Heartbreaking Obituaries For Colts Neck Quadruple Murder Victims

COLTS NECK, NJ — An 11-year-old boy who loved World War II history and talking to people about current world events. An 8-year-old girl who loved the New York Yankees, along with baking with her mother and nanny. An Ivy League-educated father, a mother who was active in the local elementary school PTO and a family who loved to vacation together, particularly to their second home in Greece.

This is how their loved ones remember the Caneiro family of Colts Neck, who were all murdered in their Willow Brook Road home. The house was then set on fire sometime around noon last Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Their tributes have been published, along with the announcement of funeral services for the family of four. A memorial gathering will be held Sunday, December 2, at 12 noon at Holmdel Funeral Home, followed by the funeral service at 3 p.m., also at Holmdel Funeral Home. Holmdel Funeral Home is located at 26 South Holmdel Road.

In the meantime, Caneiro's brother, Paul Caneiro, has been arrested and charged with setting his own Ocean Township house on fire that same day. There are still no arrests made in the quadruple homicide, and no motive has been released by the Monmouth County prosecutor.

Read more: The Colts Neck Quadruple Murder: A Timeline Of Events

Paul's family may testify on his behalf this Wednesday, his lawyer says, and a GoFundMe page was launched by his daughters' friends, who say the family is homeless after their Tilton Drive home was destroyed.

The Colts Neck community and Caneiro family, meanwhile, are coming to grips with the tragedy as they remember Keith, 50, the father, as a man who loved spending time with his wife and children.

The hearbreaking obituaries published over the weekend talked about how Keith was passionate about fitness and staying in shape (he was a member of Aspire Gym in Colts Neck), and loved his dog, Sydney (the dog died several years ago). Keith earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Columbia University, and was CEO of Square One, the Asbury Park-technology firm he started with his now-jailed brother.

"Keith was an avid reader, often reading three or four books in a week. He was a passionate sports fan and a loving husband and father," according to his obituary.

His wife, Jennifer, 45, meanwhile was a graduate of the University of Albany and was an active member of the Conover Road School PTO in Colts Neck, according to her obituary.

"She enjoyed being with her husband Keith and their children Jesse and Sophia. Jennifer loved to host family parties for every holiday at her home. She enjoyed exercising, going to the beach and traveling with her family to their home in Greece," it read.

Jesse Alexander Caneiro, 11, was a 5th grade student at Conover Road School in Colts Neck. He loved history, especially WWI and WWII, and "he could have a conversation with anyone about current world events," according to his obituary. "Jesse enjoyed technology and learning about all the functions of the latest computers, phones and watches. He loved to play the video game Fortnight and building amazing structures with Legos."

Jesse was also active in Colts Neck rec sports.

Little Sophia Alexis Caneiro, 8, was a third grader at the same elementary school. She loved baking with her mom and her nanny, Claudia.

"She loved ice skating, gymnastics and the New York Yankees," her obituary read. "She was member of the Colts Neck Girl Scouts, she participated in the Colts Neck Recreation program. She loved taking Ninja classes ... Sophia was a vibrant, enthusiastic and precocious girl; her positive energy was contagious."

Keith Caneiro was shot to death multiple times. His body was discovered on the front lawn, and the bodies of his wife and children were inside their Willow Brook Road home, badly burned. Jennifer and her children had been stabbed to death, NBC reported. They were all killed sometime before the fire was started at their home, which was shortly after 12 p.m. Tuesday, the prosecutor said.

As he faces charges, Paul's wife and two daughters are standing by him, his lawyer, Bob Honecker, continued to maintain on Monday morning. While they were not able to visit him in jail this weekend, he said he will be asking Paul's wife, Susan Caneiro, and their two daughters, both in their 20s, if they will testify on their father's behalf at this detention hearing, scheduled for this Wednesday at 9 a.m.

"If they testify on Wednesday, I will be asking them to tell the judge about the events of early last Tuesday morning, Nov. 20, when the fire started at their home and Paul woke them all up and saved them," Honecker, a former Monmouth County first assistant prosecutor and now a private defense attorney, told Patch Monday morning. "Unfortunately, they were not able to visit their father in jail this weekend because he continues to be in a part of the jail that does not allow visitors," he added, adding that he does not think the county prosecutor is being punitive in how they're treating him.

The county prosecutor will likely ask that the elder Caneiro, who, at 51, is just one year older than his slain brother, be kept in jail until his trial for the charge of aggravated arson. Honecker said he will be requesting that his client be allowed to go free until trial.

"Remember, he's only charged with one second-degree count of arson," he said.

How is Paul's emotional state as he remains in jail?

"He continues to be devastated," said his lawyer. "He continues to worry about his own family, how they are doing, and the fact that his brother and his family are gone."

Friends of Paul's daughter, Katie Caneiro, launched this GoFundMe page for that surviving family. In it, they describe both sets of Caneiro as loving towards each other, and very close.

"The tragedy that struck Colts Neck and Ocean Township New Jersey has been making national headlines. Many of you have seen the horrific photos of the houses blazing in fire and have heard about the horrifying events that took place with Keith, Jen, Jesse, and Sophia Caneiro, may they Rest In Peace," they wrote. "What you have not heard about is the state that the rest of the family has been left in as a result of this tragedy. The surviving Caneiro family has lost their family members that they loved dearly."

"As Katie Caneiro’s best friends from college/home, we have watched over the years as the family helped care for the children, had joy-filled holidays, and attended exciting milestones and school events with Keith, Jen, Jesse and Sophia. Not only are they dealing with the tragic loss of their family, they also have nothing and nowhere to go. They have lost their home and all of their belongings. The news doesn’t cover the fact that the family is on their own right now. They do not have a roof over their heads, clothes, winter coats, dog food for their dogs, even toothbrushes."

So far, many have donated and the page has raised $8,000 of its $50,000 goal.

As Paul's lawyer told Patch on Friday, Paul remained outside his Ocean Twp. home all Tuesday morning, a fact confirmed by several neighbors who said they saw him talking to investigators. In fact, Paul remained at his Tilton Drive property until just before noon Tuesday, at which point he went to Ocean Twp. police headquarters with his wife, his lawyer said. It was sitting in Ocean Twp. police headquarters that officials broke the news to Paul that the bodies of his brother, brother's wife and their two children had just been found in a fire at their home. The fire was deliberately started sometime around noon that day, the prosecutor said.

"They all were, his wife, his whole family there with him when they heard that news. Crying, you name it," Honecker said.

Patch is a promotional partner with GoFundMe.

Ongoing reporting: Brother's Lawyer In Colts Neck Murders: 'He's Devastated'

Colts Neck Fire Was Quadruple Homicide, Family 'Targeted:' MCPO