Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,
The family of Karmelo Anthony can no longer raise money from supporters through GiveSendGo following the conclusion of his criminal case.
The Anthonys were able to raise more than $600,000 in the wake of the then-17-year-old’s prosecution in connection with the fatal stabbing of track star Austin Metcalf during an altercation on April 2, 2025.
The controversial fundraiser was hosted by GiveSendGo, which attracted thousands of donors who bizarrely viewed Anthony’s prosecution as the product of racial injustice. Evidence shown at trial proved otherwise.
In a June 9 statement posted on its website, GiveSendGo said that the fundraiser has been closed because Anthony’s trial was over.
“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,” GiveSendGo stated.
“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,” the platform added.
The fundraiser drew scrutiny because Anthony’s family resided in a highly exclusive gated community in a home reportedly valued at roughly $900,000.
A neighbor in the community told the Daily Mail that Anthony might have bought a brand-new vehicle during the trial.
But a defense attorney told reporters that the family used part of the funds to relocate and hire security.
By contrast, supporters and friends of the Metcalf family raised nearly $700,000 through two separate GoFundMe campaigns to help cover funeral costs and other expenses stemming from the teen’s death.
Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in state prison after a jury found him guilty of murder.
As revealed during the trial, Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf in the chest. The wound was so severe that the knife penetrated into Metcalf’s lung.
The single stab wound was not survivable, according to Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura.