Rene Perez, a 38-year-old nurse in Florida, faces first-degree murder charges for allegedly beating his extramarital lover, Linda Campitelli, to death inside her Chevrolet Tahoe before dragging her body along the road. The incident occurred during what was supposed to be a birthday celebration for the 35-year-old victim in Palm Beach County. Authorities uncovered evidence of their two-year affair and contradictions in Perez's account through messages, surveillance, and vehicle forensics.
On October 28, 2024, deputies in Palm Beach County, Florida, discovered the body of Linda Campitelli around 11:15 p.m., lying in a pool of blood beside her Chevrolet Tahoe. The 35-year-old nurse had suffered a large laceration on her head, bruising around her right eye, and scuff marks consistent with road rash from being dragged by a vehicle. An autopsy determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and torso. Police noted that the back portions of her heels were completely worn down, disfigured, and distorted, indicating she had been compressed against the roadway with force after death.
Investigators learned that Campitelli was involved in a two-year extramarital affair with Rene Perez, a 38-year-old former co-worker and fellow nurse. The pair had planned to meet that evening to celebrate her birthday. WhatsApp messages from the day before revealed Campitelli's nervousness: "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." Perez replied that there was nothing to worry about, adding that he was trying to show "I can be romantic." They agreed to meet at 7:30 p.m.
A photo recovered from Campitelli's phone showed the Tahoe's back seats folded down, covered with hospital bed sheets and a blanket displaying a "Happy Birthday" message affixed to the ceiling. The image placed her vehicle in a dimly lit parking lot near a medical facility. Forensic examination of the Tahoe revealed blood spatter throughout, including permeation through the rear speakers, suggesting profuse bleeding during transport.
Perez admitted to the affair but claimed he canceled the meeting due to his son's illness, a message authorities could not find. Surveillance video from his workplace contradicted his statement that he left around 11 p.m.; it showed him departing at 6:30 p.m. in his Honda Accord, returning near midnight, and leaving shortly after. He also said he lost his primary phone, but video from an AT&T store showed him using it while purchasing a replacement. Detectives believe he deleted messages from a second phone used for the affair and discarded the shoes worn that night.
Perez's vehicle was placed near the rendezvous site. No motive was specified in the 26-page arrest affidavit. He was arrested on a Tuesday and held without bond at Palm Beach County Jail, with his next court date set for April 9. Campitelli, who grew up in Miami, married her husband in 2016 and had two daughters; her obituary described her as adventurous with a near-photographic memory.