Crime
Cardi B Voices Support for Karmelo Anthony Following Murder Sentence as His $629K Fundraiser Is Pulled
Donations kept rolling in for Karmelo Anthony even after a Texas jury convicted him of murder and handed him a 35-year prison sentence.
Anthony’s GiveSendGo crowdfunding page had surpassed $629,000 by the time the guilty verdict for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf came down, as reported by TMZ on Wednesday, June 10.
Another $4,000 poured in overnight, with the total still climbing before GiveSendGo pulled the fundraiser.
The GiveSendGo page was set up shortly after Anthony was arrested. GiveSendGo co-founder Jacob Wells told Fox News Digital in April 2025 that the “bulk of this money is going to be used for Karmelo’s legal defense.”
Wells later added that the funds would also go toward security for Anthony’s family and finding a “secure location for them to live.”
Though GiveSendGo allowed the fundraiser while Anthony, 19, was still facing charges, the official website states that the platform prohibits campaigns that “financially reward, glorify, or support the lifestyle of individuals convicted of violent crimes” without clear justification such as an appeal or humanitarian need. With Anthony now convicted of murder, the page was pulled.
The verdict drew a mixed reaction on social media, even as Metcalf’s parents expressed relief in their emotional statements before Anthony’s sentencing.
Cardi B weighed in on Tuesday night, hours after the verdict came down.
The rapper, 33, expressed shock at the outcome and wrote on X, “This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!” She stopped short of naming Anthony directly but retweeted several posts in his support.
The Guardian reported that Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. Anthony had argued self-defense, but the jury did not accept his account.
Anthony is currently being held in isolation at Collin County Jail, away from the general population, as reported by the New York Post on June 10. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Anthony has already filed a notice to appeal the conviction.
