Uncle Sobs as Medical Examiner Details Nephew's Fatal Injuries in Court
The New Jersey uncle accused of stabbing his 11-year-old nephew and his millionaire brother's family to death broke down in court as a medical examiner detailed the boy's fatal injuries. Paul Caneiro, 59, is accused of killing his adolescent nephew Jesse, eight-year-old niece Sophia, their 45-year-old mother Jennifer and 50-year-old father Keith in Colts Neck on November 20, 2018.
Gruesome Details Emerge During Emotional Testimony
Dr. Lauren Thoma, the deputy chief medical examiner at Middlesex Regional Medical Examiner's Office, testified that Jesse's left arm and torso had sustained multiple stab wounds. She also noted he had an injury around his chin that appeared similar to a gunshot wound, although that was not definitively confirmed. As the medical examiner went over Jesse's autopsy findings, Caneiro sobbed into his hands and wiped away tears, with a box of tissues visible next to him as he attempted to recompose himself in Monmouth County court.
Caneiro allegedly murdered his family after realizing that his brother Keith had discovered he was stealing from an insurance trust account. Prosecutors claim he then set their $1.5 million mansion on fire and also set his own home ablaze to mislead investigators. The uncle has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen counts of murder, as well as aggravated arson and theft charges.
Prosecution Presents Forensic Evidence
Forensic evidence presented during the trial included testimony from scientist Chris Szymkowiak, who told the court that blood stains with Sophia's DNA were found on a pair of jeans discovered in Caneiro's basement. The DNA on a knife in his home also matched Sophia, with odds of the match estimated to be one in 726 million. Prosecutors allege Caneiro killed his brother Keith with five point-blank gunshots, shot his brother's wife Jennifer in the head and stabbed her multiple times, and fatally stabbed his young niece Sophia, whose entire body suffered injuries.
Jesse was found in the kitchen of the family home, where there were also blood smears on a cabinet. The gruesome evidence presented earlier this week brought other family members and supporters to tears, according to local reports.
Financial Motive Revealed
Prosecutors said Caneiro, who served as trustee of an account linked to a $3 million life insurance policy on Keith, desperately needed money. He had amassed six-figure expenses totaling more than $402,000 in 2017 and $314,000 in 2018, according to financial records. The family's shared businesses were struggling, according to testimony heard in court. Prosecutors alleged Caneiro would benefit from the life insurance policy if Keith's wife and children were also dead.
Character Testimony and Trial Proceedings
Family friend and neighbor Jack Gould described Caneiro as a well-educated and helpful person with a calm personality, saying some people would say the brothers were fused at the hip. Gould's wife also testified to Caneiro's character, calling him very intelligent, very well read, sometimes opinionated but a very kind, giving soul who was very jovial and even-tempered.
A juror in the case was questioned by Superior Court Judge Marc C. Lemieux after he told his wife that the graphic testimony of the autopsies was a heavy day. The juror replied with just sadness when asked about how the autopsy photos had affected him, calling them really impactful but alleging he had not continued talking about it with his spouse.
Friday marked day 15 of the trial, as the prosecution wrapped up its case. If convicted, Caneiro faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Monmouth County prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni previously called Caneiro's alleged actions the most brutal crime he had ever seen, stating the uncle set fire to his own home to destroy evidence and create a ruse that his family was targeted.
