Police said Ciarre Campbell, the NFL player’s brother, was arrested after a welfare check at the Atlanta home.
ATLANTA, GA — The mother of NFL defensive end Calais Campbell was found dead Tuesday inside a Buckhead townhome, and one of his brothers has been charged with murder, Atlanta police and jail records show.
Nateal Campbell, 71, was found after a family member asked police to check on her at a townhome complex off Roswell Road. Police said the case appeared to grow from a domestic incident inside the home. Ciarre Campbell, 41, was taken into custody at the scene and later booked into the Fulton County Jail.
Officers were called Tuesday afternoon to the Brownstones at Habersham, a townhome complex in the 3500 block of Roswell Road in Buckhead. Police said a man had barricaded himself inside the home before officers forced entry. After entering, officers detained the man and found Nateal Campbell unresponsive inside. Medics pronounced her dead at the scene. Atlanta police Lt. Christopher Butler said investigators were speaking with relatives and neighbors to build a timeline. “We’ve made contact with family members, so we’re trying to determine the exact details of what transpired,” Butler said.
Police have said the victim had injuries, including cuts to her neck, but the Fulton County medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause and manner of death. Authorities have not described the full sequence of events inside the home. Ciarre Campbell was booked on charges of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony. Police said the NFL player connected to the family was not the person detained and was not accused of involvement. Calais Campbell is a former Atlanta Falcons player and current Baltimore Ravens defensive end.
The death drew attention because of the family’s public ties to football, but police described the investigation as a domestic case centered on the Buckhead home. Calais Campbell has played in the NFL since 2008 and has been known for community work through the Charles Richard Campbell Foundation, named for his late father. The Campbell family said in a statement that it had lost its matriarch, Mrs. Nateal Campbell, and said the details of her death were still being investigated. The family also asked for privacy as relatives grieved.
Investigators also looked at past calls to the same address. Butler said police records showed previous calls in April involving the location, including a possible arson incident and reports tied to possible mental health concerns. He said family members had indicated that there may have been mental health issues involving the person detained. Police have not said whether those earlier calls were directly connected to Tuesday’s death. They also have not said whether Ciarre Campbell lived at the townhome at the time.
Search warrants were being pursued as part of the homicide investigation, including warrants tied to the home and possible physical evidence. Defense attorney Jay Abt, who represents Ciarre Campbell, told local media that warrants included the property, clothing and DNA. No first court appearance had been publicly detailed by authorities as of Wednesday morning. The case is expected to move next through Fulton County court proceedings while detectives continue collecting evidence and the medical examiner completes findings.
Neighbors in the Buckhead complex helped police after officers arrived and found the scene unfolding behind the townhome doors. Butler said their accounts were useful to detectives working to place the events in order. The quiet residential setting, near a busy stretch of Roswell Road, was blocked by police activity as investigators worked through the afternoon. Family members later confirmed Nateal Campbell’s identity as relatives and friends of the Campbell family shared grief over her death.
Ciarre Campbell remained in Fulton County custody Wednesday as Atlanta police continued the homicide investigation. The next major steps are expected to include court scheduling, further police updates and the medical examiner’s report.
Author note: Last updated July 1, 2026.