8-Year-Old Niece’s Blood Found On Jeans Of Man Charged In Family’s Killing, Report Says

COLTS NECK, NJ — The DNA of Paul Caneiro’s 8-year-old niece was found on a pair of jeans recovered from his basement after his niece and her family were found dead in their Colts Neck home in 2018, according to reports on Caneiro’s trial.

Paul Caneiro, 58, of Ocean Township, had been awaiting trial in his case for more than seven years before it officially began in early January with the start of jury selection. The trial entered its fourth week on Monday.

Christopher Szymkowiak, an expert in DNA analysis for the NJ State Police, testified that 8-year-old Sophia Caneiro’s DNA was found in multiple spots on a pair of bloody jeans recovered from Paul Caneiro’s basement, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Though Paul Caneiro's DNA did not turn up on the jeans, the report said his DNA was found on the right shoulder of a shirt found in the same pile where the jeans were found.

In addition to finding Sophia's DNA on the jeans, Szymkowiak testified that Sophia Caneiro was the major contributor to DNA found on a glove in that pile, and that her DNA was found on the handle of a knife recovered from her Colts Neck home, the report said.

During Monday’s hearing, defense attorney Andy Murray questioned the use of STRmix DNA software that scientists used to analyze their results, NJ Advance Media reported.

The admissibility of DNA evidence derived from STRmix software (which uses probabilistic genotyping to generate DNA profiles) was the subject of a pretrial hearing in Caneiro’s case, though Superior Court Judge Marc C. Lemieux ultimately ruled that the evidence could be introduced to a jury in March 2025.

The NJ Advance Media report said Murray also asked scientist Christine Schlenker if she was aware that Paul and Keith Caneiro have another brother, Corey; the defense has been trying to cast suspicion on him during the trial.

Schlenker said the STRmix system accounts for sibling analyses, though testers would need a reference sample from Corey to perform a test like that, the report said.

Paul Caneiro is accused of killing his brother, Keith, his brother’s wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Sophia and Jesse, after the four were found dead on Nov. 20, 2018, at Keith and Jennifer's home in Colts Neck after a fire broke out at their house.

Authorities found Keith Caneiro had been shot to death.

The fire at Keith Caneiro’s home was discovered a few hours after two fires were started at Paul Caneiro’s home in Ocean Township. Paul Caneiro, his wife, Susan, and their two daughters all escaped uninjured from the fire.

A day after the fire at Keith Caneiro’s home, Paul Caneiro was arrested and accused of setting his own home on fire.

He was later charged with four counts of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree felony murder, among other charges (such as insurance fraud), in connection with the deaths of his brother and his brother’s family.

If Caneiro is found guilty, he could face life in prison, as each murder charge against him carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

Felony murder carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires a person to serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Previous Coverage:

• NJ Man Accused Of Killing Brother’s Family, Torching Mansion, Stands Trial
• Judge Rules On Caneiro Release In Colts Neck Slayings, Trial Date Set
• DNA Evidence Hearing In Colts Neck Family Murders Case Begins: Report
• Accused Colts Neck Killer Now Charged With Insurance Fraud
• The Colts Neck Quadruple Murder: A Timeline Of Events
• Colts Neck Fire Was Quadruple Homicide, Family 'Targeted:' MCPO
• Brother's Lawyer In Colts Neck Murders: 'He's Devastated'
• 20 Stunning New Allegations In Colts Neck Caneiro Murder Case