FREEHOLD — Paul Caneiro is going to prison for the rest of his life for the murders of his brother, sister-in-law and their two children in Colts Neck.
A Monmouth County judge sentenced Caneiro on Tuesday to four consecutive life terms without parole. The sentence means the 59-year-old Ocean Township man will never be released.
Judge Marc Lemieux said the 2018 killings were planned, deliberate and merciless. He told Caneiro that he was responsible for creating the nightmare that left Keith and Jennifer Caneiro dead, along with their children, 11-year-old Jesse and 8-year-old Sophia.
The judge said the family was attacked inside their Colts Neck home before the house was set on fire. He also said Caneiro put his own family in danger by setting fire to his Ocean Township home earlier that morning.
Caneiro stood quietly in court as the judge reviewed the violence of the crimes and said there was no sign of remorse.
Before the sentence was handed down, Jennifer Caneiro’s mother asked the court to make sure Caneiro never has the chance to hurt anyone again. She called him a monster and said her family has waited years for justice.
A jury convicted Caneiro in February on murder, felony murder and arson charges after a trial that had been delayed for years. Prosecutors said Caneiro killed the family because of money problems and had been taking funds from accounts tied to his brother and their businesses.
Defense attorneys argued investigators focused on Caneiro too quickly and failed to fully consider other possibilities. The judge rejected a request for a new trial in April.
The murders happened in November 2018 and stunned communities across Monmouth County.
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