Karmelo Anthony Seeks Taxpayer-Funded Lawyer After Claiming He’s ‘Penniless’ in New Filing

Karmelo Anthony is seeking a court-appointed attorney and the request has sparked renewed scrutiny of his financial situation, especially after more than $600,000 was raised on his behalf and public records tied to his family began drawing attention.

According to a report from Fox News published on Wednesday, June 17, Anthony, 19, filed paperwork asking for taxpayer-funded legal counsel for his appeal case. In the paperwork, he described himself as “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.”

Anthony’s request came just days after he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.

The outlet also reported that records show that Anthony’s family registered a Texas business less than a month after Metcalf’s death. Fox News noted that the records don’t indicate that any fundraiser proceeds were routed through the company, and Anthony’s parents have not been accused of wrongdoing.

Shortly after Anthony’s arrest, a fundraising campaign was set up on GiveSendGo. In April 2025, the cofounder of GiveSendGo, Jacob Wells, told Fox News Digital that the “bulk of this money is going to be used for Karmelo’s legal defense.”

Over the next several months, it received over $600,000 in donations, but after Anthony was convicted on June 9, the campaign was pulled. However, hours later, another fundraiser popped up titled, Karmelo Appellate Fund, and was seeking donations to help with legal fees related to his appeal.

“As we prepare for the appellate phase of Karmelo Anthony’s case, we have established a separate Appellate Fund to ensure complete transparency and accountability,” the campaign’s description stated, per In Touch.

Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, was listed as the fundraiser’s organizer.

“This fund is separate from the original family support fund to eliminate any confusion regarding the purpose and use of donations,” the page continued. “If you believe in due process, fairness, and ensuring that every person has access to a thorough legal process, please consider sharing and supporting this effort.”

That campaign is now no longer available for public view and a link takes visitors to a page that reads, “This fundraiser is unpublished.”