCon this past weekend in Vegas. Caesar’s Palace is huge. 

00:44

I had been there before, but I guess I never really truly walked around. It’s humongous. The area where they had the convention was kind of spread out and there wasn’t a lot of signage. I think the only complaint that we had was that there was no opportunity to get like a soda or a cup of coffee without walking way over from where we were all the way back into Caesar’s Palace. 

01:14

And so, it’s kind of difficult to get around. Next year is going to be in Orlando in September. So, we’re already super excited about that. But I’m not going to lie. I think I’m going to drive because shipping for all my merch was ridiculous crazy. 

01:30

And then I had to pay over $1,000 to have it stored before CrimeCon started. And then, of course, you have to pay for them to bring it to you. And then you have to ship back what you didn’t sell. And so, when you add all that up, you’re looking at thousands of dollars. 

01:49

I know we’ve talked about this before. Podcasting really doesn’t pay. When you don’t have sponsors like a lot of us do or do not, then it’s a pretty big expense considering the fact that you’ve already taken off work to be there. 

02:04

So, it had its challenges, but overall, it was amazing. We met so many nice people and I was able to pick the brain of a lot of people that have been podcasting a lot longer than me. It’s always educational and it’s such a great community because everyone really tries to help each other. 

02:25

It’s not like a dog eat dog where, you know, I want to get big before you do. It’s a community of people. And I love that. We all come from different angles. We all have different experiences. We all tell stories a little bit different. 

02:42

And it’s okay. There’s room for everybody. A lot of true crime lovers. I was super humbled by the number of people that came by my booth wanting my autograph and wanting my picture with them. I have a sweet little lady from California who actually said that she crochets while she’s listening to my podcast and she crocheted me a magnifying glass and it was so sweet. 

03:09

It had like a little hook on it where I could like hang it on my Christmas tree. I think I’m going to do a little true crime Christmas tree in my office this year just because I think it’s neat. I thought that was amazing. 

03:20

And so, I just… I love meeting people. I had a lot of people come by and say, you’re my favorite. You’re my favorite true crime podcast. I listen to you every week. And that just makes me feel so good. 

03:31

Like I said, we’re all like just so humbled by this. We definitely didn’t do this to become well known or anything like that. I just like to educate. And then it helps me vent because again, like I told a lot of people, when I would come home from work after a rough day, my kids didn’t want to hear how my day went and what I did. 

03:53

And my husband didn’t either. It’s a lot of trauma that you carry with you when you work in this field. You know, police officers, firefighters, EMS, people that work at the funeral home, last responders, first responders, the medical examiner’s office. 

04:09

So, it’s heavy and it’s a lot of weight. And you don’t always get to decompress. And it’s really hard after you’ve had a rough day to go home and just like go to bed. And sometimes you just need to vent and talk about it. 

04:25

Anyway, absolutely loved our time at CrimeCon. Hoping to go to Crime Cruise in November. We’re going to have to see how school works out for me and how I’m going to make that happen because I will be in the middle of a semester. 

04:40

But hopefully I can get some of my clinical done early in the month and I can spare that week so that I can get away like I was able to this past week. This week, I want to talk about a local case and Frisco, Texas, not far from where I live. 

04:56

And again, we talked about Athena Strand and Paradise, where they lived is not far from me either. I know that some of these stories have gone nationwide. Not all of them. I don’t know if any of you have heard of this particular case, but this is a murder in North Texas. 

05:15

And we’re going to talk about the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet here in Frisco. And I know that a lot of you aren’t from Texas. Many of you are, but we take our sports very seriously in Texas. 

05:30

We’re super competitive. Football is a huge deal here. High school football is crazy big. But this case captured national attention, not just for its tragedy, but for a lot of the debates that it sparked about youth violence and self-defense and the power of social media. 

05:55

And we all know how powerful social media can be. With the trial of accused killer Karmelo Anthony, beginning jury selection started yesterday, June 1st. So, the story is as timely as ever. And we’re going to walk through the events of April 2nd, 2025, the lives cut short and impacted in the investigation, along with the legal battle and some of the broader questions that it actually raises. 

