# White teen fatally stabbed by black teen at track meet; racists come out of the woodwork **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 3, 2025, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593 "2025-04-03T23:37:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/261 "2026-06-10T13:29:52Z")
I agree we would typically expect lesser included charges to be on the table for jury consideration. OTOH, just like Texas’s “standard murder, a first degree felony” is _not_ the same thing as “first degree murder” in most of the rest of the USA, there may also be laws or standard practices in Texas which treat included offenses differently than we all expect from experiences in our own states. My assumption is it is in fact bias. But that bias may be built into a system that tries to ensure maximum punishments by prohibiting the jury from “splitting the baby” by convicting only a lesser offense whose penalties comport better with the juries’ ideas of an appropriate sentence. Texas: Keeping the Dark Ages alive since … well … the Dark Ages. Or at least the 1600s. ---
**Author:** ![Calder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Calder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/262 "2026-06-10T15:26:46Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > 35 years That feels too long for what was essentially a crime of passion that is unlikely to be repeated. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/263 "2026-06-10T15:29:04Z")
It’s a sentence appropriate for first-degree murder. Which gets us back to the jury (possibly) not being allowed to consider manslaughter, the charge that seems to more accurately reflect what happened here. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/264 "2026-06-10T18:51:22Z")
If that is true and the jury really wanted manslaughter but didn’t have the option then they would have given a sentence of 5 years–not the 35 years they decided upon. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/265 "2026-06-10T21:00:39Z")
I read one analysis of the defense that said their choice not to put him on the stand likely weakened a self-defense claim but improved the chance of a manslaughter finding.–shrug– ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/266 "2026-06-10T23:16:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Jurors had the option of finding him guilty of manslaughter or murder if they didn’t find him not guilty. [Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years in fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at Frisco track meet – Houston Public Media](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2026/06/10/554105/karmelo-anthony-austin-metcalf-stabbing-track-meet-frisco/#:~:text=Jurors%20had%20the%20option%20of,%E2%80%9Cknowingly%E2%80%9D%20caused%20Metcalf's%20death). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/267 "2026-06-10T23:21:08Z")
I wasn’t in the courtroom, I have no idea how the jury made the decision they made, I haven’t seen video of the incident (which was apparently available for them to watch), but what info I do know suggests that this sentence looks terribly draconian to me. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/268 "2026-06-11T00:09:31Z")
The sentence was longer than I expected, but doesn’t seem unreasonable given the crime. What would be a more appropriate sentence? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/269 "2026-06-11T00:28:36Z")
For first-degree murder as an adult? Isn’t that almost always life imprisonment or death in Texas? I don’t know what his parole date is, but it’s not heavy by Texas standards. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/270 "2026-06-11T00:29:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > For first-degree murder as an adult? It’s not first degree murder, that doesn’t exist in Texas. And what he did seems like manslaughter to me. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/271 "2026-06-11T00:40:55Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > The sentence was longer than I expected, but doesn’t seem unreasonable given the crime. What would be a more appropriate sentence? The kid was 17 years old, not even an adult yet. Even if trying him as an adult was proper, sentencing him like a 25-year old seems excessive. Do you think he’d have been tried as an adult if he were a white kid? Would the sentence have been 35 years? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/272 "2026-06-11T00:45:53Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > The kid was 17 years old, not even an adult yet. Even if trying him as an adult was proper, sentencing him like a 25-year old seems excessive. When Anthony is finally released, he’s going to have a chance to build a life with the years he has left. Metcalf will still be dead. Thirty-five years is a bit higher than I expected, but it doesn’t seem excessive to me. > [@TroutMan](#): > > Do you think he’d have been tried as an adult if he were a white kid? Would the sentence have been 35 years? Yes, I think a white kid would have been tried as an adult. Would the sentence have been 35 years? I don’t know. Given Austin’s ineffective defense, I’m going to go with maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/273 "2026-06-11T01:00:20Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > When Anthony is finally released, he’s going to have a chance to build a life with the years he has left. Metcalf will still be dead. That’s bullshit eye-for-an-eye logic. If you’re trying to make it equivalent, just lynch him vigilante style. The sane response to this is that throwing Anthony in prison doesn’t bring Metcalf back to life. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/274 "2026-06-11T01:18:36Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > That’s bullshit eye-for-an-eye logic. If you’re trying to make it equivalent, just lynch him vigilante style. If I was trying to make it equivalent I’d be complaining Anthony didn’t get the death penalty. > [@Atamasama](#): > > The sane response to this is that throwing Anthony in prison doesn’t bring Metcalf back to life. I don’t believe you can have justice when the punishment is excessive nor when it’s too lenient. It’s sometimes difficult to figure out where than line is though. What do you think would have been an appropriate sentence for Athony? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/275 "2026-06-11T01:22:05Z")
Regarding being tried as an adult, that’s baked into the laws of Texas. It wasn’t because of his skin color. Anyone 17 and older is considered an adult in court in Texas. The jury could have taken his age into consideration when deciding the sentence. It doesn’t seem like they did. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/276 "2026-06-11T01:27:18Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Regarding being tried as an adult, that’s baked into the laws of Texas. It wasn’t because of his skin color. Ah, thank you. I guess I shouldn’t automatically attribute to racism that which can be attributed to Texas vengeance. I still think a white kid would get a shorter sentence. @Odesio, I’d think something more like 15 years would have been appropriate. But I didn’t sit on the trial, so take it for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/277 "2026-06-11T01:34:45Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > What do you think would have been an appropriate sentence for Athony? Hasn’t the poor kid already suffered enough? (It occurs to me that I should probably specify that this is sarcasm. Poe’s Law and all.) ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/278 "2026-06-11T01:47:15Z")
The murder statute includes this definition: > intends to cause serious bodily injury and commits an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual Seems spot on, no? Manslaughter is more like reckless indifference. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/279 "2026-06-11T03:39:48Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > What do you think would have been an appropriate sentence for Athony? What **TroutMan** said is what I was thinking as well. > [@TroutMan](#): > > @Odesio, I’d think something more like 15 years would have been appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593/280 "2026-06-11T04:05:55Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > What TroutMan said is what I was thinking as well. > > TroutMan: I figured he’d get 20 plus some change. I think 15 is a bit low, but it isn’t a sentence that would leave me outraged. I think 35 is a bit high, but it isn’t high enough to leave me outraged. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-teen-fatally-stabbed-by-black-teen-at-track-meet-racists-come-out-of-the-woodwork/1016593.md?page=15)