After Karmelo Anthony was found guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a 2025 track meet in Frisco, Texas, attention quickly returned to another part of the case that had spread widely online: the public fundraiser created for Anthony’s family and the claims about how that money was allegedly used.
The fundraiser became a major talking point on social media as the case gained national attention. Posts on platforms like X and Facebook claimed that Anthony’s family had used donation money to move into an expensive home and buy luxury vehicles, including a Cadillac Escalade. Those claims spread fast, but verified evidence has not shown that the donations were used that way.
In April 2025, the rumors grew after posts claimed the family had purchased a home worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. One widely shared post reached a large audience and was later reposted by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, helping push the claims even further into public debate.
Despite the attention those allegations received, available reporting has not confirmed that fundraiser money was used to buy a house, a vehicle, or any luxury items. The family publicly denied the claims, and Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, said during an April press conference that the accusations were completely false.
Hayes said at the time that the family had not withdrawn any money from the GiveSendGo campaign when the rumors began spreading. She explained that they had only recently been told they could begin the withdrawal process and that it would still take time before any money could actually be accessed.
GiveSendGo co-founder Jacob Wells also confirmed that no funds had been withdrawn from the campaign at that point. That detail became important because, if the family had not yet received the money, the claims that they had already spent it on a home or expensive vehicle could not be supported by verified financial records.
The GiveSendGo page stated that the donations were intended for several needs, including legal defense, relocation, living expenses, transportation, counseling, and security. The family also said they had received threats and needed to protect Anthony’s younger siblings, which they cited as part of the reason relocation support was being requested.
Some of the home rumors appeared to come from reports that the family was staying in a gated community. Those reports described the property as expensive, but they did not prove the family had purchased it with fundraiser money. In fact, reporting indicated the family was renting, not buying, the residence.
Property estimates connected to the neighborhood later fueled more speculation, but the value of a home does not prove ownership. It also does not prove that donated money was used. Without property records, withdrawal records, or payment evidence, the online claims remained accusations rather than confirmed facts.
In the end, the viral claims about Anthony’s family using fundraiser money to buy a luxury home or Cadillac have not been proven. What is confirmed is that the fundraiser drew massive attention, the family denied the accusations, and GiveSendGo said no funds had been withdrawn when the claims were spreading. The case remains deeply emotional, but the available evidence does not support the most viral allegations about how the money was used.
