A New Jersey man was charged Thursday in the deaths of his brother, sister-in-law and niece and nephew.
Paul Caneiro, 51, was charged with four counts of murder in the slaying of Keith Caniero, 50, Jennifer Caneiro, 45, Jesse Caneiro, 11, and Sophia, 8. The family was found dead after a blaze consumed their Colts Neck home on November 20.
Caneiro also faced a new charge of aggravated arson and charges of possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, according to warrants. He was previously charged with second-degree aggravated arson after he allegedly set his own home on fire just hours before his brother and family were found dead at their home.
He has been held without bail since he allegedly set his Ocean Township home ablaze. Caneiro's family, who were inside the home at the time, escaped the fire unharmed.
Hours later, Caniero's brother was found shot to death outside his burning mansion and his dead wife and children were found inside. The three bodies found inside the home were "burned severely," Monmouth County prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said at the time.
"Unfortunately they were burned severely as a result of the fire they were exposed to. So that's making things somewhat challenging as far as the medical examination that needs to ensure," he said.
The new charges against Caniero do not specify the victims, but indicate that the murders allegedly occurred in Colts Neck on November 20, the Asbury Park Press reported.
Gramiccioni previously said Keith Caniero and his family had been "targeted" but did not offer information regarding a possible motive, according to NJ Advance Media. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced it would release new details about the quadruple homicide at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Mitchell J. Ansell, one of Caneiro's attorneys, maintained his client was innocent of all charges. "My client adamantly maintains his innocence and adamantly maintains that he would never hurt his family," Ansell told the Asbury Park Press on Wednesday.
A hearing in Caneiro's case was initially scheduled for Wednesday, but was later delayed until Friday.
Paul and Keith Caneiro were partners as an Asbury Park technology consulting firm called Square One and a pest control company. Colts Neck, New Jersey, where Keith Caneiro and his family lived, is an affluent community around 50 miles south of New York City.
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