The high-profile murder trial of Karmelo Anthony has taken another bizarre and highly controversial turn just days after a Texas jury found him guilty. Breaking her long-standing silence immediately after the court handed down a 35-year prison sentence, Anthony’s girlfriend, Valeria Perez, has made a public move that is drawing fierce criticism from the public and social media users alike.

The legal saga concluded following Anthony’s conviction for the fatal 2025 stabbing of Austin Metcalf. On Wednesday morning, June 10, the inmate was officially transferred from the Collin County Jail to the Wallace Pack Unit, a correctional facility located near Houston, Texas, where he is scheduled to serve out his lengthy sentence.

In the immediate aftermath of his sentencing, Perez took to TikTok to publicly declare her unwavering allegiance to the convicted murderer. Sharing a montage of intimate photographs documenting their relationship, she referred to Anthony as her “sweet boy” and urged him to remain resilient behind bars. In her emotional caption, she wrote that he was not alone and promised that an ongoing battle for his freedom was underway, concluding her message with a declaration of love.

However, it was Perez’s subsequent actions on another social media platform that ignited widespread public fury. Rather than quietly supporting her partner through his legal appeals, Perez established an “Official Fan Page” on Instagram under the handle StandWithKarmeloAnthony. The account explicitly campaigns for his release with the slogan “Free Karmelo,” transforming a convicted killer into an online figurehead and sparking a massive wave of backlash from critics who view the page as deeply disrespectful to the victim’s memory.

The online campaign stands in stark contrast to the reaction of Austin Metcalf’s grieving relatives. According to reports from TMZ, the Metcalf family expressed immense satisfaction and relief regarding both the guilty verdict and the 35-year penalty imposed by the court.

Despite the family’s closure, the conviction has deeply polarized the internet. A vocal faction of online supporters maintains that Anthony did not receive a fair trial within the Collin County legal system. Central to the brewing controversy are allegations of systemic bias, with critics pointing out that the jury responsible for deciding Anthony’s fate was entirely white. Anthony is currently in the process of appealing the judicial outcome while acclimating to his new life inside the state penitentiary.

The drama surrounding the case has also been fueled by intense scrutiny over a massive defense fund. A GiveSendGo crowdfunding campaign, initiated by Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, successfully generated approximately $625,000 during the pre-trial phase. The fundraiser had to be completely rebuilt after the platform hosting the initial campaign unexpectedly deleted it.

The sheer volume of the donations quickly birthed an array of unsubstantiated rumors across the internet. Speculation ran rampant that Anthony’s family had misappropriated the legal funds to finance an upscale lifestyle, with accusations claiming they purchased high-end luxury goods and a brand-new residence. While these viral allegations continue to circulate wildly across social media platforms, no definitive evidence has ever been produced to validate the claims of financial misconduct.