The mother of a well-known NFL player, who spent a year with the Atlanta Falcons, was found dead Tuesday at a Buckhead home, officials said.
And his brother, accused of fatally cutting their mother’s neck, is facing charges, authorities and arrest warrants say.
Ciarre Bryce Campbell was booked into the Fulton County Jail several hours after the incident. He is charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime in the death of 71-year-old Nateal Campbell, records show.
A statement released Wednesday morning to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by football player Calais Campbell’s longtime publicist confirmed the family connection.
“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,” the spokesperson said. “We ask for privacy at this time so that we may honor her and share in our overwhelming grief privately and as a family.”
Nateal Campbell was found unresponsive inside a townhome in the 3500 block of Roswell Road after a 911 call for a wellness check sometime after noon on Tuesday, Atlanta police said. The area is at the intersection of Habersham Road near the iconic Landmark Diner.
When officers arrived, officials said a man appeared to have barricaded himself inside the home. Once police entered, the man was detained.
Nateal Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel.
“What we do know is that this appears to be a domestic incident,” police said at the scene.
Officials said they have been called to the home in the past and referenced an incident connected to a possible mental health-related issue. Fulton online records do not show any previous arrests for Ciarre Campbell.
In early April, an incident report obtained by the AJC states police responded to the address regarding a suspicious person. A man told police that Ciarre Campbell “turned off the power to his house,” and Nateal Campbell told officials her son was not using his medication for schizophrenia, the report details.
According to another incident report, Atlanta police responded to the address in late April and described a situation in which Ciarre Campbell started “a fire to rid the house of the demons.” The 911 caller, who identified herself to police as the man’s sister, said he “did suffer from mental illness,” the report details.
In a separate May incident, a 911 caller, identified as a neighbor, told police Ciarre Campbell was acting “strange” and showed video of him “banging on her front door,” among other things, an officer wrote in a report.
Calais Campbell is not linked to Tuesday’s incident and is not named in any of the previous incident reports.
The 39-year-old played one season as a defensive lineman for the Falcons in 2023. He played the first nine seasons of his 18-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars for three years (2017-19) and then to the Baltimore Ravens (2020-22). He has since had a second stint with the Cardinals (2025) and returned to the Ravens for this season.
A spokesperson with the Baltimore Ravens told the AJC the team was “saddened” to learn about Tuesday’s incident.
“We extend our deepest condolences and full support to Calais and his family during this difficult time. We ask that everyone please respect their privacy while they grieve from this heartbreaking loss,” the spokesperson said.
Calais Campbell won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2019 and was selected the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association in 2017. He is a six-time Pro Bowl selection and was chosen for the 2010s All-Decade Team. He played collegiately at the University of Miami, where he was first-team All-ACC in 2006.
The athlete founded the Charles R. Campbell Foundation along with his family, including Nateal and Ciarre. The organization honors their father and provides mentorship, education and resources to youth, according to its website.
— Senior sports editor Rod Beard contributed to this story.
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