Murderer Karmelo Anthony claims he's 'penniless' behind bars... after raking in £470k from woke fundraiser

Murderer Karmelo Anthony has claimed he has been left "penniless" behind bars, despite his family pocketing more than £460,000 from an online fundraiser.

On Tuesday, the 19-year-old was found guilty of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet in April 2025.

Jurors sentenced him to 35 years in prison after concluding the stabbing had not been carried out in "sudden passion" - but the killer will be eligible for parole in half of that time.

After being moved to a Texas state prison on Wednesday, the 19-year-old submitted a notice of appeal against his sentence.

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On the form, Antony was described as “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal".

His lawyer, Mike Howard, said the defence team now 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," he added.

Shortly after the 19-year-old's arrest last year, his family launched a fundraiser campaign, titled "Help Karmelo Official Fund", with the intention of raising $1.3million (£968,324).

The page was officially shut down after his conviction on Wednesday, but still raised over $633,000 (£471,000).

The website said it intended to use a portion of the funds for his legal defence, but noted that the money would also be used to "support a range of urgent and necessary means that have emerged as a result of the situation".

These were listed as "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".

After pocketing the cash, the family left Frisco, Texas and moved to a different state.

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A man - who identifies himself online as the killer's father - publicly shows on his social media page that he is now located in New Orleans, Louisiana.

It is unclear whether a judge will take the fundraiser into account when decided whether Anthony will be handed a lawyer at the taxpayer's expense for his appeal.

GiveSendGo released a statement after the 19-year-old's conviction, which read: "GiveSendGo hosted a fundraiser connected to this case. Hosting a fundraiser has never been an endorsement of a person, their actions, their legal arguments, or their public statements.

"It is not a declaration of innocence and it is not a political statement. GiveSendGo provides access to lawful fundraising, which we extend across the full spectrum of cases.

"This fundraiser was created to support pre-trial needs, and those funds were disbursed over the past year for lawful purposes including legal defense and family relocation.

"With that stated purpose now complete, the fundraiser has been closed and the funds will be paid out.

"Our policy is that a fundraiser's stated purpose stays accurate so givers always know what they are supporting."

During his trial, Antony admitted to stabbing Mr Metcalf but insisted that he acted purely in "self-defence".

As the verdict was delivered, Anthony was seen visibly shaking and sobbing before he was immediately taken into custody.

Anthony's case had become a lightning rod for "anti-racist" activists almost immediately after the attack itself.

Outside the courthouse just days ago, woke protesters slammed the racial composition of the jury over its lack of black members.

Despite it being made up of white, Asian and Hispanic people, they screamed: “Tell those white folks, why is a black boy in front of an all white jury?

"When has a white boy been in front of an all black jury? Never!”

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