Man Charged in Killing Brother Over Alleged Drinking Problem

Albuquerque –

Benjamin Chase of Albuquerque is accused of fatally shooting his brother during an argument at a Northeast Albuquerque apartment, according to police.

Albuquerque Police Department officers were dispatched around 6:55 PM on Feb. 26 to 2800 Palo Verde Drive NE after a caller reported a shooting. The caller told police that his neighbor, later identified as Adam Chess, 54, had been shot and that Adam’s brother, Benjamin Chess, 55, said he had fired the shot.

According to the criminal complaint, officers arrived to find Adam Chess lying in the parking lot outside Apartment A. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Benjamin Chess was detained after officers said he admitted to shooting his brother.

The neighbor told police that while on the phone with 911, he saw Benjamin Chess remove a trash bag from the apartment and place it in a trash receptacle outside.

An aunt who lives at the apartment told detectives the brothers frequently argued. She said she heard them arguing Thursday and saw Adam “charge” at Benjamin but did not see either man with a weapon. She went inside and later heard a “loud bang,” then saw Benjamin place a brown rifle in a laundry basket.

After obtaining a search warrant, investigators said they found a single .243-caliber shell casing inside a trash bag in a garbage can near the driveway.

Police also recovered a .243-caliber rifle from a laundry basket in the hallway of the apartment. Investigators said the bolt-action rifle appeared to have been cycled, consistent with a casing being removed.

During an interview, Benjamin Chess told detectives his brother had a history of heavy alcohol use and confrontational behavior, describing it as “slowly killing us all.” He said he remembered his brother pounding on the door but did not recall retrieving or loading the rifle. He said he only remembered being overwhelmed and then realizing he had shot his brother. He also told investigators he did not recall removing the spent casing and throwing it away.

Benjamin Chess was charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence and booked into the Metro Detention Center.