The messages started quietly — short, unsettling texts that seemed to hint at something far more complicated beneath the surface. What appeared to be a private conversation between a nurse and a 35-year-old mother soon took on a darker tone, especially once investigators began piecing together what led up to the woman’s disappearance. According to reports, the nurse had been communicating with the married co-worker the victim was allegedly involved with. But in the days before the tragedy, those exchanges reportedly shifted in a way that now feels chilling in hindsight. Friends say the mother believed she was meeting someone to clear the air. Instead, that meeting would become the last time anyone saw her alive. When authorities later uncovered the text messages sent beforehand, they described them as deeply unsettling — words that now read very differently knowing what happened next. What exactly was written in those final messages, and how did they lead to a meeting that ended in such a devastating outcome? The full timeline reveals a story investigators say few people saw coming.
A NURSE allegedly beat his married ex-colleague to death after luring her with texts promising a romantic birthday celebration.
Rene Perez, 38, was arrested a year and a half after a Linda Campitelli was killed.
Linda Campitelli was beaten to death
Campitelli died after sustaining skull and rib fractures in October 2024.
Perez was arrested on Tuesday in Miami, Florida, said Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
He was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence.
Campitelli and Perez were both married and were having an affair for around two years after meeting at Wellington Regional Medical Center, where they both worked, reports The New York Post.
Nurse told affair partner he wanted to be “romantic”
They met on October 28, 2024, to celebrate Campitelli’s birthday. She told her husband that she was meeting her friends, according to reports.
Court papers show that Campitelli texted Perez on WhatsApp to say she was nervous about the meetup.
“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.
“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,” Perez replied.
Campitelli texted Perez on WhatsApp to say she was nervous about the meetup
Her car arrived at the Retina Group of Florida Building in Wellington, where Perez previously worked, said police.
Perez had put down a blanket that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD”.
He also had medical sheets used to control odor and moisture in the back of the car, which had its back seats laid down flat, court records show.
Campitelli’s body was found at 10:20pm 50 feet from her car.
She had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and torso, four lacerations to her scalp and a fatal build-up of blood in her skull.
Rene Perez, 38, was arrested a year and a half after a Linda Campitelli was killed
Linda Campitelli and Rene Perez were involved in a romantic relationship, according to court records
Campitelli appeared to have been dragged from her car, as indicated by scuff marks and road rash.
There were blood stains on her Chevy Tahoe’s rear driver’s side door handle and her Apple Watch was found inside soaked in blood.
Perez was seen on CCTV walking towards Delray Medical Center, his workplace, and throwing something in the trash.
He told police he canceled the celebration because his son was sick but the text messages appeared to refute this.
Perez was arrested after witness interviews, 50 search warrants, and cell phone data analysis, reports WPTV.
He is being held without bond.
