In a chilling twist to a tragic story, a Florida nurse reportedly sent a foreboding WhatsApp message to her lover just a day before he allegedly took her life during what was meant to be a romantic birthday celebration in West Palm Beach. Prosecutors have brought these allegations to light.
On Tuesday, Rene J. Perez, aged 38, found himself in police custody over a year after the brutal crime. He stands accused of murdering his married lover, Lisa Campitelli, in a place he had prepared for her special birthday in 2024, according to reports by WPTV.
The affair between Perez and Campitelli, aged 35, began despite both being married to other individuals, as stated by authorities. The clandestine relationship lasted for two years, culminating in the tragic events surrounding Campitelli’s birthday on October 28, 2024.
In anticipation of the celebration, Perez had planned a special night for Campitelli, leading her to send a heartfelt yet unsettling message the day before her death. She expressed her mixed emotions, writing, “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,” as revealed in an affidavit obtained by WPTV.
Tragically, Campitelli’s lifeless body, showing signs of a severe beating, was later discovered along a deserted roadside. Her Chevy Tahoe was still running nearby, according to details from the West Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department’s affidavit.
Campitelli’s battered body was found on an isolated roadside not far from her still-running Chevy Tahoe, according to the affidavit from the West Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department.
A photo from her phone shows a “happy birthday” blanket laid out over the lowered back seat, plus absorbent medical pads from the hospital where she and Perez both worked.
Campitelli’s body had a broken skull and ribs, along with signs of blunt force trauma on her back and neck.
The body showed signs of being dragged, authorities said.
The pair had been dating for two years and texted on WhatsApp almost every day, prosecutors say.
Perez claimed he had cancelled the meet-up and wasn’t there when she was killed, but investigators found no messages calling it off.
Perez was arrested Tuesday in Miami; he faces charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
