Benjamin Chess, 55, faces an open count of murder and tampering with evidence after allegedly shooting his brother Adam Chess, 54, dead during an argument at their Northeast Albuquerque apartment on February 26, 2026. Officers found Adam wounded outside and Benjamin lying next to him; a neighbor’s 911 call reported Adam saying his brother shot him, and Benjamin was seen discarding a trash bag containing a bullet casing.
Incident Sequence
The brothers’ aunt, living nearby, heard them arguing outside; she saw Adam charge at Benjamin before retreating inside and hearing a gunshot, then spotting Benjamin stash a brown rifle in a laundry basket. Benjamin claimed no memory of loading or firing the rifle from his bedroom case, only being overwhelmed by Adam’s door-pounding after his return—citing Adam’s daily drinking and fights as “slowly killing us all.”
Legal Status
Prosecutors seek no bond; Benjamin was booked into Metro Detention Center without a listed court date. The history of physical and verbal clashes between the siblings framed his account to detectives.
