The mother of a nurse brutally killed while cheating on her husband has offered distressing new details about the incident and her late daughter’s marriage to a well-liked doctor.
Linda Campitelli, 35, was beaten to death in a makeshift love nest in the back of her husband Jon’s Chevy Tahoe in Palm Beach County, Florida on October 28, 2024, prosecutors say.
Campitelli’s mother spoke for the first time about her daughter’s death on Tuesday and said that that her daughter had been killed after being ‘beat to death with a tire iron.’
‘What kind of a human does that?’ She said of the fatal attack. ‘Animals don’t even do that.’
Russo said she did not know her daughter had been cheating on husband Jon Campitelli at the time of her death.
She claimed Jon ‘adored’ her daughter and that they had been trying to work through the problems in their marriage.
‘I had no idea any of this was going on. She and her husband were in marriage counseling,’ Russo revealed. ‘My daughter was a difficult person to get along with, but her husband adored her.’
Campitelli was the primary caretaker of their two daughters and ‘did everything around the house,’ her mother said.
Dr Jon Campitelli, left, and his wife Linda Campitelli, right, were in marriage counseling before she was brutally killed, the late nurse’s mother has revealed
Campitelli, pictured with her children, was the primary caretaker in the couple’s household
But Jon was no slouch either, Russo said. She added that her son-in-law was always involved in the girls’ nighttime routine and has ‘doing an amazing job with them’ since his wife’s death.
‘I love him like he’s my own son,’ she said, noting that his focus now is trying to protect his children from the fallout caused by this tragedy.
The grieving mother said her daughter’s murder and the alleged circumstances surrounding it have caused her pain.
‘My daughter was murdered and she is being dragged through the mud. Her husband is being dragged through the mud,’ Russo said.
‘What she did was awful… but my daughter didn’t kill anyone.’
Last week, Campitelli’s nurse co-worker and alleged lover Rene J. Perez, 38, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
He has yet to enter a plea to the charges and remains in custody.
Campitelli and Perez, also a nurse, had been romantically involved for two years, despite both of them having doctor spouses, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail.
The night of her killing, Campitelli told Jon that she was ‘going out to have dinner with friends,’ a probable cause affidavit said.
She left their $884,700 family home some time before 8pm that night, wearing a red dress and black heels, and went to meet up with Perez at his then-workplace for a belated birthday celebration, investigators allege in the affidavit.
Rene J. Perez, 38, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection to Campitelli’s death
Edina Russo, left, revealed that Campitelli, right, was beaten to death with a tire iron. She has vowed to follow her daughter’s case through the court system and hopes justice will prevail
Campitelli, a registered nurse, and Perez had been romantically involved for two years, despite both of them having doctor spouses, investigators allege
Photos recovered from her phone show how the back of Dr Campitelli’s SUV was transformed into a makeshift bed using medical sheets.
The seats were laid down and a ‘happy birthday’ table cover was affixed to the ceiling, according to the affidavit, which notes that investigators think the back of the car may have been used for an assignation.
Investigators believe Perez attacked Campitelli inside the Tahoe, drove roughly 18 miles away, and abandoned the SUV. He then dragged her body along the road and fled the scene, the affidavit said. No motive for the killing has been given.
The probable cause affidavit further outlines Campitelli’s alleged unhappiness with Perez about the amount of time he was spending with his wife instead of her.
Campitelli’s remains were found about 50 feet away from the Tahoe. She was dressed in the same attire she left her house, but her dress was ‘completely torn and blemished with black tar from the roadway,’ the affidavit said.
She suffered blunt force trauma to the head and torso, a skull fracture and rib fractures, a postmortem examination found. There was also an accumulation of blood in the skull and contusions on her upper back and neck.
Her body had significant bruising and severe road rash, and her heels were worn down, disfigured, and distorted. Investigators said her injuries were consistent with that of being compressed against the road while being forcibly dragged.
When deputies arrived on the scene, the Tahoe – which was registered to Dr Campitelli – was still running, according to the affidavit.
The front driver’s side tire was flat and the rear driver’s door handle had transfer blood stains on it, which authorities say suggests that someone tried to wipe blood off of the vehicle.
On the night of her killing, Linda Campitelli lied to Jon, telling him that she was ‘going out to have dinner with friends,’ a probable cause affidavit said
Campitelli and Perez communicated daily on WhatsApp and often exchanged ‘I love you’ in their texts, the affidavit said. In multiple messages, Campitelli detailed her frustration with having to share quality time with Perez’s wife, investigators allege
Detectives identified Perez as a suspect in Campitelli’s murder through a trail of digital clues, including the pair’s WhatsApp messages.
Campitelli and Perez communicated daily through the platform, investigators allege. They often discussed work, familial affairs and made plans for in-person meetings, according to the probable cause affidavit.
In multiple messages, Campitelli detailed her frustration with having to share quality time with Perez’s wife, investigators allege.
The day before her death, Campitelli told Perez that she was feeling ‘a little nervous’ about the special celebration he was planning for her.
‘I love you,’ she messaged. ‘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 told her she did not need to worry and claimed he was trying to show that ‘I can be romantic,’ the affidavit stated. He added that his romantic gesture ‘probably wont be as good as what youve (sic) done for me.’
Campitelli then confirmed their meeting time and asked him if he was ‘100% sure this is ok.’ He reassured her it was and said ‘I love you so much.’ She echoed the remark.
The accused killer admitted to having an affair with Campitelli, but told detectives he cancelled their October 28 meeting because ‘his son was sick,’ the court filing said.
But investigators said there were no messages to corroborate his claim. Surveillance camera footage and cell phone GPS data also put him at the scene of the crime.
Rene Perez, right, appeared before a judge in Palm Beach County last Wednesday and was denied bond
Dr Jon Campitelli and registered nurse Linda Campitelli got married in 2016. The couple are pictured in August 2022 with their two daughters
Perez was arrested in Miami on March 10 this year and transported to Palm Beach County Jail. He appeared before a judge the next day and was denied bond.
Campitelli married her husband Jon in 2016, roughly one year after they met, according to her obituary. They had two daughters together.
She started working as a registered nurse in 2014 and was preparing to begin a new position before she died.
