Karmelo Anthony wants a taxpayer-funded attorney to help appeal his conviction, but his claims of poverty are coming under scrutiny.
After being sentenced to 35 years’ incarceration for the fatal stabbing of fellow student Austin Metcalf, Anthony is trying to employ the services of a court-appointed lawyer on the grounds that he is a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.” While this is standard language for anyone applying for a taxpayer-funded attorney, Anthony’s case is far from “normal.”
“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,” Fox News reported.
Organizers for the fundraiser specified that the money received would be used to “provide comprehensive assistance to the Anthony family as they navigate the many challenges surrounding Karmelo’s case.”
“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,” the outlet wrote.
While that fund may be exhausted, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the family is out of money to help Anthony. Fox News Digital also reviewed records that indicate the parents, Andrew Anthony III and Kala Hayes, are “connected to multiple business entities in Louisiana and Texas.” Critics argue that being associated with so many companies, including one that became active just one month following Metcalf’s stabbing, makes it unlikely that Anthony is as poor as he claims to be, though the records do not specify whether the companies in question actually generated any revenue.
From Fox News:
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.
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.
It remains to be seen whether Anthony will be granted a court-appointed attorney for the purposes of appeal.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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