When 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony was charged with fatally stabbing a classmate in Texas, GoFundMe shut down his fundraiser.
So his supporters moved the campaign to GiveSendGo, where it’s still live and has raised over $230,000.
Yes, you read that right.
You can raise money for someone accused of murder.
There’s no national law that stops people from doing it. And while platforms can make their own rules, they don’t always agree.
GoFundMe says no to violent crime defense funds.
GiveSendGo basically says, “Free speech, free wallet.”
It’s happened before too.
When Kyle Rittenhouse was charged in 2020, he raised hundreds of thousands on GiveSendGo.
Same with Luigi Mangione, the guy accused of shooting a healthcare CEO in cold blood — he pulled in $120K before his trial.
None of these campaigns were illegal.
But legal doesn’t always mean okay.
Critics call it blood money. Supporters say everyone deserves a fair trial. Some call it justice, others say it’s just gross.
One thing’s clear, if your platform allows it, and your pitch doesn’t break terms of service, you can fundraise for pretty much anything.
Even murder. And people do.