More Details Released On Quadruple Homicide At Colts Neck Mansion

New details were released Thursday as prosecutors expanded their investigation into the fatal Colts Neck mansion fire that left a family of four dead.

The medical examiner determined that one of the victims, Keith Caneiro, died because of "multiple gunshot wounds" that happened before the Tuesday fire, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni revealed on Thursday.

Caneiro, 50, as well as his wife, Jennifer, 45, and their two children, Jesse, 11 and Sophia, 8, were all murdered in a targeted homicide. Cause-of-death findings for the remaining members of the Caneiro family remain under review pending a toxicology, Gramiccioni said.

The crime scene at 15 Willow Grove in Colts Neck was deemed safe for entry as investigators worked through the night before Thanksgiving on a forensic examination of the home, Gramiccioni said.

A big hold-up in the case was the inability of murder detectives to even get into the Colts Neck estate to look for evidence, the prosecutor said.

During a Wednesday press conference, the prosecutor said the Caneiro family all died Tuesday before their home on was set on fire.

"This family was targeted. All four of them were victims of homicidal violence before the fire was set at their home," said Gramiccioni. "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.

Robert Honecker, an attorney for Paul Caneiro, told CNN that Paul "maintains his innocence on this charge and any other potential charges."

Paul Caneiro set fire to his suburban Ocean Township home while his wife and two daughters were inside, prosecutors 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, and his family were found dead at their Colts Neck estate. Keith was found shot to death on the front lawn, according to the Monmouth County prosecutor. The bodies of the wife and children were inside.

The prosecutor said it was difficult for the medical examiner to identify the bodies of the wife and children, as they were badly burned.

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 was behind bars this week 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.

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

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

Top photo of the Caneiros from YouTube.