06:26

Now, a little quick note, this episode actually discusses some sensitive topics, including violence and the death of a minor. So, listener discretion is advised. If you’re struggling with grief or trauma, resources like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 are available. 

06:46

Frisco, Texas, right down the road from us, a booming suburb north of Dallas, very well known for its excellent schools, family-friendly vibe, and competitive athletics. On April 2nd, 2025, Kuykendall Stadium hosted a district track and field meet that involved multiple Frisco ISD high schools.

07:09

So, it was a typical spring day filled with teenage athletes and proud parents and coaches and just the energy of competition. Now, among the crowd was 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Austin was an 11th grader at Frisco Memorial High School, and he was described by those who knew him as a kind, athletic young man with a bright future. 

07:38

Now, Austin was there supporting his team or competing, a normal high school kid doing what kids do in North Texas. Also present was 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, and he was from Frisco Centennial High School. 

07:56

Now, what started as just another meet turned deadly at about 10 a.m. in the bleachers or the tent area. An altercation broke out between these two teens, and according to authorities, it escalated very quickly, ending with Anthony stabbing Metcalf once. 

08:18

Despite immediate medical efforts, which included CPR and blood administration by first responders, Austin was pronounced dead. We see how quickly, in a matter of seconds, a track meet became a crime scene. 

08:35

Karmelo Anthony was actually taken into custody at the scene, and he was charged with first-degree murder. And he has maintained since that time that it was self-defense. Austin Metcalf was remembered fondly by family, friends, and the community. 

08:55

He was a student athlete with dreams ahead, which is typical of many Frisco teens in a district that prides itself on both academics and sports. But his death sent shockwaves through the tight-knit suburban community. 

09:15

Vigils were held and the Frisco ISD obviously offered counseling. Parents questioned how violence like that could actually erupt so quickly at an event that was sanctioned by the school. Karmelo Anthony is 18 now. 

09:35

Of course, at the time he was 17, but again, he was a student at Centennial. And police say that he admitted to the stabbing, but he claimed self-defense. He alleged that an altercation occurred and that he felt threatened. 

09:55

He was indicted by a Collin County grand jury on first-degree murder charges in June of 2025. And there’s no death penalty on the table, to my knowledge. Because of this being two minors and where it happened and all the other things, this case very quickly went viral. 

10:20

Social media exploded with theories. There was a lot of misinformation and polarized takes, often centering on races of the teams involved, which unfortunately, when altercations happen, for some reason, sometimes race becomes part of the conversation. 

10:43

It should not, but it happens frequently. And I always hate that because it’s just, it’s not fair and it comes up a lot. Fundraising efforts, dueling narratives, and online sleuthing turned this local tragedy into a national talking point. 

11:06

And authorities and family urged people over and over online to kind of wait for the facts rather than divide themselves and feel like they had to choose a side. Now, in the days and months after this happened, both families grieved privately while the legal process, of course, continued to move forward. 

11:32

A lot of work going on behind the scenes with attorneys. Anthony pled not guilty, setting the stage for the trial proceedings. So, this wasn’t about two teens, really. It just highlighted how quickly conflicts can escalate among young people and the role of bystanders and kind of the ripple effect that can last a while on all these school communities that are actually in the same town. 

12:06

So, when this happened, Frisco police responded swiftly. And part of the evidence included witness statements. Of course, they had videos from the event. We’ve talked about how everything’s videoed these days. 

12:24

Physical evidence from the scene, and then Anthony’s own statements when he was questioned by the police. Prosecutors argue that it wasn’t really pure self-defense, leading to the murder charge. And the defense team is expected to emphasize Anthony’s perception of threat. 

12:46

So, their job is to defend him, and they’re going to emphasize the fact that he somehow felt threatened, and that was why he did what he did. There are a lot of key elements that are likely to come up in this trial. 

13:03

The sequence of the fight, what happened, who initiated it, what order did the events occur? Were there any prior interactions between these two boys? Details of the weapon. And of course, the medical examiner findings on the fatal wound. 

13:27

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis has called the case one that has shaken the community. June 1st, again yesterday, media coverage intensified and jury selection began in the 296th District Court under Judge John Roach. 

