Karmelo Anthony out on bond while Austin Metcalf lies dead. Family uses $430K legal fund to buy house after murder charge

The family of Karmelo Anthony, who has been charged in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, plans to use crowdsourced funds raised for Anthony’s defense to move and hire security. They say this is necessary after facing racist threats.

Anthony, who faces first degree murder charges, was in court on Monday, where he was released on $250,000 bond, a reduction of the original $1 million set by the judge. Anthony was also put on house arrest pending trial. Judge Angela Tucker said that “they’ve never had the security issues they’ve faced with this case.”

Prosecutors, who wanted to keep the $1 million bond in place, asked Anthony’s father Andrew why the nearly half million dollars that had been crowdsourced for his son’s defense could not be put toward his bond. In response, the father “disclosed that the cash would be used for security and to help the family move after the threats they have allegedly faced since the killing,” per The Daily Mail.

A spokesperson for the family had said that they’re unable to leave their house after the address was shared online and that the family had faced “graphic and racist threats,” including images of “black children with knives stuck in their head.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14610267/Karmelo-Anthony-family-reveal-plans-legal-defense-fund.html