Karmelo Anthony, a Texas resident, recently convicted for the fatal stabbing of a star 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 half a million dollars to cover his legal expenses.
Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a jury in Collin County earlier this week for the 2025 murder of Austin Metcalf. Following his conviction, Anthony promptly filed an appeal against the verdict and requested legal representation by a public defender. He claims to be financially destitute and unable to afford private counsel, according to documents obtained by a news outlet.
The appeal for a public defender is surprising, considering a GiveSendGo fundraiser was established to gather funds for Anthony’s legal fees and other related costs. The campaign managed to collect approximately $634,000, which is nearly half of its $1.4 million target.
Nevertheless, the fundraising campaign was shut down shortly after Anthony’s conviction was announced. Meanwhile, he has been transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s custody and is currently held at the Pack Unit near Navasota, Texas.
Karmelo Anthony is pictured after being transferred to the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and transported to the Pack Unit near Navasota, Texas. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
However, the online campaign was taken down following his conviction earlier this week.
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.”
“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.
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 Agency reached out to Anthony’s attorney and GiveSendGo for comment.
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