A judge reduced the bond for Karmelo Anthony — who is charged with murder after the fatal stabbing of fellow teen Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas — from $1 million to $250,000, and has placed him on house arrest.
On Monday morning, Anthony was in court for a bond reduction hearing, where his attorneys asked the judge to reduce his bond to $150,000, according to a report by KDFW FOX 4 News.
BREAKING: Judge reduces the bond of Karmelo Anthony, charged with the fatal stabbing of Texas teen Austin Metcalf, by 75% and places him under house arrest with an ankle monitor. pic.twitter.com/GOmtKWtiK7
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 14, 2025
“Given that this young man has not been in any sort of trouble before, $1 million is not necessary,” defense attorney Mike Howard said, claiming the 17-year-old suspect’s family needs to pay for “security details” in addition to his defense in order “to be able to survive.”
“There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure,” Howard said. “I think at this point, living in a gated community, given everything, the safety of their younger children is very warranted. Security details and criminal defense are not cheap.”
The defense attorney then suggested putting an ankle monitor on the murder suspect and placing him on house arrest to “give this young man a chance to get out of jail and be with his family.”
Judge Angela Tucker of the 199th Judicial District Court ended up reducing Anthony’s bond to $250,000, allowing him to go on house arrest if his family posts bond.
The judge reportedly noted that cases are assigned at random and that she has only been tasked with the bond reduction hearing, adding that another judge — whose identity is not yet known — will be selected to preside over the actual trial.
Judge Tucker also claimed the court has never experienced security issues like the ones they have faced in connection to this case.
“I don’t take that lightly at all. I take those things very seriously,” the judge said. “There is no replacement for the loss of life or the loss of a child. I don’t want the family to think a bond amount is connected to the dignity of loss. You cannot make the person come back.”
During Monday’s hearing, the public learned that Anthony is the oldest of four, and his family moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2021. The suspect was also the captain of the football and track teams, and has worked at Foot Locker and H-E-B.
After the bond hearing, Anthony’s attorney told reporters outside the Collin County Courthouse that “every Texan deserves the right to defend themselves when they reasonably fear for their life,” and suggested the murder suspect acted in “self-defense.”
“There are two sides to every story,” the defense attorney added. “Karmelo is a 17-year-old kid and an excellent student. He is the captain of his track team and the captain of his football team. This is a tragedy all the way around for both families.”
Meanwhile, first assistant in the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, Bill Wirskye, said, “For reasons unknown, the defendant brought a knife to a track meet, for what probably could have been a fist fight at worst,” and insisted the suspect’s family could have posted a $1 million bond.
“I don’t know why we are here,” Wirskye declared, before asking why Anthony’s family hasn’t already bonded him out of jail, noting that they have more than $400,000.
As Breitbart News reported, a fundraiser established for the murder suspect surpassed $350,000 on Friday. At the time of this writing, Anthony’s fundraiser has raised more than $418,000, and now has a stated goal of $500,000.
As for the family of the slain teen, they held a memorial service and a private burial, and have asked those seeking to contribute to send their donations to a scholarship in honor of Austin Metcalf here, in lieu of flowers.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
