A renowned mixed martial artist was given a 50-year prison sentence after confessing to killing his fiancée after a fight about his drug use.
Philip Keller, 43, of Merritt Island, Florida, entered a guilty plea on Monday, February 3, to charges of second-degree murder, grand theft, credit card fraud, and evidence tampering in relation to the 2021 death of 35-year-old Alicia “Red” Campitelli, according to a statement from the Office of the State Attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit.
Keller consented to enter a guilty plea to second-degree murder rather than the initial accusation of first-degree murder in 2021 as part of the agreement with prosecutors, according to ClickOrlando.
The State Attorney’s Office stated that the minimum obligatory sentence for the murder charge was 25 years.
According to a statement from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, on May 15, 2021, deputies discovered Campitelli, a well-known piercing artist, dead in her Merritt Island condominium after Keller called 911 to report that she had been shot.
He reportedly responded, “I need help immediately, it looks like she’s dead,” according to ClickOrlando. “Oh my God. She appears to have been shot, and my house has been broken into.
According to the sheriff’s office at the time, Keller was taken into custody six days later on May 21, 2021, after attempting to elude capture by plunging into a nearby creek.
According to an affidavit that ClickOrlando was able to obtain, Keller admitted to killing Campitelli after being taken into custody.
According to the affidavit, he informed officers that he and Campitelli were fighting over his drug usage on Friday, May 14, when he fired three shots at her with her revolver, hitting her twice.
According to investigators, he dumped the gun into a canal after the shooting and took money out of her debit card to purchase drugs.
According to the complaint, Keller admitted to killing Campitelli to a friend just before he was arrested during a call that the friend consented to be recorded by the police.
According to the complaint, Keller stated during the taped call, “I killed her bro, I killed her high as [expletive].” “I succeeded. I’m not sure how I did it, but knowing that makes it impossible for me to live with. An example of [expletive] is me. I had a lot of Molly in my system.
He further stated, “I shot her twice in the back of the head in cold blood after I missed the first time through a towel and she ducked her head.” I’m really [expletive] sorry, man. I did it.
According to Florida Today, Campitelli’s friends and family talked movingly about how devastating her death was for them all during the sentencing hearing.
“Our hearts are so broken every day,” Debra Moore, Campitelli’s mother, stated in court. “She still makes us giggle when we get together as a family. It wasn’t only her life ending. Our family’s lives were coming to an end.
Alana May Marshall-Campitelli, Campitelli’s twin sister, testified in court that she can’t stop thinking about her sister’s final moments.
She stated, “I can still hear her cries,” according to Florida Today. “Her fear is palpable. Keller damaged a great number of lives in addition to ending one.