Family launches $250,000 appeal fund for convicted teen murderer amid prior fundraiser scrutiny

Karmelo Anthony’s family held a news conference in Dallas to solicit an additional $250,000 for his appellate efforts, citing the need for attorneys, investigators and expert witnesses. Anthony, 19, received a 35-year sentence after a jury found him guilty of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a Frisco, Texas, high-school track meet. A prior GiveSendGo fundraiser launched in April 2025 collected $633,908, but critics have questioned whether the money funded a car, house or other non-legal expenses.

The campaign’s creator, Trinicia Ricks, says the new donations will be deposited into a trust account overseen by attorney Russell Wilson, who will control disbursements. Dominique Alexander, a civil-rights activist for the family, dismissed allegations of misuse as “deliberate lies” and declined to detail the earlier fund’s balance. Public records show Anthony’s parents, Andrew Anthony III and Kala Hayes, have business ties in Louisiana and Texas, though no wrongdoing has been alleged. The appeal is expected to take over a year, with the trial record to be compiled in October and the Dallas Court of Appeals potentially hearing the case.