Florida nurse Rene Perez arrested for birthday 'mistress murder'

A 38-year-old Florida man stands accused of the brutal murder of his mistress during a meeting intended to celebrate her 35th birthday.

Rene Perez is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence following the death of Linda Campitelli, a mother of two whose body was discovered on a Palm Beach County road in October 2024.

Forensic evidence suggested a harrowing ordeal; an autopsy confirmed she died of blunt force trauma, while "scuff marks" indicated she had been dragged by a vehicle.

Investigators noted the victim’s heels were "completely worn down" from the force of being compressed against the roadway.

The investigation uncovered a calculated deception. WhatsApp messages revealed Campitelli had expressed nerves before the meeting, telling Perez, "You've never done anything like this for me before."

Perez allegedly replied that he was merely trying to show "I can be romantic." Police later found the victim’s vehicle decorated with a birthday banner, though the interior was ominously covered with hospital sheets.

Perez, a nurse who used a secondary phone to hide the two-year affair from his wife, initially claimed he cancelled the rendezvous to care for his sick son. However, surveillance footage and mobile data directly contradicted his alibi.

"She was smart as a whip and had a near-photographic memory," her family wrote in a moving obituary. Perez remains in custody without bond, with a court hearing scheduled for 9 April. The motive for the slaying remains unclear.