The mother of a Frisco teenager accused of fatally stabbing another teenager at a track meet earlier this month spoke publicly for the first time Thursday, saying her family has been threatened and harassed in the days since her son’s arrest.
Frisco police arrested 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony on April 2 and charged him with murder in the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Police say Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf after an altercation in the stands at a Frisco ISD track meet. Metcalf, who had been stabbed in the chest, died in his twin brother’s arms at Kuykendall Stadium. Anthony was arrested after the incident and charged with murder. Police said he admitted to stabbing Metcalf but claimed self-defense.
Anthony was released from the Collin County Jail following a bond reduction hearing this week and awaits a grand jury’s decision on whether they’ll move forward with an indictment.
Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, spoke at a news conference Thursday, where she said her family has been subjected to threats, harassment, and lies following her son’s arrest and release on bond.
‘In the wake of this tragic incident, our family has been under attack. Whatever you think, what happened between Karmelo and the Metclaf boys, my three younger children, my husband and I, didn’t do anything to deserve to be threatened, harassed and lied about,” Hayes said. “We have endured death threats. My 13-year-old daughter is afraid to sleep in her own bedroom because she’s fearful of what may happen to her.”
NBC 5 News
NBC 5 News
Kala Hayes, foreground, the mother of murder suspect Karmelo Anthony, says her family has been threatened and harassed since his arrest.
Hayes said the amplification on social media of lies about her family has forced her husband to take a leave of absence from work so that he can stay home with his family. She said her son, meanwhile, deserves the same legal rights as anyone else accused of a crime.
“We believe in the laws of this state, but those laws must apply to all of us, not just some of us. To be clear, when I speak publicly about what happened under the tent on that rainy and awful day, there is an active investigation that everyone involved wants to be full and fair. We believe in the legal process and that is when the truth will come out,” Hayes said.
Hayes also addressed backlash around a fund set up for the family and said any claims that the money was used to purchase a new home, or anything else, were false and that they have not yet received any of the donations. It had been previously reported that the money would be used for relocation and legal fees.
The news conference was held at the Dallas offices of the Next Generation Action Network, a self-described social justice organization that offered the family a place to publicly address the “wave of falsehoods, misinformation and hateful attacks” they said had been directed their way.
Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, showed up for the press conference on Thursday but was escorted out of the building by Dallas police officers before it began.
Jeff Metcalf, right, talks with Dallas police at the NGAN offices in Dallas, Texas, Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Minister Dominique Alexander, founder of the NGAN, met with Anthony’s family earlier this week and said Metcalf was asked to leave the press conference because it was inappropriate for him to be there and because he was ensuring the safety of Anthony’s family.
“Next Generation Action Network, from the beginning, has respected the loss of life. No matter our opinion of it, we have kept our opinion close. We have not attacked, we have not shared the information that was shared with us about Austin Metcalf, because we respect the dignity of life and loss. And as a minister, I will not attack a grieving family even if I disagree with them,” Alexander said. “All I’m going to say, so it don’t be asked later, is that was disrespectful and just shows you all the character. He was not invited. He knows that it’s inappropriate to be near this family, but he did it. And so I say to people, actions speak louder than words.”
While speaking to the media, Hayes briefly addressed the Metcalf family.
“To the family that experienced the loss, my heart truly goes out to you,” Hayes said. “To those who have supported my family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
