Paul Caneiro found guilty of murder in New Jersey trial over deaths of brother, brother's family
In a stunning and emotional verdict, a New Jersey jury found Paul Caneiro guilty of murdering his brother and his brother's family in one of the state's most disturbing cases ever.
Caneiro, 59, was convicted Friday of killing his brother, Keith, then fatally 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.
The killings shocked the community, as did Caneiro's trial, which laid out disturbing details of betrayal and violence within the family.
Prosecutors said Caneiro disabled his brother's home surveillance system before setting the home ablaze. He was also accused of starting a fire at his own home in Ocean Township, where his wife and two daughters were inside.
Caneiro motionless as verdict is read
Caneiro sat motionless, while friends and family cried, as the jury foreman read the verdict. Caneiro's wife and daughters, who were with him throughout the trial, were not present.
In addition to the murders, he was 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.
"I'm just grateful to have justice for [Sophia] and her family. It's been so long and she deserves it," said Ripley Burgess, who lost her friend at 8 years old. "I'm grateful that she was in my life and I miss her."
"I'm really glad she got justice, she was a fighter," Sophie Winkleman said.
Family members stood behind Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago as he addressed reporters outside the county courthouse in Freehold.
"I know the impact that this has had, not only on the family, friends and the community at large in Monmouth County," Santiago said.
Caneiro maintained innocence
Caneiro has maintained his innocence since his arrest. His attorney tried to blame a third brother, but prosecutors argued that was a false theory.
Jurors saw a massive amount of evidence, including surveillance video of Caneiro's Porsche Macan, noted for its unique taillights, leaving his home and returning on the morning of the murders.
The guilty verdict means Caneiro will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, but his defense team has until Feb. 23 to ask for a new trial.
Massacre over money, prosecutors said
Prosecutors said Caneiro's motive was to receive $1.5 million from an insurance policy if his brother's family was dead.
According to the 16-page indictment, he was allegedly about to be cut off from the family's technology company after money went missing from the firm.
Keith Caneiro wrote in an email the night before the murders that he would stop paying his brother's wife until he could find the missing funds, the document stated.
Prosecutors said they found Paul Caneiro's clothes hidden in his basement with his niece's blood on them. They also said a gas can was found in his driveway, evidence of arson.
Defense argued another brother could have been involved
The defendant's two daughters took the stand Tuesday to defend their father.
Marissa Caneiro described to jurors the moment she and her dad were told her uncle and his family died.
"When they told us everyone died, my dad was really upset and crying. He fell to the floor, and I was just holding him," she said.
Jurors were also shown a video of the defendant's family on their lawn after escaping flames at their own home.
Paul Caneiro's lawyers said throughout the trial that police failed to investigate a third brother. They said he also would have received $1.5 million from the insurance policy, but that brother was not in court.
