Karmelo Anthony will serve his sentence while it appears the fundraising campaign for his family organized by his mother, Kala Hayes, has been taken down.
Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years behind bars Tuesday. He has since filed a notice of appeal to challenge the conviction.
He said in his appeal that he cannot afford a new lawyer, WFAA reported. Those documents say Anthony is a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal,” according to the outlet.
The fundraiser was posted on GiveSendGo, an international crowdfunding platform, April 15, 2025, which was less than two weeks after Anthony fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.
All the while, the fundraiser for Anthony and his family, titled “Help Karmelo Official Fund,” initially had a goal of generating nearly $1.4 million and raised just shy of $634,000.
KARMELO ANTHONY ISOLATED IN JAIL AS TRACK MEET KILLER APPEALS CONVICTION, PREPS FOR PRISON STINT
The now-defunct fundraiser shared this purpose, according to the website:
SUSPECT IN AUSTIN METCALF KILLING MOVED TO ‘UNDISCLOSED LOCATION’ FOR PROTECTION: FAMILY SPOKESMAN
“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.”
It was not immediately clear where the Anthony family moved to from its Frisco, Texas, home.
However, a man who identifies himself as Anthony’s father on Facebook, Drew Anthony, has publicly posted in his profile that he lives in New Orleans.
In a post on X, GiveSendGo wrote in part:
“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 stated purpose stays accurate so givers always know what they are supporting.”
While one fundraiser was scrubbed, another has reportedly reappeared in support of the Anthony family. A new fundraising campaign was started by Dominique Alexander. Anthony’s family has had Dallas-based civil rights activist Minister Dominque Alexander as a spokesperson throughout the case.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Anthony family, Alexander and GiveSendGo for comment.
