MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Authorities in Florida arrested and charged with murder the fiancé of a woman who was shot to death in her apartment.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Philip Keller, 39, was arrested late Thursday on first-degree premeditated murder six days after Alicia Campitelli, 35, was found dead in Merritt Island, Florida. Keller was set to appear before a judge Friday.
In a videotaped statement posted on Facebook, Ivey said the man provided specific information related to the crime to a citizen who called agents Thursday. Keller tried to escape when spotted by deputies, and he jumped into a nearby creek before being taken into custody.
Keller first called 911 last Saturday to report his fiancée appeared to have been robbed and shot to death at her home. Ivey said the actual shooting had occurred hours earlier according to witnesses who heard suspected gunshots. Agents found video surveillance showing Keller making “suspicious financial transactions” at several businesses using Campitelli’s accounts, Ivey said.
In a videotaped statement, Ivey called this a “senseless, horrific crime.” Campitelli was a popular body piercer in Merritt Island known as “Red,” and her death sparked calls for justice on social media.
“I want the family and friends of ‘Red’ to know that our entire agency and community have them in our thoughts and prayers and that hopefully his arrest helps bring some sense of closure to the family.”
