MONMOUTH COUNTY, N.J. (Court TV) — A New Jersey man accused of murdering his brother and his brother’s family before setting both of their homes on fire is facing life in prison if convicted at trial.
Paul Caneiro is facing multiple charges, including four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Keith Caneiro, 50; his sister-in-law Jennifer, 45; niece Sophia, 8; and nephew Jesse, 11.
Paul Caneiro sits in court during opening statements in his murder trial on Jan. 12, 2026. (Court TV)
Prosecutors allege Paul fatally shot Keith and Jennifer and stabbed his niece and nephew to death on Nov. 20, 2018, according to an affidavit.
An investigation revealed that Paul and Keith were business partners. The day before the murders, Keith had emailed Paul about missing money from the business accounts. A business associate told investigators that Keith also wanted to sell one of their two companies, and he “was frustrated with Paul and the amount of money Paul spent from their business accounts.” An office manager also told detectives the brothers had arguments over money.
In a search of Paul’s home, detectives found a container holding clothing and a latex glove “with red stains consistent with blood” in his basement. An affidavit says a 9mm unspent projectile was also found in the clothes. The same type of ammunition was located in Paul’s home and used in the murders, according to investigators.
Paul rejected a plea offer in 2024, according to the Asbury Park Press. Prosecutors reportedly offered to recommend he be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in exchange for pleading guilty to four counts of murder.
TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS
DAY 6 – 1/21/26
- LIVE STREAM: NJ v. Paul Caneiro – Day 6 | Mansion Murders Trial
DAY 5 – 1/20/26
- LIVE STREAM: NJ v. Paul Caneiro – Day 5 | Mansion Murders Trial
- Jurors saw photos showing apparent tampering with the electrical service box at Keith Caneiro’s home, as well as imagery showing that a primary generator power switch had been turned off. The state alleges that Paul did this to lure Keith outside of the residence, knowing he would likely come outside to see why the generator failed to turn on.
- WATCH: Jury Sees Images Of Flames, Smoke at Keith Caneiro’s House
DAY 4 – 1/15/26
- LIVE STREAM: NJ v. Paul Caneiro – Day 4 | Mansion Murders Trial
- Fire Marshal Craig Flanigan testified to responding to Paul Caneiro’s home after the fire, which he determined was suspicious.
- Paul told Flanigan that he had multiple gas cans in the shed, but said he couldn’t remember the last time he used them.
- Flanigan noticed an injury to Paul’s hand, which Paul denied was a burn. He told investigators that he hit his hand on a door while evacuating the home.
- Catherine Lucchese, Keith Caneiro’s neighbor, called 911 after seeing smoke at the home. She later called the school because she was concerned that Keith’s children hadn’t been at the bus stop.
- Det. Richard Zarrillo, Colts Neck Township Police Dept., served as the lead detective on the case and testified to his arrival at Keith Caneiro’s house.
- He saw Keith’s body on the front yard of the home, face down. Additional victims were found inside the house: in the kitchen, next to the staircase and on the landing of the staircase (between the first and second floors).
- When 8-year-old Sophia Caneiro’s body was removed from the home, Zarrillo noticed she had stab wounds, including one to her left eye.
DAY 3 – 1/14/26
- LIVE STREAM: NJ v. Paul Caneiro – Day 3 | Mansion Murders Trial
- Detective Debbie Bassinger of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office told jurors she found 16 transfers from a trust account in Keith Caneiro’s name into Paul Caneiro’s personal account and saw no payments going back to the trust or to Keith. She said bank statements for May through September 2018 that Paul provided to the family’s accountant were altered when compared with official TD Bank records obtained by subpoena.
- Jurors then heard from neighbors about the fire at Paul and Susan Caneiro’s home on Tilton Drive in Ocean Township around 5 a.m. on Nov. 20, 2018. Neighbor Heather Capp said she woke around 4:30 a.m., heard male voices, saw two men in dark clothing and black baseball caps carrying flashlights outside the house, and noticed flames at the bottom corner of the home. She said she did not call 911 and estimated 20 to 30 minutes passed before police and firefighters arrived. Another neighbor, Jonathan Harrington, said emergency lights woke him, and he later saw a glow and flames above the roofline; he described Paul afterward as nervous and upset.
- Ocean Township officers described arriving within minutes of the 5:02 am dispatch, seeing active fire near a gas meter at a corner of the house and evacuating nearby homes. The jury saw body-camera video showing the driveway and garage area, including a white Porsche Macan with burn marks on the hood and a gas can nearby. One officer said he was told to find the home surveillance DVR and that when he asked Paul about it, Paul did not answer but looked away and to his daughter, who answered that it was in the garage; police then removed the DVR without a warrant based on exigent circumstances (which became the subject of a pretrial suppression fight that went all the way to the NJ Supreme Court).
DAY 2 – 1/13/26
- LIVE STREAM: NJ v. Paul Caneiro – Day 2 | Mansion Murders Trial
- Detective Debbie Bassinger, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office financial crimes unit
- Assigned to trace whether there was a financial motive in the case.
- Walked jury through voluminous bank and insurance records.
- Two Wyze camera recordings dated Nov. 19, 2018, captured Keith Caneiro’s side of the calls, in which he pressed Paul about missing Canada Life Insurance payments and demanded access and login information.
- On cross, defense elicited that Paul’s voice on the call is not audible in the camera recording and tried to examine whether Keith’s demeanor was typical.
DAY 1 – 1/12/26
- Assistant Monmouth County prosecutor Nichole Wallace delivered the State’s opening, laying out the State’s theory that in the early morning hours of November 20, 2018, Paul Caneiro went to Keith Caneiro’s home, cut power and disabled the generator, shot Keith outside, stabbed Jennifer, Jesse, and Sophia, set a fire in the basement, and then returned to his own home and set it on fire to create the appearance of a targeted attack against both families.
- Wallace also referenced two phone calls Keith made to Paul on November 19, 2018, promising that the jury would see/hear them via the home security system (with the caveat that the security system was out during the killings).
- WATCH: Prosecution: Paul Caneiro Murdered His Brother’s Family Before Starting Fires
- Defense attorney Monika Mastellone told the jury her client is innocent and suggested police did not investigate other suspects, including a third Caneiro brother.
- Guli Basu, Director of Information Systems at the Doris Duke Foundation
- Paul Caneiro negotiated Square One’s contract; the foundation was looking for a cheaper provider in 2018.
- Steven Weinstein, longtime family/business accountant
- Doris Duke contract made up more than 90% of Square One’s revenue.
- WATCH: Accountant Reveals Caneiro Money Issues Before Murders
- WATCH: Paul Caneiro Took Company Insurance Payments, Put Into Personal Account: CPA
- Ronald F. Artiges, family insurance broker
- Keith Caneiro had a $3 million Canada Life policy held in a trust with Paul as trustee.
- Canada Life told him on Nov. 19, 2018, that it had not been receiving the premium payments.
- Ben Paolucci, Keith Caneiro’s friend
- Testified that Keith was visibly frustrated about Paul’s financial management issues.
- Recounted a group text thread with himself, Keith and Paul on Nov. 20, 2018, in which Paolucci texted, “Keith, your house is on fire,” unaware that Keith was already dead. Paul replied that he had a fire at his own house around 5 a.m.
- On cross, Paolucci agreed his police interview questions focused on Paul and did not include Corey or other possible suspects.
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