Police discovered a 71-year-old woman dead at an Atlanta home during a welfare check Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to charge her son with murder in what has become a tragedy for one of the NFL's prominent defensive players.
Officers arrived at the residence around 12:30 p.m. and found Nateal Campbell unresponsive. According to arrest warrants, her throat had been cut. Ciarre Campbell, the woman's son, was found in possession of a knife at the scene.
Ciarre Campbell was taken into custody and booked into the Fulton County jail. He faces charges including murder and aggravated assault, with an initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday morning. Court records show no attorney listed to comment on the allegations.
The victim was the mother of Calais Campbell, a defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens who is beginning his 19th season in professional football. The 39-year-old signed a one-year contract worth $5.5 million with Baltimore this past April.
Campbell has built one of the most distinguished careers in recent defensive football history. A 2017 first-team AP All-Pro selection, he has been voted to the Pro Bowl six times. He was drafted in the second round in 2008 by Arizona, where he spent a decade before moving to Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Miami. His career totals include 117 sacks across 278 games, with 259 of those appearances as a starter. He attended the University of Miami.
The Campbell family released a statement expressing their desire for privacy as they grieve. "We are devastated to share that the Campbell Family has lost its matriarch, Mrs Nateal Campbell," the family 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."
Author James Rodriguez: "A tragedy that cuts to the heart of an NFL family at the height of a star player's career, this case will test the resilience of both a household and a locker room in Baltimore."
Comments