MMA fighter sentenced to 50 years for murdering fiancée in 2021

In a deal authorised Monday, Merritt Island piercing artist Alicia “Purple” Campitelli’s former boyfriend pled responsible to her homicide and was sentenced to 50 years in jail.

Campitelli’s household and mates have been in tears Monday as Phillip Keller was sentenced on the Moore Justice Heart in Viera. Her dad and mom and siblings spoke about her beneficiant spirit and the love of individuals earlier than she was killed in Could of 2021.

Underneath the deal authorised by Choose Curt Jacobus Monday morning, Keller shall be ineligible for parole or time without work for good habits till he has served at at the very least 25.

Police reviews confirmed that Keller, an expert MMA fighter who competed for Titan FC in 2019 and 2020, himself known as 911 to report Campitelli’s loss of life a number of hours after she was shot. Information additionally confirmed that Keller made a number of transactions with Campitelli’s debit card, withdrawing a whole lot of {dollars}.

Sheriff’s deputies discovered Campitelli with a number of gunshot wounds at her and Keller’s shared condo on College Home Avenue and later charged Keller with first-degree premeditated homicide. Monday’s plea deal decreased his cost to second-degree homicide. On the time of her loss of life, family and friends of Campitelli hosted a big candlelight vigil and began the hashtag marketing campaign #JusticeForRed on social media to lift consciousness and apply stress to investigators to make an arrest earlier than Keller was finally charged.

The identical love that drove that marketing campaign for justice introduced Campitelli’s relations to the courtroom Monday as they spoke with a photograph of her on the witness stand as a reminder of the life that was taken from them. Campitelli labored as a piercer with DaVinci Tattoo and Physique Piercing, a widely known tattoo parlor with a location contained in the Merritt Sq. Mall.

Campitelli’s mom, Debra Moore, mentioned that the material of the household essentially modified when Alicia died and that the trauma inflicted by her loss was an ongoing problem.

“Our hearts are so damaged daily,” Moore mentioned at Monday’s sentencing. “We nonetheless hear her chortle at our household gatherings. It was not simply the top of her life. It was the top of our household’s life.”

Phillip Keller, Jr. was sentenced on Monday by Choose Curt Jacobus for the homicide of Alicia Campitelli. (Florida Right this moment)

Phil Campitelli, her father, mentioned Alicia had at all times been good to others and lived her life by the golden rule. He and different relations praised Alicia for her sobriety, a private victory she was open about in hopes of inspiring others to get clear as effectively. He had harsh phrases for Keller, who he mentioned ought to get the loss of life penalty for his crime. “Keller has no regret,” Phil Campitelli mentioned. “My daughter is useless as a result of she tried to assist Keller from himself.”

All through the plea listening to, Keller might be seen wiping his eyes and expressing grief. Keller’s legal professional Mario Pirolo mentioned that Keller’s drug habit performed a job in his actions regardless of not giving him an excuse or justifying what he had executed. Alana Could Marshall-Campitelli, Alicia’s twin sister, mentioned that the trauma of getting her sister taken from her so violently was typically insufferable. “I can nonetheless hear her cries. I can really feel her terror. Keller didn’t simply finish one life however he destroyed so many others as effectively,” she mentioned.

This story was initially printed by Florida Right this moment, a part of the USA TODAY Community.