Karmelo Anthony is spending his first days behind bars separated from other inmates after being convicted of murdering fellow teenager Austin Metcalf, a move jail officials say is part of maintaining safety inside the facility.
According to TMZ, the 19-year-old is currently being housed in a secure section of the Collin County Jail rather than the general inmate population following last week’s verdict in the closely watched Texas murder case.
A representative for the jail told TMZ that Anthony is being kept in “a more secure area of the jail, separated from other inmates.” Officials added that the facility is “taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of all inmates in the facility,” but declined to specify why Anthony is being held in isolation.
The housing decision comes just days after a Collin County jury found Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in 2025.
Prosecutors argued that Anthony entered a tent occupied by students from a rival school before an altercation with Metcalf escalated. Investigators said Anthony pulled a knife from his bag and stabbed the teen, who later died from his injuries.
Throughout the trial, Anthony’s defense team maintained that he acted in self-defense. Jurors ultimately rejected that argument and returned a guilty verdict.
Following the conviction, Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison and processed back into custody, where a new booking photo was taken before he was placed in the jail’s more secure housing unit.
While Anthony remains at the Collin County Jail for now, his stay there is expected to be temporary. Inmates sentenced to lengthy prison terms are typically transferred to facilities operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, where Anthony is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence.
The case has drawn national attention since the deadly confrontation occurred, with public debate continuing throughout the investigation and trial. Now, with the verdict delivered and sentencing complete, attention has shifted to what comes next for Anthony as he begins serving a decades-long prison term.
