LinkedIn/Facebook/Keith Caneiro Keith Caneiro is the owner of the mansion in the Colts Neck, New Jersey fire that killed 4, including 2 children.
Keith Caneiro was the owner of the Colts Neck, New Jersey mansion where he, his wife and their two children died Tuesday. Caneiro’s wife Jennifer, 45, and their two children were found dead in their burning home. Keith Caneiro was found dead with a gunshot wound on the grass in front of the home, NJ Advance Media reports. His
Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said at a news conference on November 20, the day of the fire, that the bodies inside were “severely burned.
Caneiro, a 50-year-old CEO of a technology company, is the brother of Paul Caneiro, whose home in Ocean Township, New Jersey was also set on fire Tuesday. Paul was arrested for the arson at his own home on November 21. On November 29, Paul Caneiro was charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Keith Caneiro, Jennifer Caneiro and their two children, the Asbury Park Press reports.
Paul Caneiro, through an attorney, continues to maintain his innocence. His wife and daughters had been standing by him and planned to testify at a bail hearing on Wednesday, but the court appearance was postponed. His attorney, Mitchell Ansell, told the Asbury Park Press, “My client adamantly maintains his innocence and adamantly maintains that he would never hurt his family.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Keith Caneiro Was an Ivy League-Educated Tech CEO
Keith Caneiro was a graduate of Columbia University and took classes at Harvard Business School, according to his LinkedIn profile. He graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Science degree earlier this year and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia in 2014. He also received certifications from the Harvard Business School’s web platform.
He was the CEO of Square One, an Asbury Park technology consulting firm and also operated a pest control company.
“Launched strategic technology consulting firm that provides exceptional service,” Caneiro’s LinkedIn bio says. “Served as a trusted advisor to clients for scalable and effective technology solutions. Grew company from sole consultancy to multi-million-dollar revenues. Operating responsibilities included project management, contract oversight, business development, cross-functional coordination and employee management and development. Extensive experience in technology management, enterprise information security, and project management in Fortune 500 firms.”
According to his website, he was also a realtor.
2. Keith Caneiro’s Brother Paul Was His Business Partner
NJ Advance Media reports that Paul Caneiro, who was arrested for setting his own home on fire, was Keith’s partner at Square One, as well as the pest control company they operate out of the same building.
The fire at Keith’s Colts Neck home broke out just after noon Tuesday. Paul’s home in Ocean Township was set on fire before dawn. Police did not say whether the two fires are related but are investigating both as arson. A day later they arrested Paul.
NJ Advance Media reported Tuesday that Paul and his wife Susan were at home at the time of the fire. “Paul appeared upset and left a short time after,” a neighbor told the outlet.
“He said it must’ve been a gas leak, he had tears in his eyes. Susan was devastated. He said I’m in complete shock I can’t believe this is happening to me. They were here until about noon,” another neighbor said.
NJ Advance Media reported that there were no signs of any major damage to Paul’s Ocean Township home.
3. Keith Caneiro Built His Colts Neck Mansion in 2003
According to NJ Advance Media, Keith and Paul Caneiro grew up in Brooklyn, New York before moving to New Jersey. According to records, the Caneiros purchased the Colts Neck property in 1998 and the home, valued at $1.5 million, was built in 2003. The 5,700-square-foot home has four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Images of the fire showed the home surrounded by fields and a large swimming pool.
Colts Neck is an upscale area about 50 miles south from New York City. According to The Associated Press, the average home in the area is valued at $750,000. Bruce Springsteen owns a home in the area and Queen Latifah recently sold her mansion there. Former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart and his wife have an animal sanctuary in the area as well.
The area is about 10 miles away from Paul’s home in Ocean Township.
4. Police Believe Both New Jersey Fires Were Caused by Arson
Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said at a news conference that three “severely burned” bodies were found inside the home and a man was found outside on the grass. He did not release the identities of the victims or how they died but law enforcement sources told NJ Advance Media that Keith and Jessica Caneiro, and their two young children, were the victims. Law enforcement sources added that Keith died of a gunshot wound that is not believed to be self-inflicted.
Gramiccioni said that the fire was being investigated as arson.
5. Authorities Immediately Said After the Fire That the Public Was Not in Danger
Gramiccioni insisted during the news conference that “it’s important to emphasize that we have no reason to believe that anyone in the community is in any danger at this time” but did not say whether police had identified a suspect.
“Both of those homes are owned by family members … I’m sure you have questions as to if they related, and that remains to be seen,” he said. “But it is an angle that we’re continuing to pursue. Just let us do our investigation.”
“The last thing I should say is that if anyone has any information about this incident, or the Ocean Twp. fire, please call the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office or Colts Neck police,” he added. “Any little bit can constitute a piece of the puzzle that can make things clearer.”
According to the Asbury Park Press, police found gas canisters behind Paul Caneiro’s Ocean Township home.
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