Rene Perez, 38, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly killing his former co-worker, Linda Campitelli, in October 2024. The two were reportedly having an affair before the killing (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office/Palms West Funeral Home & Crematory Inc.)
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A Florida man allegedly lured his former co-worker to a late-night birthday rendezvous with promises of romance during their affair – but investigators say the secret celebration ended in a violent killing.

Nearly a year and a half later, authorities say they have finally identified the man responsible for the brutal death of Linda Campitelli, a married mother who was found beaten to death in a parking lot in Palm Beach County.

Rene Perez, 38, was arrested Tuesday in Miami and charged with first-degree murder, use of a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators allege Perez violently attacked Campitelli on October 28, 2024, after the pair met up to celebrate Campitelli’s birthday. Both were married at the time, and the duo who met while working at Wellington Regional Medical Center. They had been involved in an affair for about two years, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The New York Post.

WhatsApp messages between the two were revealed in the affidavit and appear to show Campitelli expressing uncertainty about their planned meet-up just a day before her murder.

Rene Perez, 38, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly killing his former co-worker, Linda Campitelli, in October 2024. The two were reportedly having an affair before the killing (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
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“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 to Perez on WhatsApp, according to the court documents.

Perez responded: “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.”

On the night Campitelli was murder, she had left her house wearing a red dress and black heels, telling her husband, John, that she was meeting friends for dinner, investigators said.

Her Chevy Tahoe arrived was spotted on surveillance footage arriving at the Retina Group of Florida building in Wellington, where Perez had previously worked, at 9:59 p.m.

According to the affidavit, a photo that was found on Campitelli’s phone showed the back of Perez’s car. Investigators say he had laid down a blanket in his SUV that read, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD,” along with medical sheets used to control odor and moisture.

Campitelli’s body was found in October 2024 after she met up with a man she was having an affair with, cops say (Palms West Funeral Home & Crematory Inc.)

Around 10:20 p.m., Campitelli’s battered body was discovered roughly 50 feet from the vehicle after several 911 callers reported seeing an unresponsive woman. She suffered severe blunt force trauma to her head and torso, four lacerations to her scalp and a fatal accumulation of blood inside her skull, according to court documents.

Perez initially told detectives he had canceled the planned meetup with Campitelli because his son was sick, but authorities say text messages contradicted that claim.

Capt. Michael Ott with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Division told WPTV that investigators interviewed “countless” witnesses, wrote more than 50 search warrants and analyzed “hundreds and hundreds” of pieces of cellphone data while building the case.

Campitelli’s mother, Edina Russo, thanked detectives for continuing to pursue the case saying: “There’s a million emotions. I’m obviously always sad but there’s a sense of closure.”

Perez appeared in court Wednesday and was ordered to be held without bond. He remains at the Palm Beach County Jail.

SOURCE: https://au.news.yahoo.com/married-florida-mom-tragic-final-153037776.html