Paul Caneiro faces sentencing for murder of brother, brother's family in New Jersey

The New Jersey man convicted of murdering four members of his family will be sentenced Tuesday.

A jury found Paul Caneiro, 59, guilty in February of murdering his brother, Keith, and his brother's family. He was convicted of killing his brother, stabbing his sister-in-law, Jennifer, and the couple's young children, Jesse and Sophia, before setting their Colts Neck mansion on fire in November 2018.  

He was also charged with multiple arson and weapons offenses, misapplication of an entrusted property and hindering the prosecution. It took jurors about four hours to find him guilty on all 15 counts.  

Prosecutors said the motive was money, as Caneiro was set to receive a $1.5 million insurance policy.

Details of the trial

The jury saw copious amounts of evidence, including surveillance video of Caneiro's car leaving his home and returning on the morning of the murders.

Caneiro maintained his innocence since his arrest. His defense tried to blame a third brother.

They said police didn't investigate the other sibling, who would have also received $1.5 million from the insurance policy. 

Caneiro's two daughters also testified, defending their father. 

Prosecutors said they found Caneiro's clothes hidden in his basement with his niece's blood on them. They also said law enforcement found a gas can in his driveway, evidence of arson.    

The guilty verdict means Caneiro will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.