A Florida nurse has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his former co-worker, with whom he’d been having an affair.
Court documents say that both Rene Perez, 38, and Linda Campitelli were married and had been seeing each other for about two years, communicating via WhatsApp daily, WPTV reported.
Perez and Campitelli were meeting up on October 28, 2024, for a belated birthday celebration for Campitelli, the affidavit said. Surveillance footage shows Campitelli’s Chevrolet Tahoe arriving at the Retina Group of Florida Building, where Perez previously worked, that night and leaving just before 10 p.m.
A photograph from Campitelli’s phone shows the back of her vehicle decorated with a “happy birthday” blanket and medical sheets of the kind used at Perez’s current job at DelRay Medical Center. The vehicle’s rear seats were laid flat.
Detectives said they believe Perez attacked Campitelli there. Her Apple Watch was found near the center console with blood on both sides, and DNA analysis confirmed the blood found in the vehicles belonged to her.
Perez, they said, transported her body in the Tahoe, apparently dragging it behind the vehicle for some distance before abandoning the vehicle — with Campitelli’s body about 50 feet away.
Campitelli suffered blunt force trauma to the head and torso, a skull fracture, rib fractures, and contusions on the upper back and neck. There were post mortem road rash injuries that were consistent with the body being dragged.
Deputies found the Tahoe still running with the front driver’s side tire flat, suggesting that the vehicle had been purposely disabled.
Later that night, Perez was seen on surveillance cameras pulling up at Delray Medical Center and throwing something near in trash near the doctor’s entrance before driving home.
Perez told detectives he had cancelled his planned rendezvous with Campitelli that night, but detectives said there were not WhatsApp or text messages to corroborate the claim. He had also bought and was using a prepaid phone.
Perez was arrested Tuesday in Miami and brought back to Palm Beach County, where he’s being held without bond after a court appearance on Wednesday.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Captain Michael Ott said at a press conference for a different case on Wednesday that investigators had interviewed “countless” witnesses, executed dozens of search warrants, and looked at hundreds and hundreds of hours” of cell phone date. But, he said, a crucial piece of that data wasn’t identified until recently, leading to Perez’s arrest.
According to Law&Crime, Perez and Campitelli, a mother of two, met when they were working together. The 26-page affidavit did not speculate on a motive for the brutal murder.
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[Featured image: Rene Perez/Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]
