A man in New Mexico shot his brother to death with a rifle and laid down “next to him on the ground” as he waited for authorities to arrive.
The Albuquerque Police Department confirmed that Benjamin Chess is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence after he shot his 54-year-old brother Adam Chess at their apartment in Albuquerque, according to a news release viewed by Law & Crime.
A neighbor called police after Adam, 55, stumbled out of the apartment around 7 p.m. on February 26. He allegedly told the resident that “his brother … had shot him,” according to police.
“Officers arrived and located Adam Chess in front of the apartment,” police said in the release. “His brother, Benjamin, was lying next to him on the ground.”
The neighbor who called 911 reported that they saw Benjamin leave the apartment after the shooting with a trash bag, which he placed in a receptacle. Investigators looked through the trash bag and allegedly found a bullet casing while executing a search warrant.
A woman who lives in the same apartment — who police identified as the brothers’ aunt — allegedly told detectives that Benjamin was staying with her at the time of the incident.
She added Adam would come over sometimes to stay and that the brothers “often fought with each other” during his visits, per the police press release.
“The aunt told officers she heard the two men arguing on Thursday and saw Adam ‘charge’ at Benjamin but did not see either of them with any weapons,” the release stated. “She went inside and reported hearing a ‘loud bang.’ She then saw Benjamin place a brown rifle into a laundry basket in the hallway.”
Benjamin Chess told detectives that Adam “had a history of drinking alcohol on a daily basis and starting confrontations.” He also claimed that Adam’s behavior was “slowly killing” him and his family members. However, he did not share specific examples of the behavior he was referring to.
“Benjamin Chess said he remembered his brother returning to the apartment on Thursday evening and pounding on the door,” the release stated. “He said he did not remember what happened after that. He only recalled marching down the hallway, and he had shot his brother with a rifle.”
While speaking to police, Benjamin allegedly claimed that he did not remember removing the rifle from a case in his bedroom or loading the rifle with ammunition. “He only remembers being overwhelmed by the pounding on the door,” police said in the release.
After Benjamin was arrested, he was booked into the Metro Detention Center on Friday, February 27. He is currently being held without bond, according to online court records viewed by Us Weekly. A future court date regarding the case is not yet listed.
It is not currently clear if Benjamin has entered a plea or retained legal representation. The Albuquerque Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the arrest.
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