13:49

Now, that process, they say, can take days or weeks before opening statements, but I did hear today that they’re talking about starting opening statements on Thursday. So, day after tomorrow. But the jury process can take days or weeks. 

14:08

Trials like this often hinge on intent and reasonableness of force and credibility of the witnesses. We can expect expert testimony on forensics and possibly character evidence. But this case isn’t really just isolated to Texas. 

14:34

Like much of the U.S., we see occasional spikes in youth-related incidents at schools and events, public events like this. And Frisco’s rapid growth really brings opportunity, but it also brings a lot of challenges when it comes to managing large crowds of teens. 

14:58

And as we all know, social media has definitely amplified everything. I mean, even as a podcaster, I think… some of us were talking about it this weekend. No matter what you say or how you say it or how sensitive you try to be or how careful you try to word what you’re saying, there can always be somebody that’s going to make a comment and just make you feel terrible about the way you said it, which didn’t necessarily mean anything in particular,

15:31

but it’s kind of, I don’t know, I guess I look at it as a form of bullying, I guess, because I’m always like, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. But I know that even on just a typical Facebook post, when somebody’s trying to sell something, you know, for example, so-and-so thinks you’re asking too much. 

15:52

Well, instead of just like ignoring it, they’re not interested, it’s too expensive, or they don’t think that it’s worth what you’re asking. Instead of just bypassing it, they have to make a comment. Of course, as the person who posted the ad, it makes you angry and makes you want to lash out because you’re a little bit embarrassed that someone called you out, but you’re like, dude, you know, I don’t know. 

16:16

It’s a social media thing that I think everybody struggles with, but social media amplifies everything from crowdfunding, which a lot of that went on, and legal fees to accusations of bias. So, it raises questions about how platforms shape public perception before trials even start. 

16:42

Experts often warn that that misinformation can prejudice juries or it can definitely re-traumatize the families. We’ve seen that happen multiple times. And, you know, that jury members who didn’t even know they were going to be jury members, you know, have heard this story and have seen different Facebook posts and have visualized all these comments and all these things that are going on and things people are saying. 

17:12

But the Metcalf family seeks justice and closure. Now, Anthony faces serious consequences if he’s convicted. The sad part is that both of these young lives represent lost potential. So, one ended forever and the other is going to be altered forever. 

17:36

And so, the tragedy kind of reminds us that what seems like an ordinary day can actually turn tragic in an instant. And it kind of underscores the need for de-escalation skills. It underscores the need for vigilance at public events. 

17:59

And then also resisting the urge to rush to judgment online. You can imagine how painful this process must be for the family. And Austin’s memory lives on through those who loved him. Now, jury selection again began, can’t even remember what day of the week it is half the time, y’all. 

18:25

Today’s Tuesday. So, jury selection began on the first, which would have been Monday. Police, I mean, reportedly are saying that Anthony and Metcalf got into an argument over seating in the stands and Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest with a pocket knife. 

18:48

The defense is expected to rely heavily, again, on a self-defense argument. Their job is to defend Anthony and to try to prove that this was self-defense. Now, prosecutors, again, are going to have the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Anthony was not acting in self-defense. 

19:21

They’ve both got their jobs cut out for them. And the case, again, has been kind of racially charged. There’s been for months a lot of speculation and rumors, and it has played in the court of public opinion for sure. 

19:42

And that’s why the court officials have actually taken steps to keep the proceedings orderly. They’re not going to allow any cameras inside the courtroom and electronic devices are going to be limited. 

19:59

And the goal is to prevent the trial from becoming a courthouse spectacle and actually to minimize influence from the outside, which is kind of always the goal, I think, in court proceedings. Protesters on both sides of the case were set up outside the courthouse in McKinney yesterday morning. 

20:25

And this was before the jury selection process even started. I can only imagine it feels a little like, you know, the Hatfields and McCoy’s. It’s like two teens, the same age going to different schools, and it’s been crazy. 

