READ IT: The Heartbreaking Text Austin Metcalf’s Father Sent During The Trial

Legal commentator Nancy Grace broke down in tears during her show this week while speaking to Jeff Metcalf, the father of slain teen Austin Metcalf, and reading a text she received from him last week.

Grace revealed that she was texting Metcalf during the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony and asked Metcalf what he was hoping for in terms of a prison sentence for Anthony. Metcalf responded with something unexpected — he said what he was hoping for was that his late son would walk through the door.

“You said, ‘The jury is deciding punishment as we speak,'” Grace said on “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,” recounting the pair’s text exchange. “I wrote back, ‘What is your hope?’ I was referring to, ‘What do you think would be a fair sentence?’ And what you wrote back … ‘That my son will walk through the door again.'”

In tears, Grace noted that she was with her twin children when she was texting Metcalf, making her even more emotional. Austin is a twin; his brother Hunter Metcalf held Austin in his arms after he was stabbed and fighting for his life.

“I will never forget it, because I was with my twins, as you know,” Grace said.

“It seems to me, this whole time, you have not been focused on [Anthony] going to prison for life, or him getting a death penalty,” the host continued. “It’s not been about that. You just want your son to come back through the door.”

“Yes, but I know the reality,” an emotional Metcalf responded. “And it’s a hard pill to swallow.”

WATCH:

Nancy Grace reveals the text message from #AustinMetcalf‘s father that she says she’ll never forget. His answer wasn’t about punishment. It was about the one thing he can never have back. Join us tonight on YouTube at 6PM ET: https://t.co/xe7H0FD9nC pic.twitter.com/jlsWFb5TYW

— Nancy Grace (@NancyGrace) June 15, 2026

Anthony was convicted last Tuesday of murdering Austin at a track meet in April 2025 and was sentenced to 35 years behind bars. The 19-year-old is already appealing the first-degree murder conviction. The Anthony family and legal team have claimed Anthony didn’t get a fair shake because the minority jurors selected for the trial were not black. Notably, jurors are not selected based on the color of their skin.

The high-profile murder trial started on June 1 with jury selection and wrapped up in just nine days. Video footage and witness testimony — even from defense witnesses — generally indicated that Anthony provoked the situation with Metcalf, and deadly force was not needed, contradicting the self-defense argument from Anthony’s team. Anthony did not take the stand during the trial.

Related: ‘F*ck Austin!’: Karmelo Anthony Supporters Harass, Threaten Friends Of Slain Teen Outside Courthouse