Widow speaks out: Newnan man killed in Colorado, wife claims police didn't respond

NEWNAN, Ga. - The woman who said she received a desperate text from her husband indicating he had been taken hostage, but claims police did not response until an hour later, is breaking her silence. Tali’Ja Campbell says by the time she found him he had been shot and killed. 

After the tragedy, she says she plans to move her family back to Georgia from Colorado Springs following his death. Her husband, Qualin Campbell, who is originally from Newnan, moved the family out to Colorado about a year ago to get a fresh start.

The 31-year-old father of two was found shot to death along with another man in an apparent murder-suicide.

"My heart is truly broken. He was my everything, my soulmate, my confidant, our protector, our provider," widow Tali’Ja Campbell said.

Tali'Ja Campbell fights back tears as she discusses finding her husband dead. (FOX 5)

Ms. Campbell says her husband untimely death has robbed her of everything.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said it found two deceased adult males at the location that Talija Campbell said she feared her husband Qualin Campbell was being held by another man on June 2. It said the officers responded to a report of a shooting there at 2:09 p.m.

"He sent me a picture of a man in his car. He sent me his location and the message following the picture said, ‘911!’ ‘Send Please!’" Talija Campbell said.

Talija Campbell said she called 911 just after 1 p.m. when her husband, a father of two, l texted his location and a photo of a man sitting next to him in his car. Then he sent messages saying "911" and "Send Please!" She called the emergency number. (Supplied)

Campbell said she told one dispatcher that she believed her husband had been taken hostage, described his car and his location, which was about a mile away from the headquarters of the Colorado Springs Police Department. She was then transferred to a dispatcher responsible for taking Colorado Springs calls. The first dispatcher briefed the second dispatcher on what Campbell reported, she said, before Campbell said she explained what she knew again to the second dispatcher. The dispatcher said an officer would check it out and get back to her, but there was no sense of urgency, Campbell said, so she drove to the location herself.

"There was no police there. I saw his car immediately, so I parked next to it," Talija Campbell said fighting back tears. "I’m sorry. What I could see through his windshield is that he was slumped over."

Talija Campbell said she called 911 just after 1 p.m. when her husband, a father of two, l texted his location and a photo of a man sitting next to him in his car. Then he sent messages saying "911" and "Send Please!" She called the emergency number. (Supplied)

She said when she saw another man next to her husband who was also slumped over. She felt to her knees and started screaming. As other people gathered around, they debated whether they should open the car door after seeing a gun on the lap of the other man, who appeared to be unconscious but did not have any visible injuries, she said.

Campbell said she decided to open the door to try to save her husband, who had been bleeding, but found no pulse on his neck or wrist.

The wife and mother believed she shouldn’t have even been the first on the scene. She realized the police had failed her. She says more than an hour had passed since she made the initial call.

"And it wasn’t until my uncle made a second phone call that the police came, when he said there are two males dead and there’s one in the car with a gun," she said with tears in her eyes.

Investigators labeled it a murder-suicide. No motive has been released.

The police department issues a statement a few days later reading:

"We are aware there is information circulating about this case, and we understand the concerns and questions that arise as a result. We will continue to gather all relevant details about Mr. Campbell’s death and ensure the accuracy of our findings."

Now, as the public ask for answers, Qualin Campbell’s family is preparing to bury him.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. June 17 at Summerhill Baptist Church of Newnan.

Campbell is being represented by civil rights attorney Harry Daniels and Chantel Cherry-Lassiter. He says Qualin attended the University of West Georgia and was a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

The Associated Press contributed to this report