Colts Neck Fire Was Quadruple Homicide, Family 'Targeted:' MCPO

COLTS NECK, NJ —Keith Caneiro, his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, ages 11 and 8, were murdered in a targeted homicide, the Monmouth County prosecutor said during a press conference Wednesday, giving the latest on this stunning and tragic story out of Colts Neck.

The Caneiro family also all died Tuesday before their home on was set on fire, the prosecutor said.

"This family was targeted. All four of them were victims of homicidal violence before the fire was set at their home," said Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni, speaking Wednesday afternoon. "Sadly, each of these individuals were the victims of homicidal violence at some point prior to when the fire was set at 15 Willow Brook. This is one of the most heinous cases we've ever investigated or seen."

But Gramiccioni stopped short of saying that Caneiro's older brother, Paul Caneiro, is a suspect in the quadruple murder of his brother and his family. Paul Caneiro, 51, was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with setting his own Ocean Township home on fire earlier on Tuesday. The two brothers were in business together. There is not a quadruple murderer on the loose, the prosecutor said, without elaborating.

In fact, a big hold-up in the case right now is the inability of murder detectives to even get into the Colts Neck estate at 15 Willow Brook Road and look for evidence, the prosecutor said.

"I cannot confirm or deny if he is a suspect," said Gramiccioni of the elder Caneiro brother. "All I can say is we are investigating if these two cases are related. We can't charge people unless we have evidence.

"Bear in mind, we are still waiting for county investigators to let us in there (to the house). The scene hasn't been rendered safe. We need to make sure the roof doesn't cave in and things of that nature. I expect we will get in there in the next few hours," vowed the prosecutor.

Paul Caneiro set fire to his suburban Ocean Township home while his wife and two daughters were inside, police said. Police say he used gasoline to set his own home at 27 Tilton Drive on fire at 5:01 a.m. Tuesday. His wife and two daughters were in the home at the time, the prosecutor said, but all four family members escaped, unharmed.

Seven hours later, at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, Caneiro's younger brother, Keith Caneiro, 50, and his wife, Jennifer, 45, and their two children were found dead at their Colts Neck estate. Keith Caneiro was found shot to death on the front lawn, according to the Monmouth County prosecutor. The bodies of the wife and children were inside: Eleven-year-old Jesse and 8-year-old Sophia are the children who died at the scene. The prosecutor said it was difficult for the medical examiner to identify the bodies of the wife and children, as they were badly burned.

"Mr. Caneiro was found outside the home, and his wife and two children were found inside the home. Keith, whose remains were found in front of the home, was shot but I can't go any further," said prosecutor. "We believe this family was targeted. I do believe this was a targeted situation with the Caneiro family. We have no reason to believe this was a suicide. They were all victims of homicides."

RELATED: Colts Neck Homicide: Horrifying Photos Show Caneiro Mansion Fire

The prosecutor also said he could not rule out the possibility that the Caneiro family was murdered well before the 5 a.m. Ocean Twp. fire, and before their bodies were discovered in the blaze at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. Because the medical examiner's work is not complete, a time of death has simply not been established, he said.

Sources told NBC that Caneiro was found shot in the head and the back, while his wife and two young children were stabbed to death before their bodies were burned in the fire. However, the prosecutor refused to confirm those specific details; he would only say the bodies of Jennifer and her children were "severely burned." But he did say it was clear the mother and children died before the fire.

"We want to give justice to the Caneiro family. We really hope we can solve this. Any leads, please contact us. Any little piece of the puzzle makes a difference," the prosecutor said.

A neighbor in Ocean Twp. told NJ Advance Media that Paul Caneiro was nearly crying when she saw him in the hours after his home was on fire. "He said, 'I'm in complete shock, I can't believe this is happening to me,'" said the neighbor. "He said it must have been a gas leak."

Gasoline cans were found by detectives in the rear of the home, NBC reported.

