Paul Caneiro quadruple murder case: The latest and all you need to know

Just a few days before Thanksgiving in 2018, a family of four was brutally killed at their sprawling Colts Neck home that had been set ablaze.

Keith Caneiro was shot five times on the lawn. His wife, Jennifer, was shot and stabbed inside the house. Their children, 11-year-old Jesse and 8-year-old Sophia, were repeatedly stabbed and left to die in the flames.

Within weeks, Paul Caneiro was charged with double arson and four counts of murder of his brother and his family. He has maintained his innocence since his arrest.

Police say he killed the family and then set fire to his own house in Ocean Township to cover his tracks, citing financial desperation as a motive.

After more than seven years of pre-trial hearings and appeals, the trial by jury got underway in January.

Check out the case as it has unfolded so far, with serious evidence, defense strategies, and the coverage of the trial in Superior Court.

Latest from the courtroom

Feb. 4 — Horrific autopsy photos revealed in slaughter of Colts Neck children and parents

Jan. 27-29 — Lead detective pushes back as Caneiro murder trial moves on 

Jan. 23 — Keith Caneiro’s final texts revealed in chilling NJ murder trial 

Jan. 21 — Caneiro murder trial: Call of gunshots and security camera outage 

Jan. 20 — Testimonies and 911 calls shape the Caneiro murder trial

Jan. 15 — Caneiro murder trial jurors hear how NJ fires, killings collided 

Jan. 14  — Paul Caneiro trial turns to fire at accused killer's own NJ house 

Jan. 13 — Detective shares Paul Caneiro's big expenses before Colts Neck killings

Jan. 12 — Caneiro murder trial opens as prosecutors detail jarring evidence 

Key evidence

🔺DNA evidence linked to the victims

🔺Bullets and matching bullet casings

🔺Gun owned by Paul Caneiro, kitchen knife recovered in Colts Neck

🔺Security camera footage showing headlights in both towns

🔺Text messages and emails between Paul and Keith Caneiro

🔺911 call reporting Colts Neck gunshots

🔺Paul Caneiro bank records, including the account for which he was trustee

Keith Caneiro was gunned down after 3 a.m. as he went to check on why the power was out and the generator failed.

Investigators found the power was intentionally cut and the generator switched off, as an apparent lure to get the victim outside.

What the jury won't hear

An early witness, Yisel Restepo, testified about her friendship with Paul Caneiro, during which he paid for various trips together, including twice to Colombia, and paid her Audi SUV lease.

The judge ruled before the trial that letting the jury know that the relationship included an extramarital affair was prejudicial.

Prosecutors cite financial desperation as a motive for murders

Prosecutors say that a high-spending lifestyle led to the defendant draining funds from a bank account linked to a $3 million life insurance policy for his brother.

The only way that Paul would benefit was if Keith’s entire family were dead. At that point, Corey Caneiro, the third and youngest of the brothers, would also receive half of the funds.

Defense attorneys have used that in their approach, trying to cast doubt on how quickly investigators focused on Paul as their main suspect.

As the third week of testimony wrapped, one of the lead investigators outright rejected the defense’s theory that Corey Caneiro was just as likely a suspect.

“Corey Caniero was never a suspect in this investigation. We followed the evidence. The evidence, it always led us to Paul Caniero,” Lt. Patrick Petruzziello of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said from the witness stand.

Why the Caneiro trial took so long to start

There were several changes in the defense team after Paul Caneiro was initially charged in 2018 and then indicted in early 2019.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic also wreaked havoc on all court proceedings. When that subsided, there was a drawn-out battle over the use of the DNA tool known as STRmix. Defense attorneys argued against its reliability, while prosecutors pointed to its increasing and accurate use in courtrooms across the country.

A year ago, the attorney now representing Caneiro in court requested a change of venue from Monmouth County, citing the high-profile nature of the case. It was later withdrawn.

There was also a court battle over evidence from Paul Caneiro’s security cameras, which were shut down a few hours before the carnage ensued.

His defense said it was not secured under a warrant, while investigators pointed to the active fire at the time.

The state Supreme Court ultimately ruled in December 2025 that police responding to the Ocean Township fire had an "objectively reasonable basis" to believe immediate action was required.

How to watch

The trial is being streamed on YouTube via Court TV. It is also carried live on the NJ Courts public channel.

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