Karmelo Anthony has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder, and an online fundraiser bearing the teenager’s name continues to receive donations.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis announced on Tuesday that a Collin County grand jury indicted Anthony on first-degree murder charges for the murder of Austin Metcalf. Anthony allegedly stabbed Metcalf in the chest during a dispute at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, on April 2. Metcalf died due to the stabbing.
Not long after Anthony was arrested, an online fundraising campaign was created on his behalf. The GiveSendGo campaign had raised nearly $550,000 of Wednesday. The goal of the fund has continued to rise, and it was nearly $1.4 million at the time of this writing.
An update on April 15 said the fund would be used for legal fees and other costs that the Anthony family has incurred.
“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,” the update said. “The funds raised will also support a range of urgent and necessary needs that have emerged as a result of this situation, including — but not limited to — the safe relocation of the Anthony family due to escalating threats to their safety and well-being, as well as basic living costs, transportation, counseling, and other security measures.”
Another update was shared on behalf of the Anthony family Wednesday thanking people for their donations and support during an “unimaginable tragedy.”
Several GoFundMe campaigns were also started on Anthony’s behalf, but those were deleted due to the platform’s terms of service. GoFundMe prohibits “fundraisers for the legal defense of violent crimes.” Any GoFundMe donations that were made were returned to the donors.
Many have argued that the GiveSendGo campaign should also be removed, but one of the co-founder’s of the platform defended the decision to keep the fundraiser active.
Anthony’s family drew backlash following reports that they had moved into a gated community and purchased a new car. The 17-year-old’s mother, Kala Hayes, said in April that the family had not used any money from the fundraising campaign. Hayes indicated at the time that Anthony’s family had requested to withdraw funds and was supposed to be permitted to do so within days.
Anthony has been charged as an adult per Texas state laws. He is facing a very lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
