Drew Nelson

Paul Canero is on trial in Monmouth County, accused of killing his younger brother, Keith Canero, Keith's wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Jesse and Sophia, during a violent rampage in November 2018.

Prosecutors say Kinero then set the family's Colts Neck mansion on fire and torched his own home in Ocean Township the same day to make it look like the family had been targeted by someone else.

In opening statements, Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Wallace described the killings as calculated and driven by money, greed, and desperation.

She told jurors Kinero hunted his family members inside the darkened house after shooting his brother outside.

Prosecutors say Kinero was facing mounting financial problems and feared being cut off after Keith discovered tens of thousands of dollars missing from their co-owned businesses.

They allege the murders were carried out to gain control of a life insurance policy worth millions.

Kinero appeared emotional at times in court, wiping away tears as the jury heard the details.

The defense forcefully rejected the prosecution's theory.

Attorney Monica Mastalone told jurors Kinero is innocent and did not commit the murders or set either house on fire.

Mastalone argued that investigators developed tunnel vision early in the case and failed to fully investigate other potential suspects, including another brother who also stood to benefit financially.

Kinero has been jailed since his arrest in 2018.

The trial was delayed for years by legal challenges and the COVID pandemic.

Testimony began with an accountant who spoke with Keith Kinero the night before the murders and described him as deeply upset.

The trial is expected to last for weeks, with jurors hearing extensive forensic, financial, and witness testimony, lasting into March.

More crime and justice news after this.

A North Texas reality TV husband and wife are now convicted felons after a federal jury found they ran a multimillion dollar pyramid scheme that prosecutors say preyed on trust inside the black community during the pandemic.

Marlon and LaShonda Moore were found guilty in federal court in Sherman, Texas, of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Prosecutors say the couple defrauded more than 10,000 people nationwide, pulling in more than $25 million through their program known as Blessings in No Time, or BINT.

The Moores once appeared on the reality TV show Family or Fiancé, which prosecutors say helped them build credibility while marketing the scheme out of their Prosper, Texas home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Victims say the program was pitched as a community-based way to survive financial hardship.