Karmelo Anthony’s legal battle is far from over.
Just months after the 19-year-old was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Texas high school track meet, Anthony’s family and new appellate legal team are asking supporters for another round of financial help.
This time, the goal is $250,000.
The new fundraising campaign was announced Wednesday as Anthony’s parents and attorneys gathered in Dallas to discuss the next stage of his case. They say the money will be used to help cover expenses connected to the appeal, including court filings, transcripts, investigators, expert witnesses and other litigation costs.
The announcement comes after a Texas judge rejected Anthony’s request for a new trial, leaving an appeal as the next major avenue for challenging his murder conviction.
His family says they believe the case was not fairly presented at trial and that important issues surrounding the defense were not adequately addressed.
But the legal road ahead is expected to be difficult.
A conviction that has already divided the public
Anthony was convicted in the death of Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old high school athlete who was fatally stabbed during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025.
The case attracted national attention almost immediately, with sharply different accounts emerging about what happened before the stabbing.
Anthony’s defense has maintained that he acted in self-defense.
Prosecutors, however, successfully argued the murder case that ultimately resulted in his conviction.
In June 2026, Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
He is now challenging that result through the appellate process.
His parents have continued to publicly support him.
At Wednesday’s news conference, Anthony’s father, Andrew Anthony, thanked the people who have stood by the family and said they intend to continue fighting for their son.
“We love you, son. We’re going to keep fighting. And this is not over,” he said, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.
The family is now asking supporters to help finance the next stage.
Why the family wants another $250,000
The new campaign is different in purpose from the fundraising effort that attracted widespread attention during Anthony’s original case.
The new “Karmelo Anthony Official Legal Appeal Fund” has a stated goal of $250,000.
According to the fundraiser, contributions are intended to go toward Anthony’s legal appeal and related expenses rather than directly into the hands of his family.
The campaign says the money will be placed into an attorney trust account administered by lead attorney Russell Wilson. It lists potential expenses including transcripts, briefs, filings, investigators, expert witnesses and other costs associated with appellate litigation.
As of Wednesday, the campaign had raised more than $27,000, according to reports.
That means the new effort still has a significant distance to go before reaching its $250,000 target.
Anthony’s appellate lawyers have also said they are working on a pro bono basis, meaning the fundraiser is intended to help cover expenses that can arise during a lengthy appeal rather than simply paying standard attorney fees.
The first fundraiser is also back in the spotlight
The new campaign has inevitably brought attention back to the money raised during Anthony’s original legal battle.
A previous GiveSendGo fundraiser reportedly collected more than $600,000 before it was removed following Anthony’s conviction.
GiveSendGo previously explained that the earlier fundraiser had been established for pretrial needs and that the campaign was closed after its stated purpose was completed.
Questions about how those earlier funds were used resurfaced during Wednesday’s news conference.
NBC 5 reported that reporters asked about the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised before the trial and why the family was now seeking additional money.
Representatives at the event did not provide a detailed public accounting of the previous funds.
Anthony’s attorneys said the initial defense costs alone had exceeded $300,000.
That history is now part of the conversation surrounding the new appeal campaign.
The new fundraiser attempts to draw a clearer line around its purpose by stating that the money will be dedicated to the appeal and case-related legal expenses and that Anthony’s family will not control or spend the funds.
What Anthony’s lawyers are challenging
The appeal is expected to focus on issues surrounding the original trial and the evidence that was allowed — and not allowed — to reach the jury.
Anthony’s attorneys have argued that a pretrial agreement between prosecutors and the defense affected how certain evidence could be presented.
That agreement became particularly significant after additional information surfaced during proceedings following the conviction.
According to reports, evidence concerning conduct involving both Anthony and Metcalf had been kept out of the original trial under an agreement between the prosecution and defense.
The defense now argues that the restrictions on that evidence contributed to an unfair trial and weakened Anthony’s ability to fully present his version of events.
His new legal team has also pointed to information that they say could have affected the defense’s presentation of the case.
However, those arguments have not yet resulted in the conviction being overturned.
A judge has already rejected Anthony’s request for a new trial.
That means the appellate court will now become the focus of the legal fight.
The self-defense argument remains central
Anthony’s supporters continue to maintain that he acted to protect himself.
