19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a Frisco high school student, was pronounced guilty Tuesday of the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at an inter-school track meet in Frisco, Texas, on April 2, 2025.
However, amid the verdict, questions were raised around the defense strategy of Karmelo’s parents adopted with former Dallas public defender, Mike Howard representing the 19-year-old. Questions were raised as the family received over $600,000 via a GiveSendGo campaign to fund Anthony’s legal defense.
But a key question that emerged in social media discussions of the case is why Karmelo Anthony’s parents, especially his mother, Kayla Hays, chose to go to trial instead of taking a plea deal. They argued Anthony would have gotten 20 years in prison with a plea deal instead of a life term had he taken a plea deal.
While Karmelo Anthony’s parents entered a not guilty plea, there is no confirmation that the 19-year-old was ever offered one in the first place. There were discussions about a potential plea deal on social media, but it is unclear if the discussions ever took place.
As a result, the insinuations on social media suggesting Karmelo Anhony’s parents chose to go to trial instead of a plea deal purportedly to raise money on the GiveSendGo campaign are speculative. Misinformation in similar veins suggesting that Anthony’s parents bought a house with the GiveSendGo money has been fact-checked by Ht.com.
Here’s a post by popular right-wing commentator Matt Walsh that insinuates that Karmelo Anthony’s parents did not go for a plea deal because of the money.
“Keep in mind, if Karmelo had plead guilty early on, it would have cut the fundraiser short,” Walsh wrote. “His parents chose to send him to trial so they could keep raking in the cash. They don’t love or care about him. Awful people who inevitably raised an awful son. My only regret is that they can’t be thrown in a prison cell along with him.”
This story is being updated.
