Florida Nurse Arrested In Brutal Birthday Murder Of Married Co‑Worker Lover
Florida Nurse Arrested in Brutal Birthday Murder of Married Co‑Worker Lover A 38‑year‑old Florida nurse has been arrested and charged with first‑degree murder after brutally killing a married colleague whom he had been having a two‑year extramarital affair with, authorities said.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the victim, Linda Campitelli, a 35‑year‑old married mother and fellow nurse, was beaten so severely that she sustained skull and rib fractures before dying in what investigators described as a premeditated attack. Prosecutors say Rene J. Perez, who worked with Campitelli at Wellington Regional Medical Center, lured her to a birthday rendezvous on 28 October 2024 on the pretext of celebrating her birthday. Records show he had laid out a romantic setting in the back of his Chevy Tahoe, including a blanket emblazoned with a birthday message and absorbent medical sheets. Campitelli had texted Perez the day before, expressing a mixture of love and nervousness about the meeting, messages prosecutors highlighted during a press briefing. Later that night, witnesses called 911 to report an unresponsive woman near the vehicle. Investigators say her body was found about 50 feet from the car, showing signs she had been dragged at the scene.
Sheriff’s detectives executed more than 50 search warrants, interviewed dozens of witnesses and analyzed extensive cell‑phone data in the months after the killing. Perez was located and arrested in Miami in March 2026, nearly 17 months after the murder. He is currently jailed without bond.
According to arrest documents, Perez attempted to mislead law enforcement with a false alibi claiming he had canceled the planned meet‑up because of a sick child but evidence, including recorded chats and surveillance footage, contradicted his story. He now faces charges of first‑degree murder, possession of a deadly weapon during a felony and tampering with evidence in connection with the homicide. The shocking nature of the murder involving two married professionals and a planned romantic setup that turned into violence has stunned the local community and reignited debates over domestic violence and workplace safety. Law enforcement officials have criticised Perez’s alleged actions as a “betrayal of trust that ended in senseless bloodshed.”
No additional details have been released about potential motives beyond the alleged affair and the planning of the rendezvous, and police have asked anyone with further information to come forward as the case proceeds through the legal system.
