The mother of a murder suspect in the stabbing of a Texas high schooler has denied claims that her family used donations sent to them by the public to buy luxury items in a statement she released regarding the treatment of her family since the incident.
Kayla Hayes, the mother of 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, spoke at a press conference regarding the incident on Thursday morning alongside Next Generation Action Network, an advocacy group that has been working with Karmelo's family, according to FOX 4.
Hayes stated that her family has been "threatened, harassed and lied about" since the allegations against her son were revealed.
"And let me be clear, the claims that were used about the public donation, to buy a home or anything else are completely false. We have not received a single dime from the GiveSendGo fundraiser. And the co-founder has stated that clearly. In reality, we were just notified yesterday that we could begin to draw funds. And it still takes seven days to receive those funds once the request is made."
The mother accused the "lies" of putting her family "in danger, as well as everyone in our community, everyone involved in the investigation, from the police, the attorneys and the courts there." She added that her husband had been doxed and that her family's overall mental health was suffering.
Anthony has been accused of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in the chest, killing him, at a Frisco track meet earlier this month following a reported confrontation between the two.
Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, attended the press conference but was asked to leave by law enforcement, a request with which he complied.
