The father of slain high schooler Austin Metcalf decried those trying to “monetize the death,” including a co-host of “The View” on how she “wants to spew her public opinion.”
“… people believe that … they scream loud enough, they’re right.”
Following the conviction and sentencing of Karmelo Anthony for the April 2025 murder of Metcalf, Collin County District Judge John Roach transparently released trial exhibits that included crime scene photographs and remorseless bodycam footage.
While the likes of Sunny Hostin remained incredulous that self-defense was disregarded and held fast to the belief that race factored into the 35-year prison sentence, a platform to counter “misinformation” found the victim’s father, Jeff Metcalf, decrying the “moral decay of society.”
“People had their own opinions without even seeing the facts, and that’s the part I have trouble with,” Metcalf told Fox News host Will Cain during an appearance on “The Will Cain Show” Monday. “Unfortunately, in today’s moral decay of society that we’ve witnessed, people believe that if they have their own voice, they scream loud enough, they’re right.”
JEFF METCALF: “THEY’RE MONETIZING THE DEATH OF MY SON”
Jeff Metcalf joins @willcain to speak out after the conviction of Karmelo Anthony for the murder of his son, Austin.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
pic.twitter.com/a3MmVGcmPJ
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) June 22, 2026
While he spared Metcalf from having to suffer through a clip of Hostin and the rest of ABC’s daily coffee klatch, her opinion was raised at the onset of the discussion.
In a matter of seconds, the co-host managed to accrue a series of community notes pertaining to the case while she errantly claimed Anthony to be smaller than he actually is, at the same time lamenting the lack of black jurors. Arguing that would be a factor in a likely appeal from the convicted murderer, Hostin was adamant that self-defense should have been at play.
KARMELO ANTHONY SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS IN FATAL STABBING: ‘The View’ co-hosts react to newly released footage of the moments after high schooler Karmelo Anthony fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf at a Texas track meet in April 2025. pic.twitter.com/VlXf234FaP
— The View (@TheView) June 22, 2026
“They don’t know me. They don’t know Hunter, Austin. They don’t know Karmelo. They’re looking for their 15 minutes of fame or their clickbait,” Metcalf told Cain generally regarding those speaking out. “They’re looking to monetize the death of my son. I really wish they wouldn’t speak about it at all.”
On Hostin, he said she “has no idea about the facts of the case, but she wants to spew her public opinion on a platform that reaches millions of people every day.”
“She is completely wrong, and if they want to take me in, call me, ask me to be on ‘The View’ with them, I would gladly. Fly me up there and let me talk to all of you,” he went on.
In addition to addressing how proud he is of Austin’s twin brother, Hunter, and the statement he delivered during the trial, along with praising the community for rallying around his family, Metcalf recounted how he had attempted to “kind of close the gap” with Anthony’s family, only to be kicked out of their press conference when he’d shown up to pray with them.
“I was hoping for some accountability, maybe and some remorse,” he said, “and neither one was shown.”
“I don’t care what color you are, I want to judge you by how you treat people, what’s your character like,” said Metcalf, where it concerned those insisting race impacted the trial. “Your color makes no difference. It doesn’t determine your IQ. It doesn’t determine your faith. It doesn’t determine how much money you have. But your character shows who you are truly, and that’s how I judge people.”
