A suspect has been charged in the shooting death of a man over an alleged drug dispute last year in Southeast Albuquerque.
Frank Madrid Jr., 48, is charged with an open count of murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence in the Sept. 15 killing of Jeffrey Campbell, 47. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
Federal authorities on Sept. 28 arrested Madrid in Las Vegas for violating his conditions of pretrial release and he is jailed at the San Miguel County Detention Center, according to court records. Madrid was allegedly trying to set a SUV on fire at the time of the arrest and police say it was the same vehicle he used during the homicide.
Inside the SUV were drugs and multiple guns — one of them stolen.
Madrid’s criminal history dates back to 2003 and includes arrests on domestic violence, robbery and drug possession charges.
Madrid’s previous case was from April 2021, when authorities working an anti-gang operation found him in a vehicle with a gun and drugs, according to court records. The case was handed off to federal authorities and Madrid violated his conditions of release, was re-arrested on Sept. 9 and re-released.
Less than a week later, police responded around 1:30 a.m. to a shooting in the 200 block of Española NE, near Central and Louisiana, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Officers found Campbell had been shot twice and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said a bag of fentanyl pills was found in his sock and two 9mm casings were found nearby. A witness told police he heard three gunshots and a man yelling “ouch” before seeing a vehicle leave the area.
Police found three people who told them Madrid — known on the streets as “Benzo” — shot Campbell over 200 fentanyl pills he stole from Madrid, according to the complaint. One person told police they were 20 feet away when Madrid drove a white SUV down the street, stopped and demanded the pills from Campbell.
Police said the person told them Madrid shot Campbell multiple times, rummaged through his pockets and left in the SUV. Another witness told police Madrid gave her cocaine to “check on” Campbell and was “bragging” about the shooting.
When U.S. Marshals arrested Madrid for trying to torch the white SUV in Las Vegas, he refused to speak with the homicide detective, according to the complaint.
Police found Madrid’s phone in the SUV and in a text message Madrid said he had shot someone within hours of Campbell’s death.
Police said a search of the phone records showed Madrid was in the area of the homicide when the shooting occurred.
