Paul Caneiro, the New Jersey tech boss accused of killing his brother and the sibling’s household, was “very quiet” whereas his spouse and children sobbed on the revelation their kinfolk have been lifeless, a cop advised jurors Thursday.
Caneiro’s response caught the eye of investigators when he, his spouse and daughters have been taken to the police station after a suspicious hearth began at their Ocean Township, NJ, house earlier that morning.
Whereas on the station, the Caneiros obtained a textual content from a good friend and began seeing press experiences that Paul’s youthful brother Keith and Keith’s household have been discovered lifeless after a fireplace ignited at their Colts Neck, NJ mansion, Detective Christopher Brady with the Ocean Township Police Division testified.
“That they had acquired a textual content message from a household good friend advising them of the fireplace” and “they have been seeing media updates,” Brady mentioned.
“There have been loads of emotional outbursts and crying,” the detective mentioned.
Whereas Paul, 59, did look “upset,” he “was very quiet. He didn’t say so much,” Brady advised the jury.
Prosecutor Nicole Wallace advised a Monmouth county jury Monday that Paul killed his enterprise accomplice brother and his household on Nov. 20, 2018, after which set their house on hearth to cowl up the killings. He then returned to his own residence and sparked a blaze there to make it appear to be he was additionally being focused, Wallace claimed.
However not like with Keith’s household, Paul made positive his spouse and daughters obtained out unscathed, the prosecutor mentioned.
Paul carried out the quadruple murder after Keith the evening earlier than confronted him about stealing $78,000 from a belief fund meant to pay for Keith’s $3 million life insurance coverage coverage, Wallace claimed.
Paul and a 3rd brother, Corey, stood to separate the life insurance coverage payout within the occasion that Keith and his complete household had died.
And Paul was struggling financially, dwelling outdoors his means whereas on incapacity at a time when he and his brother’s corporations have been declining, Wallace mentioned. The duo co-owned tech agency Sq. One and vermin management firm EcoStar.
What the jury hasn’t been advised is that along with paying for 3 Porsches and a lavish life-style, Paul was additionally allegedly bankrolling his mistress’ $50,000 Audi Q5 SUV and lease, a reality which prosecutors disclosed to the decide throughout a listening to final summer time.
The jury Tuesday heard a name from a furious Keith round 6 p.m. the evening earlier than the murders yelling at Paul to provide him the login data for Keith’s belief account so he might discover out the place his cash went.
Keith hung up on Paul after demanding the brother give him a solution inside two hours.
As a substitute of turning over the data, Paul plotted to kill his brother simply hours later, Wallace mentioned.
Paul went to Keith’s manse in the midst of the evening, lower the ability and turned off the generator, “ready within the shadows” for Keith to come back outdoors and examine on the electrical energy, Wallace mentioned.
Then Paul shot Keith within the head 4 occasions, earlier than going into the house and taking pictures and killing Keith’s spouse, Jennifer, 45, after which repeatedly stabbing Keith’s daughter, Sophia, 8, and son, Jesse, 11, Wallace alleged.
Lastly, Paul began a gradual burning hearth on the brother’s house, forcing the bleeding kids to breathe in smoke as they died, Wallace claimed.
Caneiro pleaded not responsible to homicide and associated costs.
His lawyer, Monika Mastellone, prompt to the jury Monday that Corey Caneiro could have dedicated the slayings, since he additionally stood to inherit $1.5 million if Keith’s complete household died.
Mastellone claimed investigators from the beginning made up their minds that Paul was the killer and failed to research some other potential suspects.
When Mastellone described how shut Keith and Paul have been, Paul started crying in court docket.
Over the previous two days, a handful of legislation enforcement officers and hearth officers have been known as to testify about responding to each fires and suspecting they have been instances of arson.
A few of Paul and Keith’s neighbors have additionally been placed on the witness stand to inform jurors about what they did when the fires started.
The trial is slated to last as long as 2 1/2 months.