20:48

Roughly 200 people were called in for the pool of potential jurors. I heard today it was 250. So somewhere between 200 and 250 people were called in as potential jurors in this case. They were each given a questionnaire to fill out, and they were told that they would be notified via text or email if they needed to return on Wednesday for further questioning. 

21:21

So, I’m thinking that since all this happened yesterday, they probably spent today going through all the questionnaires to try to figure out who they wanted to ask to come back tomorrow, which is Wednesday for further questioning. 

21:36

But the selection process is expected to last through tomorrow, which is Wednesday the 3rd. Again, testimony is supposed to begin with opening statements on Thursday the 4th. And again, the judge is expected to ban all cell phones in the courtroom once this testimony begins. 

22:01

I think they said that prosecutors have a list of about 35 witnesses to call on. So, they’re saying that the trial could last up to two weeks. It sounds to me with that many witnesses like it could last longer, but I’m not sure. 

22:20

I’m not sure how long this is going to last, but it is a very interesting case. Now, do prospective jurors feel that there’s ever right grounds on which lethal force can be used to defend yourself? That’s going to be one question that’s going to have to be answered. 

22:42

Now, the questionnaire that these potential jurors were given yesterday was not available to the public, but one of the professors of law at SMU, I heard, had told Fox For that the questionnaire likely included case-specific questions, possibly maybe about the claim of self-defense and how they felt about that. 

23:09

You can imagine, I know many of us sometimes wish that we get that jury summoned so we could go and actually take part in a case like this. I think that a lot of people who are chosen, wish that they had not been chosen. 

23:26

So, I mean, this is going to be an interesting case, and I’m going to watch to try to keep up with what’s taking place in the courtroom. Other questions could include, like, what type of news these potential jurors consume? 

23:43

Like, what do they normally watch? What have they seen about it on TV? Or do they have any preconceived judgments on this case specifically? And, you know, is there any reason that they could think of, personal, religious, ethical, or otherwise, that they might feel like they can’t fairly and impartially serve as a juror on this case. 

24:10

Maybe the questionnaire will come out. I don’t know. Maybe we will become privy to the questions that were asked, but they’ve got 200 to go through. So, I’m guessing that, again, that’s what took place today. 

24:26

And many people that are going to be questioned again will be returning to the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney again tomorrow for further questioning so that they can pick those 12 jurors and maybe start these opening statements on Thursday. 

24:43

It’s a very interesting case. You know, I can remember high school track meets. I used to love high school track meets. You know, we all got to get on the bus together and we brought our snacks and we had our Gatorade and our blankets. 

24:58

And, you know, we would sit out in the middle of the football field and stretch and get to visit with kids that we knew from other schools that we competed with in other sports. You know, we knew them from basketball. 

25:11

We knew them from football. My school was 1A. So, when we were little, when we, you know, quote unquote practiced for a track meet, we ran on dirt or mud if it was raining. I mean, we didn’t have a nice film to run on or to practice on. 

25:30

We were little. We were a very small school. Now, since they’ve grown a little bit and they have an actual track, but we didn’t back then. And so, it was a treat for us to go to a bigger school and actually run on a track that had like lanes. 

25:46

But I did a lot of the like sprint relay and mile relay and a lot of the team races, which I loved. And I didn’t feel like I ran very fast, but I loved being a part of the team. I was never on that like last leg, which is, you know… I think where we put the fastest person. 

26:06

That wasn’t me. But I loved track meets. I mean, I can still remember the smell of what was it? Like, was it Ben Gate? What was that stuff that we put all over ourselves to help like relax our muscles? 

26:22

And we would stretch. We all smelled like peppermint. And, you know, we’d be drinking our Gatorades. And I mean, it was just fun. And when the track meets were out of town, we all rode the bus together. 

26:34

And I don’t know, I just remember those as being fun times. So, I can’t imagine going to a track meet and somebody getting stabbed. And why was there a knife there anyway? And how did this escalate like it did? 

26:52

You know, we don’t know. And the details are going to come out. Was there any confrontation? Did Anthony feel threatened? A lot of that’s going to come out. And again, there’s been a lot of speculation online. 

