Karmelo Anthony claims to be 'penniless' and unable to pay for appeal — despite raising $625K in donations

Karmelo Anthony says he is unable to pay for an attorney for his appeal after being convicted in the murder of high school track star Austin Metcalf. Anthony is requesting a court-appointed attorney, according to a filing that claimed he was a "penniless, destitute, and indigent person." The Anthony family reportedly purchased a new car and moved into a ritzy neighborhood in a gated community after the killer's bond was lowered. The high-profile murder case has led to suspicions that the Anthony family misspent $625,000 that was raised from their supporters. Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for stabbing Metcalf during an altercation at a track meet event in Frisco, Texas. His attorney, Mike Howard, said they were going to immediately file an appeal. "After the conclusion of the trial yesterday, we gave the court our official notice that Karmelo Anthony is filing an appeal," said Howard. "We believe there are 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." The case has become a flash point in the public debate between those claiming the U.S. is irredeemably racist and others who say the conviction and sentence were appropriate for Anthony's violent attack. Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas responded to the conviction by claiming that the Metcalf family didn't know the depth of agony that all black mothers feel. "Black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day, a fear and agony that, I promise you, the Metcalfs probably never spend a day living that way," the congresswoman said. "We're gonna have to have just some real conversations about race in this country," she added, "but also just, like, what are we going to do to protect ourselves." RELATED: White-hating agitator claiming Karmelo Anthony was 'legally lynched' is a criminal, disgraced ex-judge A Daily Mail report said the Anthony family purchased a new car and moved into a ritzy neighborhood in a gated community after the killer's bond was lowered from $1 million to $250,000 in April 2025. Anthony had claimed that he was protecting himself and that Metcalf had put his hands on Anthony before the lethal stabbing. Officials admitted that the knife Anthony brought to the event was not illegal according to Texas law. He will eligible for parole after serving at least half of his sentence. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!