Karmelo Anthony, the teen convicted this week of murdering a fellow student in Texas, says he is broke and does not have enough money to hire a lawyer for his appeal, despite the fact that his family raked in $625,000 in crowdfunding.
The 19-year-old convicted killer made the claim in court documents for his appeal filed after he was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering 17-year-old football player Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, high school track meet in 2025, the New York Post reported.
In his filing, Anthony describes himself as a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.”
The teen’s attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense has “several important issues for the appellate courts to consider. An appeal is the next part of the legal process and a right afforded every American.”
Anthony seems to be angling for a state-funded attorney for his appeal.
The convict’s claim of “destitution,” though, is hard to square with the hundreds of thousands his family raised in his name ahead of his trial.
The fundraiser on GiveSendGo stated that the donations would go for Anthony’s legal fees. But it also claimed a portion would be used for the family’s living and security expenses.
The fundraising page was closed out after Anthony was convicted. More than $629,724 had been raised.
Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, told donors what they intended to do with the cash.
“This fundraiser has been established to provide comprehensive assistance to the Anthony family as they navigate the many challenges surrounding Karmelo’s case,” Hayes wrote.
“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.”
It is unclear how the courts will respond to Anthony’s claim that he is too poor to afford a lawyer after the haul his family made online.
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