Defense rests in Karmelo Anthony murder trial in fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at Frisco ISD track meet

The defense has rested its case in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial. 

Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning after testimony ends without the defendant, who claims he stabbed Austin Metcalf in self-defense at a Frisco Independent School District track meet last year, taking the stand. 

Defense rests without Anthony taking the stand

The defense presented only three witnesses before resting on Monday. There was a lengthy break stretching from late morning to mid-afternoon, where many wondered whether Anthony would testify. 

In the end, he and his attorneys chose not to have him speak directly to a jury that will begin deciding his fate on Tuesday. 

Four days of testimony in the murder trial ended with two high school track athletes testifying about what they saw on the day Austin Metcalf was stabbed to death in a Frisco stadium. 

They both backed up defense claims that Anthony's decision to enter the Memorial High School tent was normal. 

DEFENSE: How is the culture around a track meet different than a football game?

WITNESS: They're really social, so everybody would know each other, see each other, say hi…really social.

DEFENSE: Is that only on the field, only in the bleachers? How would you describe it?

WITNESS: It's all over the place.

Video evidence challenges witness accounts

One of them told police they saw a punch, which contradicts more than a dozen prosecution witnesses. 

DEFENSE: Did anything happen that you took particular notice of in the stands?

WITNESS: Everybody was standing up and I saw somebody get pushed or get punched, I don't know which.

But under cross-examination, prosecutors show the jury a video that captured the witness on the field stretching and not even looking in the stands until after the stabbing. 

PROSECUTION: A lot of what you said, you're kind of guessing?

WITNESS: Yes, sir.

PROSECUTION: Do you remember seeing the video i showed you?

WITNESS: Yes, sir.

PROSECUTION: It showed that you didn't see what you thought you saw?

WITNESS: Yes, sir.

The other witness:

DEFENSE: Do you remember telling the detective My teammate might be in trouble and maybe I needed to go help him'?

WITNESS: Yes, sir, I thought there could be something wrong. I wanted my teammates to see it too.

DEFENSE: What did you see when you first noticed something was wrong?

WITNESS: I saw the arms go out. I see arms and make contact with Karmelo.

But that witness also recanted when prosecutors showed him the video of what happened. 

PROSECUTION: And when you saw the video, your eyes were opened to what actually happened, is that right?

WITNESS: Yes

PROSEUCTION: My impression, when we first met, you thought when you saw people surrounding Karmelo Anthony. It was before the stabbing?

WITNESS: Yes, sir.

PROSEUCTION: That was actually after the stabbing?

WITNESS: I couldn't really tell.

Closing arguments set for Tuesday

It's anybody's guess how the jury will react to this testimony and the state's case. 

The jury is not allowed to hold it against Anthony that he chose not to testify. 

With closing arguments beginning at 9 a.m., it's likely the jury will start deliberating sometime around noon.  

We don't know at this point whether or not the jury can consider other charges than murder, which carries a sentence of 5 to 99 years in prison.