The Latest Development In Karmelo Anthony’s Case Comes With Baggage

So-called racial justice activist and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt was tapped by the Karmelo Anthony family to assemble the convicted murderer’s new legal team.

Anthony was convicted earlier this month for the murder of Austin Metcalf, 17, and has been sentenced to 35 years behind bars. The Anthony family has made clear that they will fight the conviction.

“Immediately after the conviction, Karmelo Anthony’s father reached out to me and asked for help assembling a new legal team to fight for his son’s future,” Merritt posted to X on Tuesday. “From that moment, we have been working nonstop to bring together experienced appellate and civil rights attorneys to review every aspect of this case and pursue relief through the courts.”

Merritt has worked with the families in high-profile racially-charged cases, including those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. He’s also known for advancing false rape and kidnapping claims against a Texas trooper, before body cam debunked the accusations.

“Today’s filing, formally replacing prior counsel and placing this new team on the record, is the first step in that process,” Merritt continued. “We remain committed to ensuring that Karmelo receives a full and fair review of his conviction and sentence, consistent with both the evidence and the law.”

“This is not about headlines; it is about due process, accountability, and the pursuit of justice for a young man whose life now depends on what happens on appeal,” he added.

The new legal team includes Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, appellate lawyer Russell Wilson II, and civil rights attorney Brooke Cluse, as first reported by TMZ. Journalist Sarah Fields highlighted on Tuesday that Cluse joined Ben Crump Law in 2023 and currently serves as chief of staff and executive liaison to Crump, another widely known racial activist and attorney. Crump was involved in the racially charged cases of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and Michael Brown, wherein he notably propagated the false “hands up, don’t shoot!” narrative.

Fields reported that Bledsoe was recently called out by a judge for potential misuse of artificial intelligence in a filing, but was able to dodge sanctions after an apology.

NEW LEGAL TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR KARMELO ANTHONY APPEAL

A team including Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, appellate attorney Russell Wilson II, and civil rights attorney Brooke Cluse has announced it is taking over Karmelo Anthony’s case and “will pursue all available avenues of… pic.twitter.com/CWDkSepFSP

— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) June 22, 2026

Days after Anthony was sentenced for the Metcalf murder, he claimed in a court filing that he was broke and couldn’t afford legal representation, despite the Anthony family receiving more than $635,000 through a crowdfunding campaign.

A filing formally requested a court-appointed appellate attorney, stating that Anthony is a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal,” according to WFAA.

During an interview on “The Will Cain Show,” Jeff Metcalf, father of Austin Metcalf, said the Anthony family was monetizing his son’s death. Jeff said Anthony’s parents left the courtroom for the reading of victim-impact statements and for their son’s sentencing.

Related: ‘F*ck Austin!’: Karmelo Anthony Supporters Harass, Threaten Friends Of Slain Teen Outside Courthouse