Palm Beach County authorities have arrested a 38-year-old man in connection with the brutal 2024 roadside killing of Linda Campitelli, a local nurse and mother.
Rene J. Perez faces charges of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and tampering with physical evidence following a year-long investigation into the death of the 35-year-old victim. Investigators allege that what was intended to be a clandestine birthday celebration in the backseat of a vehicle ended in a violent homicide.
The Discovery and Initial Investigation
On the night of October 28, 2024, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies responded to multiple 911 calls regarding an unresponsive woman lying on a road in Lantana. Upon arrival, officers discovered Campitelli “bleeding profusely” from the mouth with a severe gash to her head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The location of the body provided the first major clue: Campitelli was found just feet away from a vehicle belonging to her husband. However, her husband was not initially a suspect; authorities had to wake him at his residence to notify him of the tragedy.
A “Romantic” Setup Turned Crime Scene
According to a probable cause affidavit, the interior of the vehicle suggested a planned celebration. Investigators discovered:
- Medical sheets spread across the backseat.
- A blanket or table cover with the inscription: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD.”
- Significant physical evidence of a struggle, including “drag or scuff marks” near the body and swelling around the victim’s eye.
Campitelli, who had celebrated her 35th birthday just two weeks prior to her death, had reportedly been leading a double life. Friends of the victim identified Perez as a man with whom she was having an affair.
The Digital Trail
The breakthrough in the case came through a forensic analysis of Campitelli’s phone. Records revealed a consistent stream of intimatecommunication and photographs exchanged between the victim and a number registered to Perez…