Jury members gasped in horror after being shown never-before-seen photos of Austin Metcalf’s heart as Karmelo Anthony’s trial continued.
Metcalf, 17, was stabbed once in the chest. The knife pierced through his bone in the center of his chest and punctured the right side of his heart, a medical examiner testified on Saturday.
Jurors were shown a photo of the ‘gapping’ two-inch stab wound that ‘completely went through the heart wall.’
Anthony looked at his lap while attorneys showed Metcalf’s autopsy photos.
A female juror was seen covering her mouth as they were shown a photo of the teen’s heart.
The medical examiner said Metcalf could not have survived the wound and has ruled his death a homicide.
Metcalf’s parents were present in court on Saturday, but only the jury was shown the autopsy photos.
The graphic pictures come after several teens testified that Metcalf repeatedly told Karmelo Anthony he wasn’t going to fight him before the deadly stabbing in April 2025.
A teenage witness told the court on Saturday that Anthony ‘tried to provoke us’ when they told him to leave the tent, saying the teen got ‘irritated’ before he allegedly stabbed Metcalf.
Witnesses have disputed Anthony’s claim that he stabbed Metcalf in self-defense, as many testified that the fatal attack was ‘murder.’
‘That’s lethal force against non-lethal,’ one witness told the court.
Another witness said seeing Metcalf covered in blood inside the tent scared other students, who fled in terror.
‘You don’t expect someone to get stabbed at a track meet,’ the witness said.
While in the tent, Anthony allegedly told the boys: ‘F**k y’all, I’m not going to leave. Y’all are a bunch of pussies.’
Metcalf allegedly replied: ‘I’m not going to fight you.’
The teens went back and forth at least five times before Anthony allegedly reached into his backpack and pulled out the knife, the teen witness testified.
Anthony claimed he pulled out the weapon after being ambushed by Metcalf and his brother, Hunter.
However, witnesses dispute this, saying there wasn’t a crowd near the now-19-year-old.
Anthony was asked to leave his opponent’s tent at least 15 times, but he refused to, witnesses said.
‘You probably shouldn’t be here, you need to leave our tent,’ another witness recalled Anthony being told, they testified earlier this week.
‘Touch me and find out,’ Anthony allegedly responded.
Metcalf allegedly lightly pushed Anthony right before he was stabbed, a witness said.
Afterward, Anthony bolted, leaving the knife behind. Metcalf bled out in his twin brother’s arms.
A witness, who knew both Anthony and Metcalf, testified on Saturday that several other athletes had stopped by the tent that day, but were turned away as their coach had an expectation that only the team would be there.
However, Anthony refused, telling the team: ‘You’re not going to move me. You’re a b**ch.’
Metcalf allegedly called his attacker a ‘b**ch.’
The teen said it wasn’t uncommon for Metcalf to enforce the rules, as he was ‘always leading, always protecting us,’ he testified.
The next thing he saw was Metcalf trying to move Anthony, then knifed the former fall back.
‘He just grabbed his chest and pulls his shirt up. He started screaming for help,’ the witness said through tears.
The teen testified that he did not think Anthony had a reason to stab the other athlete.
Anthony is on trial for first-degree murder.
A witness testified on Thursday that as far as he knows, Metcalf and Anthony did not know each other and had not competed before the day of the stabbing.
A previous version of events told by the defense claimed that Anthony stabbed Metcalf out of fear during the confrontation where Metcalf made the first physical contact.
Anthony was seen laughing with his legal team as trial proceedings ended for the day Friday.
The teenager, who remained largely stoic throughout the trial so far, chuckled alongside his lawyers and tossed a water bottle around as people started to leave the courtroom.
The two teenagers, both 17 at the time, became embroiled in a dispute over seating at the Memorial High School athletics meet. Prosecutors contend the stabbing was an unjustified ‘sneak attack,’ while the defense argues Anthony feared for his safety.
The trial, which is expected to last about two weeks, has drawn significant political scrutiny, with racially charged demonstrations calling for Anthony to ‘walk free.’
A panel of 12 jurors and six alternates was selected after roughly 600 prospective jurors were questioned during a selection process that began Monday. No black jurors were seated on the final jury.
