Parents Rewarded With $445K For Karmelo Anthony’s Violence

There once was a time when bringing a deadly weapon to a school-sanctioned event would get a kid and maybe even his parents charged and convicted for failing to prevent or stop such recklessness.

The parents of 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, who brought a knife to a multi-school track meet in Frisco, Texas, and allegedly used it to fatally stab another student, however, aren’t on the hook for his actions. Far from it. Instead, Anthony’s family successfully fundraised hundreds of thousands of dollars off of his alleged crime and the claim that “the narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful.”

Texas law prohibits knives with blades more than 5 1/2 inches long at high school or UIL events. It’s unclear exactly what type of knife Anthony allegedly used to stab Austin Metcalf. The blade was reportedly long enough and strong enough to fatally pierce the heart of a track athlete with one movement, which suggests it could have exceeded the prohibited length.

The sole fact that Anthony brought a knife to a school track meet is suspicious and will likely play a large role in the prosecution’s case for his conviction. The presence of a deadly weapon in Anthony’s backpack at a school track meet, however, hasn’t appeared to faze his parents — or his defense lawyer, who refused to answer reporters’ questions about the reason Anthony was armed.

Instead, the public attention Anthony’s alleged crime has received has done nothing but apparently embolden them to get their son out of jail, lobby for a not guilty verdict, and line their pockets.

Despite raking in more than $445,00 in donations as of Wednesday, allegedly purchasing a new vehicle, and reportedly residing in an upscale gated community, Anthony’s family cited financial difficulties as one of the reasons his $1 million bond should be lowered.

“For reasons unknown, the defendant brought a knife to a track meet for what probably could have been a fist fight at worst. [The family] could make this million-dollar bond as soon as they get access to it. I don’t know why we are here,” Collin County First Assistant Bill Wirsky noted during the bond hearing.

Anthony’s defense team, however, went so far as to claim the GiveSendGo money “is not a bond fund.” The retroactively edited description attached to the fundraising campaign confirms “this fund is not solely dedicated to legal expenses” and will instead “support a range of urgent and necessary needs that have emerged as a result of this situation, including — but not limited to — the safe relocation of the Anthony family due to escalating threats to their safety and well-being, as well as basic living costs, transportation, counseling, and other security measures.”

The suspect’s parents also claimed the money they raised is not easily accessible.

“It isn’t as simple as giving a phone call to access it,” Anthony’s parents claimed.

Anthony’s defense lawyer Mike Howard, who suggested to reporters that bond “is not supposed to be an instrument of oppression,” also claimed Anthony’s lack of a criminal record and the family’s safety should be considered by the judge tasked with deciding whether to lower the bond.

“Given that Karmelo has no prior criminal history and given that this young man has not been in any sort of trouble before, $1 million is not necessary,” Howard said. “This family needs to be able to survive. There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure. I think at this point, living in a gated community, given everything, the safety of their younger children is very warranted. Security details and criminal defense are not cheap.”

Anthony, equipped with an ankle monitor, was ultimately released to his parents on Monday after they posted his reduced $250,000 bond. The alleged murderer is slated to stay under house arrest until his trial.

Widespread defense of the alleged murderer is appalling, considering the evidence so far does not indicate Anthony was justified under Lone Star State self-defense and “stand your ground” laws to use deadly force against Austin Metcalf. Perhaps even more appalling, however, is the Anthony family’s public attempt to take advantage of a tragedy their son allegedly played a key role in instigating.

While the Anthony parents get to go home to their son and strategize ways to stir up public support for him, the Metcalf family is mourning the loss of their beloved son and brother.

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.