Karmelo Anthony, convicted of murdering Austin Metcalf at a track event, has appealed for legal representation due to financial constraints.

Karmelo Anthony, who was convicted of murdering Austin Metcalf during a high school track event, has reportedly submitted an appeal in which he asserts that he cannot afford legal representation.

19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, convicted of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, has filed an appeal due to financial hardship for legal counsel. (X/@libsoftiktok)
19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, convicted of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, has filed an appeal due to financial hardship for legal counsel. (X/@libsoftiktok)

A jury found Anthony, now 19 years old, guilty of murder on Tuesday, June 9, related to the killing of 17-year-old Metcalf in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025, as reported by WFAA and NBC 5. He was subsequently sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The jurors deliberated on both murder and manslaughter charges in this case.

Karmelo Anthony lacks financial resources

According to WFAA, Anthony filed a notice of appeal the day following his conviction. A court document obtained by the news outlet suggests that Anthony claimed he lacked financial resources and requested the judge to appoint an attorney for his appeal.

In the document that has been reported, Anthony, who was 17 years old at the time of the stabbing, is characterized as a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel.”

Karmelo Anthony fundraiser taken down

After Anthony’s arrest, an online campaign was initiated to support his legal defense, as previously reported by PEOPLE. It had successfully raised over $615,000, surpassing half a million dollars by Thursday, June 4.

However, the fundraiser has since been removed from the GiveSendGo platform. The New York Post said that it was taken down after his conviction.

“The fundraiser was to support pre-trial needs, and those funds were disbursed over the last year,” GiveSendGo told the Post in a statement. “With that stated purpose complete, the fundraiser has been closed.”

Anthony has asserted that he acted in self-defense during the incident.

Anthony stabbed Metcalf

According to a probable cause affidavit, authorities stated that Anthony stabbed Metcalf after the latter asked him to vacate a tent where he was seated, as reported by an eyewitness.

Metcalf, who is White, then attempted to move Anthony, who is Black, and was subsequently stabbed in the chest, as alleged by authorities.

Upon his arrest, Anthony reportedly told the officer, “I was protecting myself,” as noted in the affidavit.

Before Anthony’s trial commenced, controversy emerged due to the absence of Black jurors in the selection process. CBS News reported that prosecutors asserted the case was “race-neutral.”