Legal Twist: As Karmelo Anthony argues he does not have enough money for an appeal, reports suggest his parents are now facing scrutiny of their own
The dust has settled on the Karmelo Anthony murder case. Early last week a jury found the 19-year-old Anthony guilty of killing Austin Metcalf at a 2025 track meet by stabbing him in the chest.
In the aftermath of the guilty verdict, Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with a possibility for parole after he serves half of his sentence. The trial itself took on many racial undertones with one being no Black jurors were selected for the trial.
Jeff Metcalf Has Theory About Why No Black Jurors Were Chosen
In one of his many rants as of late, Jeff, the father of the late Austin gave his theory as to why no Black jurors were selected.
In the now-viral video Jeff says this:
“If you answer the question I can’t send a Black man to jail because he’s Black you’re not getting on the jury. You’re so unintelligent you can’t even fill out the form correctly,” Metcalf said.
“You don’t even know who your daddy is because 78 percent of you don’t have your father in the home anymore. You got baby mamas running around with eight kids so you can get EBT cards,” the rant continued.
These comments come on the heels of Metcalf calling Anthony a “watermelon felon,” in reference to Blacks enjoying foods like the popular summertime fruit and fried chicken.
“Let me make one up, let me make something racist up so y’all can go viral,” the father started.
“I have a new names for Karmelo, because he was such this little boy y’all were trying to portray. How about ‘watermelon felon,’ how’s that one strike you?”
“I hope he enjoyed that first night in that cell last night, because he’s going to have many nights to think about what the f**k he did,” he added.
Jeff previously said he forgave his son’s killer, but said now that the “muzzle’s off” he was going to make his feelings known.
Metcalf’s Comments Taken To The Woodshed Via Social Media
“His son is dead, we can’t take him serious,” a person said.
“And this is why Austin is now playing spades with Elvis,” another person said.
“The alcohol brings out the truth like cream rises to the top…this here is his cream,” someone else replied.
“Give him another beer.. I want him to keep talking,” another person quipped.
“He sound like he wanna be reunited with his son lol,” a person mentioned.
“Keep him on camera, he’s literally showing us who his son really was,” someone else said.
Metcalf Says Both Could’ve Lived
Making the interview rounds, Metcalf stopped by the “Chris Cuomo” show to discuss the trial and aftermath of it. Metcalf told Cuomo if only cooler heads had prevailed things could’ve ended differently.
“It could have been avoided. I (would) tell both of them.”
“Austin could have walked away, Karmelo could have walked away, but that’s not what happened,” he added.
He added that he is also concerned “concerned about the future” of the country and beyond.
“What are we going to treat people like? How are we going to interact? How do we communicate? How do we teach our children? That’s the biggest issue right now. I think conflict resolution needs to be taught in school to kids,” he said.
Unfortunately cooler heads didn’t prevail, and two families lives were forever changed. One lost a child and the other won’t see a child walk freely for at least 17 years if not longer.
Public records show his parents activated a Texas business entity less than a month after Austin Metcalf’s death
MCKINNEY, Texas – As convicted killer Karmelo Anthony seeks a taxpayer-funded attorney for his appeal after claiming he is “penniless,” newly reviewed public records show his parents activated a Texas business entity less than a month after the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
The records do not establish that any fundraiser proceeds were routed through the company. Anthony’s parents have not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with a crime.
Anthony, 19, was sentenced earlier this month to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury convicted him of murder in the April 2, 2025, stabbing death of Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco.
Days after sentencing, Anthony filed paperwork seeking court-appointed counsel for his appeal. In the filing, Anthony described himself as a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.”
Karmelo Anthony is pictured after being transferred to the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and transported to the Pack Unit near Navasota, Texas. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
Anthony’s request comes after a GiveSendGo campaign launched on his behalf on April 15, 2025 — less than two weeks after Metcalf’s death — raised $633,908 before being removed from public view following Anthony’s conviction.
Organizers said the fundraiser was created to support Anthony and his family as they navigated the legal battle.
“We are grateful for your support during this incredibly difficult time for Karmelo Anthony and his family,” organizers wrote. “This fundraiser has been established to provide comprehensive assistance to the Anthony family as they navigate the many challenges surrounding Karmelo’s case.”
The online fundraiser for Karmelo Anthony and his family, organized by his mother, has been scrubbed from the GiveSendGo website. (GiveSendGo)
As Fox News Digital previously reported, fundraiser organizers said donations would help cover legal expenses, family relocation costs and other needs that arose as the case drew national attention. GiveSendGo later said the funds were distributed for lawful purposes, including legal defense and family relocation expenses.
Public records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Anthony’s parents, Andrew Anthony III and Kala Hayes, have been connected to multiple business entities in Louisiana and Texas.
Louisiana records show Angelic Obsessions LLC was formed in July 2021 and later became inactive after being revoked by the Louisiana Secretary of State in November 2024.
Kala Hayes speaks at a press conference on April 17, 2025, after her son Karmelo Anthony was charged with murdering Austin Metcalf. (Next Generation Action Network)
Texas records show Angelic Obsessions LLC became active in Texas on April 26, 2025, 24 days after the fatal stabbing that led to Anthony’s arrest. The filing lists Andrew Anthony III as the registered agent and an Arlington address as the company’s registered office.
Separate Louisiana records show Exclusive Luxury Services LLC, another entity connected to Anthony’s parents, was formed in 2016 and later experienced multiple administrative actions, including a revocation in 2019, reinstatement in 2020 and a second revocation in November 2023, after which the company became inactive.
The records reviewed by Fox News Digital do not indicate whether either company generated revenue, maintained assets or played any role in the family’s finances during the criminal case. The filings also do not show whether fundraiser proceeds were ever distributed to either business entity.
Andrew Anthony III declined to comment.
Fox News Digital has reached out to GiveSendGo seeking clarification regarding the disposition of the fundraiser proceeds, whether any money remains available and what safeguards were used to ensure compliance with company policies.
Fox News Digital has also sought comment from Anthony’s defense team regarding the fundraiser, Anthony’s request for court-appointed counsel and whether any funds remain available to finance his appeal.
