Calais Campbell is shown with his mother, Nateal (C), at the 2020 NFL Honors, where he was named the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo
Ciarre Campbell, the brother of NFL star Calais Campbell, was charged with murder in connection to the death of his mother, police confirmed.
Fulton County Jail (Ga.) records show that Campbell was booked Wednesday by the Atlanta Police Department. He faces charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, and murder, stemming from the Tuesday incident.
The Campbell family announced Wednesday that Nateal Campbell died and her death was under investigation. She was 71.
“We are devastated to share that the Campbell Family has lost its matriarch, Mrs. Nateal Campbell,” the statement said. “While the details of her passing are still being investigated, we take comfort in knowing she is reunited with our father, her beloved Chuck, and in the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“We ask for privacy at this time so that we may honor her and share in our overwhelming grief privately and as a family.”
Lt. Christapher Butler of the Atlanta Police Department told WSB-TV 2 Atlanta that a concerned family member requested a welfare check. Officers arrived to find Campbell’s body at an Atlanta townhome. A warrant obtained from the outlet accused Ciarre Campbell of cutting his mother’s neck.
His attorney said in a statement on behalf of his client that he would “vigorously protest his innocence.”
Atlanta police issued a statement at 4:15 p.m. EDT Tuesday stating that officers responded to a welfare check at 12:36 p.m. earlier that day and found a male who appeared to be barricaded inside the home. Officers made entry and detained the man before finding an elderly woman, who was declared dead at the scene.
Ciarre Campbell is among the listed co-founders of the Charles Richard Campbell Foundation, which was created by Calais Campbell in the memory if his late father, who died in 2003. His mother and other six siblings also are listed as co-founders of the foundation, which offers reading programs and provides scholarship and other resources to families in need.
Calais Campbell, 39, is entering his 19th NFL season. The six-time Pro Bowl selection and 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year signed with the Baltimore Ravens in April. Ciarre Campbell, 41, played college football at Colorado State and Montana.
Notable deaths of 2026
Clive DavisClive Davis arrives on the red carpet for the Pre-Grammy Gala on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on January 31, 2026. The music mogul died at the age of 94 on June 22. Photo by Caroline Brehman/UPI | License Photo
