The family of Karmelo Anthony, the accused teenage killer, decided against holding a scheduled press conference when Austin Metcalf’s father unexpectedly arrived at the event.
Anthony, 17, is accused of senselessly stabbing the 17-year-old football star to death at a track meet on April 2.
Next Generation, an advocacy group, mediated a confrontational situation between the two families on Thursday, expressing that they would only address the media once Jeff Metcalf departed from the premises, as detailed by ABC affiliate WFAA.
Next Generation asked the dad to leave and threatened to call the cops, but he refused to budge, reporters at the scene said.
Although Anthony’s family argues that there is a court order preventing interactions between the families, official records indicate that only Anthony himself has been prohibited from contacting the Metcalfs.
Anthony did not attend the hearing.
The teen was arrested and held on a $1 million bail, but his family paid to get him out on Monday when the judgment was reduced to $250,000.
Anthony was cuffed when he admitted that he had stabbed Metcalf to death, but now he’s pleaded not guilty to charges and said the attack was self-defense.
The heartless killing has sparked an online firestorm, with supporters of Anthony’s family rushing to donate money to his case.
An online fundraiser for the family amassed $450,000, which they claim is going towards security measures for the teen.
The family has claimed that they’ve been inundated with racist threats, and now fear for their safety.
Once Anthony was sprung from jail, he joined his parents in a $863,000 mansion that they had just started renting.
Neighbors claim that the family has been ordering a flurry of Amazon packages and had a Domino’s pizza delivered to their home, according to the Daily Mail.
In the online fundraiser, Anthony’s family has insisted the fund is “not solely dedicated to legal expenses” and said they were expensing a “safe relocation.”
Anthony allegedly murdered Metcalf after the two got in a fight over a seat, and the teen died in his heartbroken twin brother’s arms, according to police.
Austin’s dad said the attack happened moments after a person sitting behind his sons was “mouthing off.”
Karmelo Anthony’s house arrest
Karmelo Anthony was released on $250,000 bond after a judge reduced it from $1 million on Monday.
Anthony had been in Collin County jail since he was arrested on April 2 and charged with the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
The teen is now on house arrest in his parents’ house with an ankle monitor.
He is not allowed to use social media.
He can’t contact Metcalf’s family in any way.
Anthony can only leave his house with prior approval from the court, and he must be supervised by a parent at all times.
He is required to check in with the judge’s bailiff every Friday morning.
Anthony will return to jail if he breaks any of the house arrest conditions.
“They were sitting there, and someone was behind them mouthing off, and they turned around and said, ‘Who are you?'” Jeff told Fox affiliate KDFW.
Since his murder, the heartbroken Metcalf family has had to squash online rumors claiming the son died from a drug overdose after fake autopsy reports circulated online.
