A Palm Beach County jury has convicted 46-year-old Brian Canarelli of second-degree murder with a firearm in the June 2021 shooting death of James Berger, the fiancé of his estranged wife, outside a home in Jupiter Farms. Jurors announced their verdict Friday at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in West Palm Beach, and no sentencing date has been set.
A Fatal Confrontation Over a Child Pickup
The shooting unfolded in June 2021 when Canarelli went to the home of his estranged wife, Victoria Canarelli, on 98th Trail North near Jupiter Farms Park, according to the seed facts underlying this case as reported by the Miami Herald. Victoria Canarelli had called him to come pick up their son, and the fatal encounter with Berger followed shortly after. As WPTV reported at the time, an argument between the fiancé and the ex-husband triggered the deadly shooting, with the two men reportedly arguing at the home's gate before violence erupted.
Per the arrest report, Canarelli pulled out a gun during the confrontation and shot Berger several times, continuing to fire after Berger had fallen to the ground. The victim's mother told WPTV that Canarelli shot her son at least five times, including four times while he was lying on the ground. Berger was pronounced dead at the scene, according to WPBF.
Arrest, Charges and a No-Contact Order
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrested Canarelli the same day on a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm, per the same account from CBS12. Deputies recovered six 9mm shell casings at the scene, and a gun was found in Canarelli's vehicle. A judge denied him bond and ordered him to have no contact with Berger's family members or witnesses in the case, WPTV reported.
The shooting happened in front of children and the mother, according to CBS12's original coverage of the arrest. Canarelli was held without bond in the years that followed as the case moved toward trial.
Trial, Verdict and What Comes Next
The trial took place at the Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach, wrapping up Tuesday before the jury returned its verdict Friday. Jurors had the option to convict Canarelli of first-degree murder with a firearm but instead found him guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder with a firearm in the fatal shooting of Berger.
Circuit Judge John Parnofiello delayed Canarelli's sentencing after ordering a presentencing investigation, a request that Canarelli's attorneys had also made. No sentencing date has been scheduled. The case was covered by Tom Elia, an editor at the Palm Beach Post, whose reporting appeared in the Miami Herald.
