Overview
- Jurors heard prosecutors allege that Paul Caneiro shot his brother Keith outside the home, then pursued Jennifer, Jesse and Sophia inside before setting the house on fire.
- Prosecutor Nicole Wallace said Caneiro cut power to the property, executed Keith, stabbed the children repeatedly, and later ignited a second fire at his own home to stage a broader attack.
- The state contends the violence followed Keith’s confrontation over missing trust funds tied to payments for a $3 million life insurance policy and alleged theft to support an affair.
- Defense attorney Monika Mastellone said Caneiro is innocent and argued investigators failed to properly examine another brother, Cory, as a potential suspect.
- Caneiro has pleaded not guilty to 16 counts including murder and aggravated arson, remains jailed without bail, and faces life without parole if convicted, with a 12-member jury and four alternates hearing a trial expected to last up to two and a half months.