Brother Accused of Stabbing 8-Year-Old Niece 17 Times — She Survived 9 Hours | Paul Caneiro Trial
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 911 Ratings
🗓️ 16 January 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
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Summary
Paul Caneiro is on trial for the 2018 quadruple murder of his brother Keith, sister-in-law Jennifer, and their two children — 11-year-old Jesse and 8-year-old Sophia — inside their million-dollar Colts Neck, New Jersey mansion. Prosecutors say greed drove Caneiro to slaughter his own family after Keith discovered he'd been stealing tens of thousands of dollars from their shared businesses. The most devastating detail: according to autopsy findings cited in a civil lawsuit, Sophia was stabbed 17 times across her 45-pound body and survived for approximately nine hours, dying of smoke inhalation after her uncle allegedly set the house on fire.
The prosecution's evidence includes bloody clothing found in Paul's basement with DNA matching the children, a 9mm handgun, matching ammunition, and security footage showing Paul disconnecting his home cameras at 1:28 AM the night of the murders. Hours later, Paul's own house caught fire — prosecutors say he set it to create the "illusion" his entire family was being targeted.
But the defense is pointing at someone else: Corey Caneiro, the third brother, who police never investigated and whose DNA was never collected. Corey stood to inherit $1.5 million from the same life insurance policy. A civil lawsuit alleges he took control of the insurance proceeds after the murders and bought a $1.8 million home less than a year later. He denies these allegations.
Seven years after the murders, the trial is finally underway. Paul Caneiro faces life without parole if convicted.
#PaulCaneiro #ColtsNeck #MansionMurders #TrueCrime #NewJersey #CanerioTrial #QuadrupleMurder #CourtTV #HiddenKillers #JusticeForSophia
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Hidden Killers with Tony Brewski. Here now, Tony Bruske. |
| 0:07.2 | On November 19th of 2018, Keith Canero got a phone call that confirmed what he'd suspected for months. |
| 0:15.9 | Canada life insurance was on the line, and they had a problem. |
| 0:26.5 | The premium payments on his $3 million life insurance policy weren't being made. |
| 0:31.7 | Keith knew exactly who was supposed to be making those payments, his older brother, Paul. |
| 0:35.3 | Paul was a sole trustee of that policy. |
| 0:39.3 | Paul controlled the account, and now Keith had documented proof that Paul had been stealing from him. |
| 0:43.8 | That afternoon, Keith called his brother. |
| 0:46.4 | Then he called him again that evening. |
| 0:48.1 | Both calls were captured by home security cameras |
| 0:50.9 | inside Keith's house. |
| 0:52.4 | We only hear Keith's side, but it's enough. |
| 0:57.0 | I need the effing login, Keith demands. He wants access to the bank accounts. Paul has been |
| 1:03.8 | controlling. He wants to see where the money went. He wants answers. |
| 1:19.7 | And I, Keith, sends an email. He forwards it to his youngest brother, Corey, and two business associates. |
| 1:28.0 | The email is blunt. Money is missing from the businesses he and Paul co-own, executive or effective immediately. |
| 1:33.0 | Paul's $225,000 salary cut off. |
| 1:36.9 | Payments to Paul's wife, Susan, discontinued. |
| 1:40.3 | Keith is creating a paper trail. |
| 1:42.6 | He's documenting everything. |
| 1:43.3 | He's done. |
| 1:49.3 | He's fed up. By midnight on November 19th, 2018, Paul Canero, if the prosecution is right, is staring at the complete destruction of his |
... |
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