She Took Her Own Life After A Breakup With Her Fake Boyfriend, Who Turned Out To Be Her Best Friend Catfishing Her

On August 5, 2013, Renae Marsden disappeared in Sydney after sending alarming messages to her family. She ended up taking her own life following a breakup with a fake boyfriend.

It turned out that Renae's friend, Camila Zeidan, created a fake persona and used it to catfish Renae so that she could control her.

Renae was born on October 15, 1992, in New South Wales. She started high school at an all-girls' school in 2005, where she met Camila.

They became close, but Renae's grades started slipping, and she began smoking cigarettes. Her family noticed that she was more withdrawn.

Renae even told her cousin that Camila was possessive and violent. She said that Camila had tried to kiss her, which made her uncomfortable.

When Renae's parents found out, they tried to intervene through meetings with Camila's parents and a school counselor. Renae's parents took away her phone to limit communication, but Camila bought her a replacement phone.

In 2009, Renae transferred to a cosmetology program to pursue hairdressing. Later, Camila enrolled there as well. Renae started pulling back and even tried to end the friendship, but Camila wouldn't take no for an answer. She began following Renae wherever she went.

In 2011, Camila introduced Renae to Brayden Spiteri, a construction worker in his early twenties. He was Camila's former boyfriend, but Camila thought he and Renae would make a better couple.

Renae and Brayden began texting frequently. After about two months, Brayden told her that he was in prison for a tragic accident that killed his best friend.

Crime Stoppers - pictured above is Renae

He claimed that he had given up visitation rights in exchange for a shorter sentence. Camila helped set Brayden up with a phone so he and Renae could continue chatting.

As the relationship continued, Renae became increasingly anxious. At times, Brayden would be jealous and controlling. He would accuse her of cheating on him while he was in prison.

However, he didn't mind if she cheated on him with Camila. Camila would encourage Renae to stick with Brayden and offer her reassurances.

After suffering from an overdose, Renae decided to try to move on. She started dating a coworker named Ian, and they got engaged in January 2013. Still, Renae remained in contact with Brayden.

Her engagement ended in March 2013. Things continued to escalate with Brayden and Camila. When Camila reported to Brayden that Renae had received a text from a former boyfriend, Brayden accused Renae of cheating and broke up with her.

By mid-2013, they were discussing marriage, as Brayden would be released from prison soon. Renae began making wedding preparations.

She tried to end contact with Camila permanently. Then, on August 5, 2013, Renae received a message from Brayden saying that they should take a break.

Later that day, Renae's mother received a message from Renae expressing her love and urging her to be strong. When Renae's mother showed the message to a friend, the friend told her to call the police.

Police soon arrived at the family home. Renae's mother contacted Camila, who said she had received a similar message from Renae at around the same time. They searched for Renae together.

That evening, at 8:45 p.m., police located Renae's car near a cliff overlooking the ocean. Renae's shoes were found in the area the next day. No body was found.

Investigators tried to locate Brayden and realized that he did not actually exist. They tracked his phone back to Camila. Camila was interviewed, and her home was searched.

In February 2020, she admitted that Brayden was not real. She claimed that she and Renae had created him together to cover up their secret romantic relationship.

The coroner rejected Camila's claim and determined that Renae died by suicide from the hurt and heartbreak attributed to Brayden.

Ultimately, no charges were filed against Camila. Renae's family has launched a petition to criminalize catfishing. They propose legislative change under the name "Renae's Law." You can check out the petition here.

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