The mother of NFL veteran Calais Campbell was found dead Tuesday in her Atlanta townhome, and a day later police charged his older brother in connection with her death.
Ciarre Campbell, 41, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder, aggravated assault and possession of a knife in the death of 71-year-old Nateal Campbell, according to reports from multiple national and local news outlets.
The Campbell family acknowledged Nateal’s death in a statement released through ESPN, but did not mention Ciarre’s arrest. They wrote:
“We are devastated to share that the Campbell Family has lost its matriarch, Mrs. Nateal Campbell.
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.”
Atlanta news outlets reported that the arrest warrants describe a violent killing, though investigators have not yet said what happened or what may have led to it.
Calais Campbell, now an 18-year NFL veteran, spent one season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. He played for the Jaguars from 2017 to 2019 and starred at the University of Miami in the mid-2000s.
While with the Jaguars, Campbell was named the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. He currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens.
Campbell turns 40 on Sept. 1 and is set to become the sixth player in NFL history to play into his 40s.
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