Rene Perez, Miami, Florida man arrested bludgeoning to death his secret co-worker nurse lover, Linda Campitelli almost a year and half her body was found discarded along street after telling her husband she was going out to celebrate her birthday with friends only to never return home.
A Florida man previously involved in an illicit love affair with his fellow co worker nurse has been arrested in her murder more than a year and half later after allegedly killing her during a ‘romantic’ birthday meet-up.
Rene Perez, 38, was arrested in Miami on Tuesday for allegedly beating his victim, Linda Campitelli, a married mom to two girls, who sustained severe skull and rib fractures at the time of her death and whose discarded body was found discarded on the side of the road on October 28, 2024, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Perez upon his arrest was charged with first-degree murder, deadly weapon and tampering with evidence charges for the violent beatdown, NBC6 reported.
Victim had been apprehensive prior to meeting her secret co-worker nurse lover
The bludgeoned nurse’s case went unsolved for more than a year before investigators pieced together digital evidence, surveillance footage, and forensic data to make an arrest.
The two secret lovers planned to celebrate Campitelli’s birthday. The pair were both married at the time and had been having an affair for roughly two years after meeting at the Wellington Regional Medical Center, where they both worked according to an arrest affidavit.
The day before the alleged meet up, Campitelli messaged Perez on WhatsApp that she was feeling ‘a little nervous’ about their planned get together.
‘I LOVE YOU, I FEEL KINDA WEIRD. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT TOMORROW. YOU’VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOR ME BEFORE AND I FEEL A LITTLE NERVOUS’ Campitelli wrote, according to court papers.
Perez responded, telling Campitelli he was trying to show his romantic side.
‘LOL, IT’S NO BIG DEAL. JUST TRYING TO SHOW U THAT I CAN BE ROMANTIC. IT PROBABLY WONT BE AS GOOD AS WHAT YOUVE DONE FOR ME,’ he wrote.
Miami nurse bludgeons co-worker lover to death on her birthday
Campitelli left her home that night in a red dress and black heels, telling her husband, John, that she was dining out with her friends, according to the affidavit.
Authorities determined that her Chevy Tahoe vehicle later arrived at the Retina Group of Florida Building in Wellington, where Perez previously worked.
In preparation, Perez had laid down a blanket that said ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD,’ as well as medical sheets used to control odor and moisture in the back of the Tahoe with the rear seats laid flat, court papers said.
At around 10:20 p.m., Campitelli’s body was discovered by police 50 feet away from the car — after several 911 callers reported seeing an unresponsive woman.
She suffered blunt force trauma to her head and torso, four lacerations to her scalp and a fatal accumulation of blood in her skull, according to court papers.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death was later ruled a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head and body.
Postmortem marks, drag and scuff marks and severe road rash indicated that she had possibly been dragged. Blood stains on the Tahoe’s rear driver’s side door handle showed someone had attempted to wipe blood away and Campitelli’s blood-soaked Apple Watch was found in the center console, court documents revealed.
50 search warrants, and analyzed ‘hundreds and hundreds’ of cell phone data, WhatsApp messages lead to arrest
Later that evening, Perez was seen on surveillance cameras walking toward his workplace at the time, Delray Medical Center — and tossing something unknown into the trash.
Perez claimed to cops he canceled his secret celebration with Campitelli because his son was sick, though text messages contradicted the alleged alibi.
Detectives interviewed ‘countless’ witnesses, wrote more than 50 search warrants, and analyzed ‘hundreds and hundreds’ of cell phone data to arrest Perez for the crime nearly two years later, Capt. Michael Ott with the Violent Crimes Division detailed at a press conference, according to WPTV.
The nurse was ordered held without bond during his appearance in court Wednesday. He remains behind bars at the Palm Beach County Jail. Not immediately clear is why Perez had allegedly planned on killing his secret lover and why he hadn’t simply walked away? Or whether he feared being found out? Or simply wanted out?
Investigators are asking anyone with additional information to contact Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 1-800-458-TIPS.
