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Businessman pleads not guilty in slaying of brother’s family in N.J. house fire

A New Jersey businessman accused of killing his brother and his brother's wife and two children has pleaded not guilty to felony murder and other charges

Firefighters work the scene of a fatal fire in Colts Neck, N.J., where the bodies of Keith Caneiro; his wife, Jennifer Caneiro; and their children, Jesse, 11, and Sophia, 8, were found in November.
Firefighters work the scene of a fatal fire in Colts Neck, N.J., where the bodies of Keith Caneiro; his wife, Jennifer Caneiro; and their children, Jesse, 11, and Sophia, 8, were found in November.Read moreNoah K. Murray / AP (custom credit) / AP
    by The Associated Press, The Associated Press
    Published 

FREEHOLD, N.J. — A New Jersey businessman accused of killing his brother, his brother’s wife and two children has pleaded not guilty to felony murder and other charges.

A public defender for Paul Caneiro entered the pleas Monday during a hearing in Freehold. Caneiro had previously been represented by private attorneys who maintained his innocence, but they have withdrawn from the case due to conflicts of interest.

An indictment unsealed last month charges Caneiro with murder, felony murder, aggravated arson and a weapons offense. He also faces counts of theft, misapplication of entrusted property and hindering his own apprehension.

The charges stem from the deaths of Keith Caneiro; his wife, Jennifer, and their two young children. Their bodies were found after a fire broke out at their Colts Neck home Nov. 20.