A New Jersey technology executive, Paul Caneiro, was convicted on Friday for the brutal murder of his brother, Keith Caneiro, and Keith’s family, before setting their home ablaze.
The 59-year-old was found guilty of four counts of murder, along with charges for aggravated arson and weapons offenses. The tragic incident in 2018 claimed the lives of Keith Caneiro, who was 50, his wife Jennifer, aged 45, and their two young children.
The verdict was delivered by a Monmouth County jury after just five hours of deliberation, concluding a high-profile case that shocked the community.
Paul Caneiro had previously appeared in court for arraignment on the charges related to the murder of his brother and his family. This appearance was overseen by Judge Joseph W. Oxley at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold, New Jersey, back in March 2019. (Credit: Tanya Breen/NJ Advance Media via AP)
The brothers, Keith and Paul Caneiro, were business partners at Square One, a technology firm based in Asbury Park. Prosecutors contended that a deteriorating business relationship between the siblings led Paul Caneiro to commit these heinous acts.
Caneiro killed his relatives over a soured business relationship with his brother, prosecutors alleged.
Keith Caneiro discovered that his brother was stealing money from their businesses and from him personally. After the killings, Paul Caneiro then set their mansion on fire — as well as his own home in an attempt to cover it up, authorities said.
Caneiro set fire to his own home in Ocean Township, allegedly using gasoline to set the structure ablaze while his wife and two daughters were inside. No one was hurt in that fire.
Keith Caneiro and Jennifer Caneiro, who were found dead at their New Jersey mansion after officials responded to a fire at the home last month. (Facebook)
Paul Caneiro had sneaked up on his brother’s family while they slept in the middle of the night, then set both fires to make it appear the entire family was being targeted, the Asbury Park Press and NJ.com reported.
Defense attorneys told the jury that investigators failed to investigate anyone else for the crime, including a third Caneiro brother.
They suggested that two people reportedly seen at Keith Caneiro’s home shortly before police and emergency responders arrived may have been involved in the killings.
Paul Caneiro appears in Monmouth County Superior Court for a detention hearing in Freehold, N.J. (Patti Sapone/NJ Advance Media via AP)
Paul Caneiro now faces a potential life term when he’s sentenced May 12.
