ATLANTA -- A brother of Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell has been charged with murder after police found their 71-year-old mother dead at a home in Atlanta during a welfare check. His family told police he struggled with mental illness.
Arrest warrants say Nateal Campbell's throat was cut and Ciarre Campbell, Calais Campbell's brother, was found in possession of a knife. Officers found her unresponsive when they arrived at around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a police statement.
Ciarre Campbell, 41, was booked into the Fulton County Jail, where he was being held without bond, and waived his initial court hearing Wednesday on charges including aggravated assault and murder. A lawyer listed for him in online court records did not immediately return an email and voicemail seeking comment on the charges.
In a 911 call released by police, an unidentified man can be heard asking for a wellness check. He tells the dispatcher that he is outside his mother's house with his brother and sister-in-law and that they're trying to get inside. He said they can see another brother, who is "mentally ill" and lives with their mother, inside the home. He said the brother inside said their mother left but a neighbor's camera footage shows she didn't.
Police records show that before Tuesday, officers had received nine calls for service to that address since September for a variety of reasons, including a fight in progress, a suspicious person and an earlier welfare check.
According to a police incident report, a sister of Ciarre Campbell called police on April 24 and said her brother was inside the house and had "started a fire to rid the house of the demons." The sister told an officer that her mother lived there but had not been at the home for a week because Ciarre Campbell "has overtaken the home."
Neighbors called the police on multiple occasions to report disturbances, and Nateal Campbell told an officer in mid-April that her son had not been taking medication prescribed to treat schizophrenia, reports show.
The Campbell family issued a statement asking for privacy while they deal with "overwhelming grief."
"We are devastated to share that the Campbell Family has lost its matriarch, Mrs. Nateal Campbell," the family 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."
Calais Campbell, 39, is entering his 19th NFL season after signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Baltimore in April. He is the oldest active defensive player in the NFL going into the 2026 season. He will be 40 on Sept. 1.
"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 Ravens said in a statement posted to social media.
The 2017 first-team AP All-Pro selection has been voted to the Pro Bowl six times in a career that started as a second-round pick in 2008 with the Arizona Cardinals.
"At this time of unfathomable tragedy, our hearts are with Calais Campbell and his family. We hope they find strength and comfort in the love, prayers, and support that surround them now and in the days ahead," the Cardinals said in a statement posted to social media.
The former Miami Hurricanes player spent 10 seasons with the Cardinals and also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.
Campbell has 117 career sacks in 278 games, including 259 starts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
