Karmelo Anthony, the Texas resident found guilty of fatally stabbing a prominent student-athlete during a high school track event, is seeking a court-appointed public defender for his appeal. This request comes despite his family having raised over $500,000 for his legal defense.
A Collin County jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison on Tuesday for the murder of Austin Metcalf, an incident that occurred in 2025.
Following his conviction, Anthony submitted an appeal against the guilty verdict. In the documents obtained by News Media, he described himself as “penniless, destitute, and indigent,” claiming he lacks the financial means to hire legal representation.
This plea for legal aid comes in the wake of a fundraising campaign on GiveSendGo, which collected approximately $634,000. The campaign aimed to gather $1.4 million to cover Anthony’s legal costs and other related expenses.
In a provided image, Karmelo Anthony is shown being transferred into the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, where he is now housed at the Pack Unit near Navasota, Texas. (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
However, the online campaign was taken down following his conviction earlier this week.Â
The now-deleted fundraiser detailed how the funds would be used, and included that the money would go toward family expenses incurred by the case.
The online fundraiser for Karmelo Anthony and his family, organized by his mother,r Kala Hayes, has been scrubbed from the GiveSendGo website. (GiveSendGo)
“While legal defense is a critical part of this journey, we want to make it clear that this fund is not solely dedicated to legal expenses. The funds raised will also support a range of urgent and necessary means that have emerged as a result of the situation, including – but not limited to – the safe relocation of the Anthony family due to escalating threats to their safety and well-being, as well as basic living costs, transportation, counseling, and other security measures.”
Details regarding the reported relocation of Anthony’s family were not immediately available.
The fundraiser for convicted murder Karmelo Anthony and his family has been taken down from the GiveSendGo crowdfunding website. (GiveSendGo)
According to GiveSendGo’s website, fundraisers created to aid in legal defense costs for violent charges “must clearly state that all funds raised are intended solely for legal defense costs.”Â
“Fundraisers in this category cannot be used to raise funds for personal support, living expenses, or other purposes alongside legal defense,” the website stated.
Additionally, funds must be sent directly to a licensed attorney involved in the defense, and cannot be distributed to the defendant or organizer.Â
Austin Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, was stabbed in the chest at a track meet, by Karmelo Anthony, a student-athlete from Frisco Centennial High School. (Jeff Metcalf/Unknown)
The fundraiser was initially posted less than two weeks after Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf in April 2025.
In a statement posted to X, GiveSendGo said “The fundraiser was created to support pre-trial needs, and those funds were dispersed over the past year for lawful purposes, including legal defense and family relocation with that stated purpose now complete the fundraiser has been closed. Our policy is that a fundraiser’s stated purpose stays accurate so givers always know what they are supporting.”
News Media reached out to Anthony’s attorney and GiveSendGo for comment.Â
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