His parents have publicly thanked supporters who believe their son was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf.
That remains the family’s central position as the appeal moves forward.
The prosecution’s case, however, resulted in a murder conviction.
That distinction matters because Anthony is no longer simply a defendant awaiting trial. He has been convicted and sentenced, and the burden has shifted to the appellate process.
An appeal is not a second trial in which the same case is automatically presented to another jury.
Instead, Anthony’s attorneys must identify legal errors or other grounds that justify appellate relief.
His lawyers have acknowledged that the process could take considerable time.
The appeal timeline is beginning to take shape
Anthony’s appellate attorneys said the process is expected to formally move forward in the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.
According to NBC 5, the next major step is expected to begin October 7, followed by the state’s response. The process could extend into 2027 or longer depending on how the case develops.
The defense team says it is confident that the case deserves another look.
Attorney Sean Daredia said the lawyers believe significant issues remain to be addressed and expressed confidence that the case could eventually return to court.
But even Anthony’s attorneys acknowledge that there is no guarantee the conviction will be overturned or that a new trial will be granted.
That uncertainty is important as the family asks supporters for more money.
The $250,000 fundraiser does not mean Anthony has won a new trial.
It is intended to help finance the legal effort to seek one.
New questions surrounding the evidence
One of the most complicated parts of the appeal involves evidence that was not presented to the jury during the original trial.
Anthony’s attorneys have raised concerns about evidence concerning behavior by both young men.
Reports have described allegations involving Anthony’s previous conduct, including claims of stalking, threats and an interest in fighting and knives.
At the same time, information concerning alleged racist graffiti involving Metcalf was also part of the dispute over what evidence would be presented.
The defense has argued that the arrangement governing this evidence prevented the jury from receiving the full context necessary to evaluate Anthony’s actions.
Prosecutors, however, agreed to the arrangement before trial, and the jury ultimately convicted Anthony of murder.
The appellate court will have to determine whether the issues raised by the defense amount to a legal error significant enough to justify relief.
That is a much narrower question than simply asking whether the public believes Anthony was guilty or innocent.
A case that remains deeply divided
The Anthony case has generated intense reactions since the 2025 stabbing.
Supporters have portrayed Anthony as a young man who was defending himself and who did not receive a fair trial.
Others have pointed to the murder conviction and the evidence presented during the original proceedings as justification for the sentence.
That divide has continued even after the verdict.
Anthony’s parents have largely remained committed to their son’s defense, while the family of Austin Metcalf has had to live with the loss of a 17-year-old who was killed during what should have been a high school athletic event.
The legal battle now moves beyond the emotional arguments that dominated much of the public discussion.
The appellate court will be dealing with the record of the case and the legal claims raised by Anthony’s attorneys.
What happens next
For now, Anthony remains under his 35-year prison sentence while the appeal moves forward.
His legal team is working to obtain and prepare the record necessary for the appellate process, with October identified as an important point in the upcoming schedule.
Meanwhile, the new fundraising campaign will continue seeking contributions toward its $250,000 goal.
The campaign had collected more than $27,000 as of Wednesday, leaving more than $220,000 still to raise if it is to reach its stated target.
Whether the money ultimately changes the outcome of Anthony’s case remains impossible to know.
The appeal could result in the conviction being upheld, modified or potentially sent back for further proceedings. A new trial is possible only if the courts grant the appropriate relief.
For Anthony’s family, however, the message remains unchanged.
They believe the legal fight is not finished.
For the prosecution and for Austin Metcalf’s family, Anthony’s conviction remains the current legal outcome.
And for the courts, the next question is not whether the case has attracted public attention, but whether the issues raised by Anthony’s attorneys meet the legal standard required to overturn a conviction or grant a new trial.
The answer will come through the appellate process — not through the fundraising campaign, public opinion or social media.
For now, the $250,000 appeal fund marks the beginning of the next chapter in a case that has already spent more than a year at the center of intense national debate.
Anthony has been convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years.
His request for a new trial has been denied.
Now his attorneys are preparing to take the fight to the appellate court, while his family asks supporters to help pay for what could become a long and costly legal battle.
The case, legally speaking, is not over yet.