27:06

And I mean, we’re going to talk about that because y’all know that I don’t really talk about speculation and what other people are saying. I feel like all that’s going to come out in the courtroom. It’s not my place to talk about all that because I don’t know what’s true and what’s not true. 

27:22

And so, I don’t even want to speculate what’s going to be said. But I am interested to find out the outcome. So, I will try to keep y’all posted on what happens during this trial this week. I’m going to try to do some short reels, trying to get my little YouTube area set up so I can start doing the YouTube videos and super excited though, because I talked to my friend Scott Reich, who does the Crime Talk podcast and very, 

27:54

very sweet man and so educated and intelligent. He does a podcast. Many of you have probably heard of him, but he does them Monday through Friday. So, every day, I don’t know when he sleeps. Sometimes I’m like, golly, how do people do it? 

28:09

Because he’s a very busy criminal defense attorney and a very busy practice. I picked his brain on equipment that he uses. And so, I ordered a camera and I ordered microphone tripods and microphones and lights and all the things that I need. 

28:28

So, I’m learning. And I know they say, if you’re going to YouTube or a podcast, don’t wait until everything’s perfect because it never will be. Just sit down and start talking. And there were some people that walked up to me this past week who’s like, I want to start a podcast. 

28:42

I’m like, you know what? Just do it. Just do like I did. Grab a microphone, plug it into your computer, log into StreamYard and just start talking because somebody will listen. Somebody’s going to feel the way you do and somebody’s going to listen. 

28:56

Yeah. So anyway, I hope everyone has an amazing week. I’m going to try to stay on top of this case. I’m going to keep my ear out for opening statements, hopefully on Thursday. So hopefully, they will finish picking this jury and be able to get everything started on Thursday and we can find out what’s going to happen with this because it’s been a minute since this happened. 

29:20

Have an amazing week. I look forward to talking to y’all soon. All, almost all anyway, of my merch that I had at CrimeCon. I know many of you asked me there. You didn’t want to have to pack the stuff and take a bunch of stuff home in your suitcase. 

29:36

Many of you asked if the items that I had at CrimeCom were going to be available online. They should be if they’re not already, but the serial killer cookbook went over like crazy. Everyone loved that. 

29:51

I don’t have that many left. I think I sold 50 or 60 at CrimeCon. So, we’ve got hoodies, we’ve got T-shirts, canvas bags, pens, stickers. And I want you to be sure and don’t forget that my limited edition comic book came out. 

30:09

I don’t have very many left, but if you order that, I’d be glad to sign it for you. That will also be available on my website, and we’ll ship those out right away because all those are in stock. So, if there’s something that you know you wanted or if you’ve been a listener and you couldn’t come to CrimeCon and you’d like to get some of this new merch, I would love to ship it out to you. 

30:34

Take a look online and see what we’ve got. I’ll be adding new things pretty frequently. And if you’re in my area, I’ll also be taking a lot of this stuff up to the Merc in Krum at the McCart Street Charm Mercantile, and it’ll be available there for you to purchase. 

30:52

Also, if you attended, and I feel so bad about this because I had some issues with T-Shirts, if you attended my true crime murder mystery dinner in October, go up to the Merc with your T-Shirt voucher and get one of my new black T-Shirts that just came out for CrimeCon. 

31:13

I’ve got small, medium, large, extra large, I think 2X and maybe even some 3X. So, if you were at that event and you have your t-shirt voucher, please take it up there or give me a call and I can meet you somewhere and get it to you. 

31:31

I feel terrible that I didn’t get them to you before now, but like I said, I had some issues with the T-Shirts that I ordered. So, I want to make sure that all of you get yours because we’re going to have it again this year and we don’t want you to miss out because you got a free T-Shirt coming. 

31:45

Anyway, love y’all so much. Thank you so much for listening. Have an amazing week and I appreciate you. Bye, y’all. Thank you so much for joining me today on Pushing Up Lilies. If you like this podcast and would like to share with others, please do me a quick favor and leave a review on Apple Podcast. 

32:05

This helps to make the podcast more visible to the public. Thanks again for spending your time with me and be sure to visit me at pushinguplilies.com for merchandise and past episodes.