'This Should Be Illegal': Internet Slams Karmelo Anthony's Family for Asking for More Money for His 'Legal Fees'

Karmelo Anthony's family has launched a new fundraiser seeking $250,000 (£187,000) to help fund his murder appeal, drawing fresh criticism online less than three months after his previous $634,000 (£473,000) campaign was taken down.

The new GiveSendGo campaign states that all proceeds will go exclusively toward Anthony's appeal and case-related legal costs, including briefs, filings, transcripts, investigators, expert witnesses, and other litigation expenses. As of Wednesday, the fund had collected $27,000 (£20,200) toward its goal.

'Karmelo's family will not receive, control, or spend these funds,' the fundraiser states, distancing the new campaign from the earlier one, which drew criticism after some proceeds went toward relocation and living costs rather than legal defence alone.

Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.

A Collin County judge denied his request for a new trial last month, and his attorneys filed notice they would pursue an appeal.

Appeal Timeline Set for October

Anthony's parents and legal team gathered at a church in southeast Dallas this week to announce the new fundraising goal and outline what happens next in the case. The appeal is set to begin on 7 October before the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, followed by the state's response, with attorneys warning the process could stretch into next year.

Attorneys said they will keep working without charging fees despite the new fundraising push.

'So much evidence came out. That evidence showed not only this family but the entire world that he did not receive a fair trial,' Anthony's co-counsel Sean Daredia told the media at the announcement, referencing testimony raised during the hearing on Anthony's motion for a new trial that jurors never heard during his original trial.

Anthony's father, Andrew, thanked supporters for continuing to back his son. 'We love you, son. We're going to keep fighting. And this is not over,' he said.

Asked how the family had spent funds from the earlier $634,000 campaign, family spokesperson Dominique Alexander declined to answer directly.

'We're not gonna comment on that,' Alexander said, adding that he could not speak to 'all of the information regarding all of those different fees.' Anthony's attorneys said his initial defence costs alone had surpassed $300,000 (£224,000).

The new fundraiser follows an earlier request from Anthony for a court-appointed lawyer at no cost.

In court filings submitted after his conviction, he described himself as 'penniless, destitute, and indigent,' too poor to afford a new attorney for his appeal, despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars already raised on his behalf.

Previous Fund Was Shut Down After Conviction

The original 'Help Karmelo Official Fund' launched weeks after Metcalf's killing and raised nearly $634,000 before GiveSendGo removed it following Anthony's conviction. The platform said at the time that the fund's stated purpose, covering pre-trial needs including legal defence and family relocation, had been fulfilled.

GiveSendGo now applies stricter rules to fundraisers tied to violent or weapons-related charges, including homicide cases. Campaigns in that category must state clearly that all money raised will go solely toward legal defence costs and cannot be used for personal support or living expenses.

The new campaign has revived the online criticism that surrounded the family's earlier fundraising.

When the original fund passed $200,000 in 2025, critics called for the money to be redirected to Metcalf's family, with one social media user writing at the time, 'this should be illegal,' and another arguing the funds should be seized and given to Metcalf's relatives.

Metcalf's family has not publicly commented on the new $250,000 campaign. Anthony remains in custody with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice while his legal team prepares its filings ahead of the October hearing.