Brother's Lawyer In Colts Neck Murders: 'He's Devastated'

COLTS NECK, NJ — The lawyer who represents Paul Caneiro, the man accused of setting his own house on fire with his wife and adult daughters inside Tuesday, Nov. 20, says his client is innocent of the current and possible future charges – a reference to the murder of his brother, wife and children in their Colts Neck estate that same day. The Colts Neck home was also set on fire.

Caneiro, 51, will remain at the Monmouth County jail in Freehold through the weekend, as his detention hearing is set for 9 a.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 28.

"My client is innocent," said Rob Honecker, a partner in the well-known New Jersey law firm of Ansell, Grimm and Aaron. Honecker told other media outlets Caneiro's wife, Susan, and his daughters, both in their 20s, stand "in support" of their father. Patch asked him to elaborate on that:

"In the criminal complaint, his family is listed as the intended victims. But they firmly believe that he actually saved them," said Honecker. "He was the one who woke them up and get them out of the house."

Caneiro allegedly started two fires at his home at 27 Tilton Drive in Ocean Twp. at 5:01 a.m. Tuesday. One fire was started in the rear of the home, and a second, smaller one was started at the attached garage door. Susan and the daughters were sleeping, but Paul woke them all up and got them out of the house, his lawyer said.

"The smoke alarms came on and he woke up the family and got them out of the house," he said.

In fact, arrangements are being made for Susan and the daughters to visit Paul this weekend in jail, said his lawyer. Prior to that, Caneiro was in a secure part of the jail that did not allow visitors, the lawyer said, and refused to elaborate.

So was Paul Caneiro an intended victim as well?

"I don't know what happened or what caused the fire," said Honecker. "All I know is that Paul Caneiro maintains he had nothing to do with it."

The Colts Neck Quadruple Murder: A Timeline Of Tragic Events

Caneiro remained outside his home all Tuesday morning, his lawyer said. Multiple neighbors confirmed that, saying they saw Caneiro talking to investigators and neighbors. In fact, Paul remained at his property until just before noon Tuesday, at which point he went to Ocean Twp. police headquarters with his wife, his lawyer said.

It was around noon Tuesday that ten miles away, in pastoral Colts Neck, his brother's $1.5-million estate erupted in flames, in a fire police say was also deliberately set.

In fact, it was sitting in Ocean Twp. police headquarters that officials broke the news to Paul that his brother, brother's wife and their two children were killed in that fire.

"He was devastated," said his lawyer. "They all were, his wife, his whole family there with him when they heard that news. Crying, you name it."

Keith and Paul Caneiro owned and managed together, Square One, a tech firm, and EcoStar Pest Management, which both operated out of the same building on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park. Honecker said he was not aware of any problems at either of their two businesses or rifts brewing between the brothers. About four people work at Square One, and a neighboring tenant told NJ Advance Media he would see Paul drive up three or four times a week in a white Porsche.

"They were best friends and business partners; Keith was Paul's best man," said the lawyer. "By all accounts, Paul loved not only Keith, but loved his entire family."

Honecker said he was not aware of what kind of work the brothers did, or who they worked for.

"That's a very good question. That's a question the prosecutors should be looking at," he said.

Top: Paul Caneiro's official mugshot