The family of convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony is asking the public to donate another $250,000, which they claim will go toward his ongoing legal fees, despite the fact that donors have already given the family more than $600,000.
Is the appeals process really this expensive? We already know he won’t get a new trial. At this point, the fundraising looks a bit gauche.
FOX News reports:
Karmelo Anthony seeks $250K for murder appeal as questions persist over family’s previous $634K fundraiser
Karmelo Anthony’s family is seeking another $250,000 to fund his appeal after an earlier campaign raised nearly $634,000 and faced questions over how the money was spent, the family announced at a news conference in Dallas, Texas.
The fundraising push came nearly two weeks after a judge denied Anthony’s request for a new trial. His family and supporters, including attorney Russell Wilson, used the Dallas news conference to outline the appeal.
Anthony, 19, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in June after a jury convicted him of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He has appealed and says he cannot afford to hire an attorney for the appeal.
The new fund is intended to cover legal fees, experts and other costs associated with challenging Anthony’s conviction, Wilson said.
“I think there’s a misconception that the motion for new trial denial would have ended an appeal,” Wilson said. “It actually is part of an appeal.”
Wilson said the appeal could take more than a year. The trial record is expected to be assembled in October. After that, both sides will make their case in writing, and the Dallas Court of Appeals could hold a hearing.
The request follows a GiveSendGo campaign launched on Anthony’s behalf in April 2025 that raised $633,908 before it was removed from public view following his conviction.
This excerpt from NewsNation is rather enlightening:
Anthony’s appellate attorneys described what they expect to be a lengthy and challenging legal process before the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. The appeal is expected to begin Oct. 7, with the state’s response to follow. Potential delays could push proceedings into next year.
The new fundraiser also prompted questions about the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised before Anthony’s trial and how that money was spent.
When asked about the previous fundraising campaign and the need for additional funds, Dominique Alexander, president of Next Generation Action Network, declined to discuss how the earlier donations were used.
Anthony’s attorneys later said his initial defense costs alone exceeded $300,000.
I’ll be surprised if the public steps up to the plate on this latest request for funds when the family can’t even account for the last round.
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