The GiveSendGo fund for Karmelo Anthony, the accused and self-admitted killer of Frisco High Schooler Austin Metcalf, has reported some unusual donation patterns.
Numerous anonymous donations to the “Help Karmelo Official Fund” appear with identical messages and similar amounts of money. These donations often occur within minutes of each other and at all hours.
This pattern repeats with donations that disclose the giver’s name; however, this is rarer.
Even typos and grammar errors reappear in the repetitive donations.
One instance documented by The Dallas Express on April 8 at 8:46 PM showed that an anonymous giver donated $100, while simultaneously, another anonymous giver gave $50, both with the message, “Sending what I can for now that includes monetary support & prayers for resolve & KARMELO’S RELEASE! Anthiney [sic] family [sic] keep your head up! WE GOT YA’LL!”
Another instance with named donors occurred that same evening. In less than one minute, donors Deanna Johnson and Gee Sierra donated $20 and $5, respectively, with the message, “We [sic] standing with you Karmelo…this too shall pass. Psalm 46:1. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Sometimes, the pattern repeats between anonymous and disclosed donations. One such occurrence on the same day showed Cassandra Smith and an anonymous giver donate $15 and $10, respectively, with the message, “We stand with you and for you! Praying for you and your family during this most difficult period! I will definitely donate again soon.”
April 8 was not the only day these donation patterns occurred. DX has observed these phenomena several dozen times across the week. Occasionally, the repetitive donations are identical. One example comes from two anonymous givers’ dual donations of $20 at the same time with the same message: “Hang in there young man we’re all praying for you!” on April 13.
Sometimes, donors admit to giving multiple times. Rosie E gave $50 that same day, writing, “I’m back again,and every check I receive I’ll donate over and over again.your constantly on my mind,day in and day out.im praying that u remain steadfast,strong,healthy,fearless and most of all prayerful to the most High. When ,and if you feel yourself becoming tired, pray for strength,for God will hear you, and answer.i pray God protects your family,and you the Best of of the Best defense team [heart emoji].”
However, no donor’s note seen by DX admitted to donating multiple times in the same minute or within a few minutes.
At the time of this writing, the GiveSendGo page reports that the fund has had almost 13,000 individual donations.
The fund’s description says, “This is the Official Support Fund for Karmelo and his family during this challenging and difficult time. The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful. As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all of your support during this trying period. Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever. – The Anthony Family.”
The 17-year-old was charged with first-degree murder in Metcalf’s fatal stabbing. A Collin County judge lowered Karmelo Anthony’s bond from $1 million to $250,000 and ordered him to wear an ankle monitor and to stay inside his parents’ home, DX reported on April 14.
The family provided the lowered bond, and social media was flooded with pictures of Karmelo in a private residence that evening.
Karmelo Anthony is SAFE at home.
This moment is a reminder that a community united can never be divided.
The journey ahead is long, but today—we celebrate a victory for justice, for family, and for the power of people coming together to protect our youth.
Thank you to everyone… pic.twitter.com/CjLTkhbIiL
— Minister Dominique Alexander (@niquealex) April 14, 2025
The teen’s father, Andrew Anthony, reportedly said that the donated money would be used for Karmelo’s legal defense and security. He also reportedly added that he plans to move the family into a new house in a gated community.
“This family needs to be able to survive,” defense attorney Mike Howard said. “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.”
The Dallas Express did not observe similar donation patterns in Jeff Metcalf’s GoFundMe, “Honoring Austin Metcalf: Help His Family Heal.”
GiveSendGo was contacted for insights that could explain this donation pattern, but a representative did not immediately respond with a comment.