MIAMI FLORIDA, Rene Perez, a Miami, Florida man, has been arrested for allegedly bludgeoning to death his secret co-worker nurse lover, Linda Campitelli, more than a year after her body was found discarded along a roadside after she told her husband she was going out to celebrate her birthday with friends and never returned home.
Authorities say the Florida man, who had been involved in an illicit relationship with his fellow nurse, was arrested more than a year and a half after the killing, with investigators alleging the victim was murdered during a planned “romantic” birthday meet-up.
Rene Perez, 38, was arrested in Miami on Tuesday for allegedly beating Linda Campitelli, a married mother of two daughters, who suffered severe skull and rib fractures at the time of her death. Her body was discovered on the side of a road on October 28, 2024, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Following his arrest, Perez was charged with first-degree murder, using a deadly weapon, and tampering with evidence in connection with the violent attack, NBC6 reported.
The case remained unsolved for more than a year before investigators pieced together digital evidence, surveillance footage, and forensic data that ultimately led to his arrest.
Authorities said the two had arranged to celebrate Campitelli’s birthday together. Both were married at the time and had reportedly been involved in an affair for about two years after meeting while working at Wellington Regional Medical Center, according to an arrest affidavit.
Court documents revealed that the day before the planned meeting, Campitelli sent Perez a message on WhatsApp expressing concern about their plans.
“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 in the message cited in court papers.
Perez reportedly responded by saying 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 replied.
Campitelli left her home that night wearing a red dress and black heels, telling her husband, John, that she was going out to dinner with friends, according to the affidavit.
Investigators later determined that her Chevy Tahoe vehicle arrived at the Retina Group of Florida building in Wellington, where Perez had previously worked.
Authorities said Perez had prepared the vehicle beforehand by placing a blanket that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD” along with medical sheets used to control odor and moisture in the back of the SUV, where the rear seats had been folded down.
Around 10:20 p.m., Campitelli’s body was discovered by police about 50 feet away from the vehicle after several 911 callers reported seeing an unresponsive woman.
According to court records, she suffered blunt force trauma to her head and torso, including four lacerations to her scalp and a fatal buildup of blood inside her skull.
She was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators later ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head and body.
Postmortem marks, drag marks, scuff marks, and severe road rash indicated that the victim may have been dragged before her body was left along the roadway.
Investigators also found blood stains on the Tahoe’s rear driver’s side door handle that appeared to have been partially wiped away. Campitelli’s blood-soaked Apple Watch was recovered from the vehicle’s center console, according to court documents.
Later that evening, surveillance cameras reportedly captured Perez walking toward his workplace at the time, Delray Medical Center, where he was seen discarding an unidentified object into a trash container.
Perez initially told investigators that he had canceled the planned birthday meeting because his son was sick, but text messages reviewed by detectives allegedly contradicted that claim.
Investigators said they interviewed numerous witnesses, issued more than 50 search warrants, and analyzed extensive cellphone records and WhatsApp messages before making the arrest nearly two years after the killing.
Capt. Michael Ott with the Violent Crimes Division said detectives reviewed “hundreds and hundreds” of pieces of cellphone data while building the case, according to WPTV.
Perez appeared in court on Wednesday and was ordered held without bond. He is currently being held at the Palm Beach County Jail.
Authorities have not publicly stated a clear motive for the killing, and it remains unclear why Perez allegedly planned the meeting with Campitelli.
Investigators are asking anyone with additional information to contact Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 1-800-458-TIPS.
