The legal battle surrounding Karmelo Anthony took another dramatic turn just one day after he was convicted in the fatal stabbing of high school student Austin Metcalf, with newly filed court documents claiming the 19-year-old is now too poor to hire an attorney despite a legal defense fundraiser that previously collected more than $600,000.
Anthony was found guilty of murder by a jury on Tuesday, June 9, for the April 2025 killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. Following the verdict, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison after jurors weighed both murder and manslaughter charges before reaching their decision.
According to WFAA, Anthony moved quickly to challenge the conviction. Court records filed the day after the verdict show that he submitted a notice of appeal while requesting that the court appoint a lawyer to represent him because he allegedly lacks the financial resources to pay for legal counsel.
In the filing obtained by the outlet, Anthony—who was 17 years old at the time of the incident—is described as a “penniless, desтιтute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel,” setting up a striking contrast with the large public fundraiser that drew national attention during the case.
Following his arrest, supporters launched an online campaign to help cover Anthony’s legal expenses. The fundraiser ultimately collected more than half a million dollars, surpᴀssing $615,000 before it was removed from the GiveSendGo platform.
The fundraiser has since disappeared from the website, prompting fresh public discussion about what became of the money. According to a statement cited by the New York Post, the platform said the campaign had fulfilled its intended purpose.
“The fundraiser was to support pre-trial needs, and those funds were disbursed over the last year,” the statement explained. “With that stated purpose complete, the fundraiser has been closed.”
Throughout the case, Anthony maintained that he acted in self-defense during the confrontation that ended in Metcalf’s death.
According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators alleged the incident began after Austin Metcalf asked Anthony to move from a tent where he was sitting during the track meet. An eyewitness reportedly told authorities that Anthony responded with a warning before the confrontation escalated.
Investigators alleged that Anthony told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.” Authorities say Metcalf then attempted to move Anthony before Anthony allegedly stabbed him in the chest.
After his arrest, Anthony reportedly told responding officers that he had been protecting himself, a statement that became a central part of his defense throughout the proceedings.
The case attracted widespread national attention long before trial, with debate extending beyond the facts of the incident. Questions were raised during jury selection after no Black jurors were ultimately seated. Prosecutors, according to CBS News, argued that the selection process was conducted on a race-neutral basis.
Now, with a 35-year prison sentence imposed, an appeal officially underway and questions continuing over the now-closed six-figure fundraiser, the closely watched case appears far from over as the next chapter shifts from the courtroom to the appeals process.