Trial of Paul Caneiro Begins

The trial for Paul Caneiro starts Monday; he is accused of fatally shooting his brother and then brutally stabbing his sister-in-law, niece, and nephew before setting fire to his New Jersey mansion.

Caneiro, 59, a former vice president at Square One, a tech firm in New Jersey, had been in a contentious financial dispute with his brother Keith, the company’s president. This conflict reportedly escalated into a tragic quadruple homicide in 2018, centering around a $1.5 million financial issue.

The pre-trial period dragged on for seven years, with the New Jersey Supreme Court denying Caneiro’s request for release after ruling that disputed surveillance footage could be used as evidence.

Footage from a camera at Caneiro’s Ocean Township residence allegedly captured him outside around 1:29 a.m., just hours before the violent events unfolded in nearby Colts Neck.

“He was visible on the camera, then it cut out. He was in front of it, and then the power went off,” testified Sgt. Christopher Brady from the Ocean Township Police in April 2024.

Prosecutors claim that he disabled his home’s security cameras before heading to his brother’s house, where he also cut the electricity supply.

Keith, 50, managed to escape his home after the power outage but was shot four times, once in the head.

Prosecutors allege that a deranged Caneiro then violently attacked his sister-in-law, Jennifer, 45, who was found on the basement stairs, and subsequently threatened their two children, Sophia, 8, and Jesse, 11, with a knife.

Authorities reported that Jesse was located in the kitchen, while Sophia was found on the stairs, suffering from 30 stab wounds.

After the attacks, Caneiro ignited the house, starting the fire in the basement. It was hours later that the authorities discovered the victims while responding to the blaze.

Caneiro then returned home and set fire to the house where his wife and two daughters were asleep, though prosecutors stated they were unharmed.

Reports suggest the suspect might have aimed to create an alibi claiming that both brothers were in danger from an external threat.

Keith had recently discovered that Paul allegedly intended to embezzle around $75,000 from two companies they co-owned—Ecostar Pest Management and Square One—and had even canceled Paul’s paycheck.

Just 18 hours prior to the tragedy, Keith emailed another brother, Corey Caneiro, expressing concerns about the financial state of the family business and indicating he was ready to terminate Paul’s $250,000 salary.

Prosecutors suggested that Jennifer and her children were specifically targeted in the attacks since Paul would not collect Keith’s life insurance payout if they were alive.

While in prison, Caneiro faced allegations of misappropriating $90,000 from his niece and nephew’s college fund, of which he was a trustee.

Prosecutors assert they have substantial physical evidence linking Caneiro to the crimes, including weapons, blood-stained clothing, DNA evidence, and security footage.

In the aftermath, police found a backpack in Caneiro’s 2016 Porsche Cayenne containing a laptop, passport, a Sig Sauer 9mm barrel, a silencer, and a night vision scope designed for firearms.

Caneiro has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder.

Jury selection commenced on January 6, though both the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Caneiro’s attorney have refrained from commenting.