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Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a track meet after the jury rejected a proposed  sudden passion  argument that could have significantly reduced his punishment.

The jury in Collin County, Texas deliberated for about three hours before finding Anthony, 19, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Metcalf earlier Monday afternoon. They then spent nearly another three hours deciding his lengthy sentence.

During the sentencing phase, the jury weighed the potential extenuating circumstances of  sudden passion  - crimes committed in the heat of the moment that, in Texas, spell lighter sentences.

13 Anthony was found guilty of murder on Tuesday. Frisco Police Department

13 Anthony was found guilty of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf. Meghan Prall Metcalf/Facebook

13 He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. AP

The jury wasn't swayed by Anthony's lawyers  sudden passion  claim and sentenced him to 35 years. He faced a maximum of 99 years or life.

The  sudden passion  extenuation would've downgraded his verdict from first-degree to second-degree murder and shrunk his steep punishment to a maximum of 20 years.

Anthony sat with his head on the table moments before the sentence was delivered and appeared to be sobbing, NBC DFW reported.

He stood when asked, but still kept his head angled down, NBC reported.

Metcalf's mother, Meghan, delivered a powerful statement calling her slain son their family's beloved peacemaker.

 There was a part of him you can never take from me, the strength I still get from him every day, because I know what it was like to be loved by him. My son was murdered. He didn't just die. He was taken from us. Just as he was starting to live,  Meghan said.

13 A person announcing the guilty verdict in front of a crowd of Anthony supporters at Collin County courthouse. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

13 A demonstrator holding a  Jusice 4 Austin  sign outside of the courtroom in McKinney, Texas on June 9, 2026. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

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