The teen suspect charged in the killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Texas track meet will not face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, according to Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis.
Willis explained that a 2005 Supreme Court ruling (Roper v. Simmons) prohibits juveniles from receiving such punishments. “The Supreme Court has said not only can you not seek the death penalty against someone who committed a crime when they’re 17, you can’t even get them life without parole,” Willis told WFAA. “That would not be something we could do even if we wanted to.”
Karmelo Anthony, 17, has been accused of stabbing Metcalf to death during a track meet on April 2 at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas. He faces first-degree murder charges and is being held in custody on a $1 million bail.
The tragedy has since garnered national attention, raising concerns among Anthony’s supporters about a fair trial if the case was tried in the county. Willis said that decision is up to the judge. “Ultimately, that’ll be a judge’s decision to make at the time of trial, but, yes, this happened in Collin County. I want Collin County citizens to be able to decide this,” the district attorney said.