NJ Man Convicted Of Murdering Brother’s Family Files Motion For New Trial

COLTS NECK, NJ — The lawyers of a New Jersey man convicted of murdering his brother and his brother’s family have filed a motion for a new trial.

Paul Caneiro, 59, of Ocean Township, was convicted on Feb. 13 on all counts after he was accused of murdering his brother, Keith, Keith's wife, Jennifer, and their children, Jesse and Sophia, in their Colts Neck home in November 2018 before setting the home on fire.

Caneiro was also convicted of starting a fire the same day at his own home in Ocean Township, though he, his wife, Susan, and their two daughters were able to escape uninjured.

On Monday, Caneiro’s attorneys, Monika Mastellone and Andy Murray, filed a motion for a new trial, court documents show.

According to a report from NJ.com, Mastellone and Murray’s briefs arguing why Caneio should get a new trial are due on March 16, and the prosecutors’ reply briefs are due April 6.

Caneiro is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

“Our system of justice, if you remember what I said in the beginning, fails without people like yourselves for taking the time to sacrifice your time so that our system of justice can have jurors come in and render decisions on cases like this,” Judge Marc C. Lemieux told jurors following Caneiro’s conviction on Feb. 13.

"So the fact that you did that, and all of you did it with such professionalism, with dedication. I watched you each and every day…You all paid attention, you very much were focused on the task at hand,” he continued. “I commend all of you for what you’ve accomplished here, which is to render a decision as to this difficult case.”

Caneiro’s motion for a new trial comes over seven years after the deaths of his brother and his brother’s family in November 2018.

On Nov. 20, 2018, Keith, Jennifer, and their children were found dead at Keith and Jennifer’s home in Colts Neck, following a fire that broke out at the house.

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

When authorities arrived at Keith Caneiro’s home, they found him shot to death on the front lawn.

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

He was then charged with four counts of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree felony murder, in connection with the deaths of his brother and his brother’s family.

In July 2019, he was also indicted on a charge of insurance fraud, as prosecutors said Caneiro stole $78,000 from his and Keith’s businesses over the course of two years.

Prosecutors argued that Paul Caneiro killed Keith, Jennifer and the children in part because of the theft from the business. They also alleged Paul stood to inherit half of a $3 million life insurance policy that was only payable if Keith’s entire family died.

The defense tried to point suspicion at the third brother, Corey, repeatedly during the trial, but the jury apparently rejected that, coming to a guilty verdict after less than six hours of deliberation.

When Caneiro is sentenced on May 12, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Previous Coverage

• NJ Man Murdered Brother, Sister-In-Law, Niece, Nephew, Jury Finds
• 8-Year-Old Niece’s Blood Found On Jeans Of Man Charged In Family’s Killing, Report Says
• NJ Man Accused Of Killing Brother’s Family, Torching Mansion, Stands Trial
• Judge Rules On Caneiro Release In Colts Neck Slayings, Trial Date Set
• Accused Colts Neck Killer Now Charged With Insurance Fraud
• Brother Charged With Killing Family In Colts Neck Murders
• Colts Neck Fire Was Quadruple Homicide, Family 'Targeted:' MCPO