Inset: Brian Canarelli (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office). Background: The residential area near where Canarelli shot and killed his estranged wife's romantic partner in Jupiter, Fla. (Google Maps).
A Florida man is facing significant prison time for shooting and killing the fiance of his estranged wife in the victim's own front yard.
On Friday, Brian Canarelli, 46, was found guilty by a jury of his peers in Palm Beach County on one count of murder in the second degree over the death of 37-year-old James "Cole" Berger in June 2021.
The trial began on Sept. 22 and the jury rejected a harsher charge of first-degree murder. The conviction comes with firearm sentencing enhancement, triggering mandatory minimums in the Sunshine State.
The underlying incident occurred during the early morning hours on June 23, 2021, outside of a residence on 98th Trail North in Jupiter — a medium-sized coastal city located some 85 miles north of Miami.
At 2:35 a.m. that night, deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene and found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Berger was pronounced dead at the scene.
The defendant's soon-to-be ex-wife called him that day to pick up their son, according to an arrest report obtained by The Palm Beach Post and Tequesta-based ABC affiliate WPBF. Berger, however, was not happy the woman's ex had shown up and an altercation ensued.
The argument quickly turned violent.
At one point, the victim jumped over the gate, even as the woman was opening the gate so her son could get to his father.
The victim's fiancee told investigators she heard a shot after Berger jumped the gate and recalled Canarelli saying he shot the victim as she began performing CPR. She said, however, that she did not see the gun.
The victim's mother, however, was also there that night and recalled a more macabre series of events. She told law enforcement the defendant reached behind his back, then shot her son once, then walked up to the fallen and wounded man to fire four more bullets.
"He had his whole life ahead of him but was robbed of it so malevolently," Berger's obituary reads.
The eulogy remembers him fondly:
For the many that knew him, or even knew of him, Cole lived a life rooted in Love. His presence always lifted the vibe in the room. He had a special way of making everyone feel welcome and comfortable and always greeted his friends with big warm hugs. He was a gentle giant. A kind quiet man who liked the simple things and expressed to everyone how little he wanted or needed out of life because he had it all.
When deputies arrived, they found Canarelli's Porsche Cayenne parked south of the residence, according to the charging document. Inside the car was a pistol visible on the driver's side floorboard. At the scene, investigators found six spent 9 mm shell casings.
Circuit Judge John Parnofiello delayed sentencing in order for a presentencing investigation to be completed at the request of the defense. The sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.