Paul Caneiro is behind bars right now at the Monmouth County jail, and he will remain there through the Thanksgiving weekend, said the prosecutor. His bail hearing has been set for next Wednesday, Nov. 28. The prosecutor said the public will learn about Paul Caneiro's alleged motive at his detention hearing next Wednesday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, here are the latest confirmed facts:

• The Colts Neck fire broke out at 15 Willow Brook Road in Colts Neck at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20. That home is owned by Keith, 50, and Jennifer Caneiro, 45, who lived there with their two young children, a boy, Jesse, and Sophia, ages 11 and 8.
• A neighbor in the rural Monmouth County horse countryside said she saw smoke coming from their property, but assumed the Caneiros were having a fire in their fireplace. Moments later, she told the Asbury Park Press she heard a "boom" and realized something bad was occurring at the property. It was a landscaper who first called 911 to report the fire.
• There was a babysitter or nanny who worked at the Caneiro home in Colts Neck, but she was not injured in the fire, the prosecutor said. "She is alive and well, no issues there," said Gramiccioni.
• Keith Caneiro was the best man in his older brother Paul's wedding, NJ.com reported.
• All four bodies have been sent to the medical examiner to determine their exact cause of death. Anonymous law enforcement sources told NBC Keith Caneiro was shot in the back and in the head, while his wife, Jennifer, and children were stabbed to death. Keith was found in the yard; the bodies of the mother and children were in the house. The three bodies found in the home were severely burned, said the prosecutor, who said at this point it is impossible to determine what exactly killed them.
• The fire was deliberately set, according to officials. Prosecutor Gramiccioni said they are investigating the fire as an arson.

• The Caneiro brothers were in business together: Paul and Keith Caneiro own Square One, a technology company/website development firm located above the Speakeatery restaurant on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park. A man who works near the office told NJ.com he sees about three to four people working in the office at a time, and that Paul Caneiro drives up in a white Porsche several times a week. The brothers also ran a pest-control company, EcoStarPM. The websites for both companies — https://www.squareone.com/ and https://www.ecostarpm.com/ — are no longer functioning.

• Keith Caneiro also has his real estate license. According to his LinkedIn page and Facebook page, he has his bachelor's degree in history and his master's degree in information systems from Columbia University. He describes himself as "a technology and business innovation professional, who launched a strategic technology consulting firm that provides exceptional service. Served as a trusted advisor to clients for effective technology solutions. Grew company from sole consultancy to multi-million-dollar revenues. Extensive experience in technology management, enterprise information security, and project management in Fortune 500 firms." He graduated from John Dewey High School in Gravesend, Brooklyn.
• According to Keith's Facebook page, he also studied at Harvard Business School, but he does not appear to have obtained a degree from there. Jennifer's Facebook page is set to private. She graduated from SUNY Albany, a classmate of her's told Patch.
• Jennifer Caneiro, whose maiden name is Jennifer Karidis, is originally from Staten Island and her husband Keith is originally from Brooklyn, according to media reports and social media. Joy Gamache, who rents a horse paddock at a nearby farm told the Asbury Park Press "the lady" from 15 Willow Brook Road was "so nice and beautiful" and would regularly bring her children over to pet and feed the horses. Another Caneiro brother lives in Fair Haven: Corey Caneiro and his wife, Elsa Caneiro.
• The Asbury Park Press obtained court records that show Keith Caneiro was convicted of simple assault in 2004. The records show he was initially charged with four counts of assault, but three of the counts were dismissed. He was ordered to pay $1,155 and had a restraining order filed against him by the victim, who was not named. Police told CBS News they have never been called to the home for domestic violence.

Keith Caneiro and his wife, Jennifer Caneiro, are pictured above at his graduation from Columbia University.

Live video feed of the 2 p.m. press conference from the Monmouth County prosecutor:

This is video from outside Paul Caneiro's Ocean Twp. home that he allegedly set on fire Tuesday:

Original story: 4 Dead – Including Children – In Colts Neck Mansion Fire

Photos from the scene of the Colts Neck fire provided to Patch. Top photo of the Caneiros from YouTube. Top photo: Firefighters work the scene of a fatal at 15 Willow Brook Rd.Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, in Colts Neck,N.J.(AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)