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Amy Robach
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Did you know Tide has been upgraded to provide an even better clean in cold water? Tide is specifically designed to fight any stain you throw at it, even in cold butter. Yep. Chocolate ice cream. Sure thing. Barbecue sauce. Tide's got you covered. You don't need to use warm water. Additionally, Tide pods let you confidently fight tough stains with new coldzyme technology. Just remember, if it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be tied. At Charmin, we heard you shouldn't talk about going to the bathroom in public, so we decided to sing about it.
T.J. Holmes
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Amy Robach
Let her rip.
T.J. Holmes
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Amy Robach
Charmin Ultra Soft Smooth Tear has the same softness you love now with wavy edges that tear better than the lead ply brand. Enjoy the go with Charmin. The kids didn't come home last night.
T.J. Holmes
Along the Central Texas plains, teens are dying, suicides that don't make sense, strange accidents and brutal murders in what seems to be a plot ripped straight out of Breaking Bad.
Amy Robach
Drugs, alcohol, trafficking of people. There are people out there that absolutely know what happened.
T.J. Holmes
Listen to Paper Ghosts, the Texas Teen murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Amy Robach
Or wherever you get your podcasts. You know the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryan and Robyn Dixon is here dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama and reality news you can handle. And you know we don't hold back. So come be reasonable or shady with us each and every Monday. Listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. VRBO Last Minute Deals make chasing fresh mountain powder incredibly easy. With thousands of homes close to the slopes, you can easily get epic Pow Freshies, first tracks and more. No need for months of planning. In fact, you can't even plan. Pow Pow is on its own schedule. Thankfully, somewhere in the world it's always snowing. All you have to do is use the last minute filter on the app to book a last minute deal on a slope side private rental home. Book now@vervo.com.
T.J. Holmes
Hey there folks. It is Sunday, January 4th and a trial is about to finally get underway tomorrow in New Jersey. It's a trial that is some eight years, four horrific murders and two arsons in the making. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. This is one a lot of people, it's weird to say forgot about, but this was a horrific crime. That quite frankly is so much time between the crime and now the trial finally starting tomorrow.
Amy Robach
Yeah. As you pointed out almost eight years ago. And the details of this crime are almost beyond understanding because this is about a man named Paul Canero who is charged with more than a dozen counts of murder. And the people he murdered were his own family members. His brother, his brother's wife, his brother's children.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah. And we need to give some context there. It sounds like he's not facing. He didn't kill a dozen people. The counts, we need to explain how these counts go. But four people are dead, folks, and all four of them are his family members. We were talking about a case of robes and I think you watch enough true crime folks know it usually comes down to usually one of two things. Love, lust, put those in the same category, or money. And this seemed to be a, at least the prosecutors say, strictly a financial situation. But the extremes a man went through. We're talking about a guy who's accused, folks, of killing, yes, his brother and his sister in law, but also their two kids who are age 8 and 11. Is that right? He's accused of killing all of them and then trying to cover it up by setting two homes on fire. That's the crime we're talking about. And it's hard to get your head around.
Amy Robach
Yeah. Because this took a lot of planning and this took a lot of evil intent. I think people can maybe get their heads around crimes of passion, maybe even crimes of desperation. But to go to the level at which prosecutors say he did, to plan this crime and then cover it up and the method in which he did it is just horrific. We will get into the details of how he killed those family members or how police say he killed those family members. We should point out, because Paul has maintained his innocence and this entire time, all these years later. The murders actually happened on November 20th of 2018. This was in Cold Snack, New Jersey, central New Jersey. People often refer to it as horse country. It's a beautiful, affluent part of that state and it's centrally located. It's near New York City. And yeah, you don't think about, I guess this is an idyllic community. And I know people often point to that when they talk about horrific crimes, but this is Certainly not the setting you would expect this horrific crime scene to be in.
T.J. Holmes
I mean, that's weird. We say that and we think about that. And yes, it's how it goes. It would be telling the same story if it happened in another neighborhood with folks that don't look like this and aren't as affluent, who knows? But this is a horrific crime, no matter where it is. That it happened in this particular area is just such a stretch. But giving that it's a financial motive, maybe this does make more sense. These are where folks, they're used to having a lot and not used to losing it. And they're setting up a scenario here, at least prosecutors, where this guy was in such desperation that he took these actions. I don't remember the case or the name. Only recently with some updates, but I didn't remember. He would have said Paul Canero. The name wouldn't have registered. But that's who we're talking about. Paul Canero, 59 years old. Do I have right? He has been in jail this whole time.
Amy Robach
Yes, yes. And his defense team put out a statement with the trial set to begin tomorrow. On Monday, jury selection will begin. But this is what Cano's defense team put out in their statement. Paul has waited more than seven years to have a full and fair trial where the evidence will be heard and evaluated in a court of law. Despite this lengthy process, Mr. Carnero remains patient and resolute, as well as deeply grateful for the unwavering support of his close family and friends who continue to stand by him.
T.J. Holmes
Yes, he has, at least according to that his supporters, has folks in his corner. A lot of people are having difficulty when you hear the details of this crime. It's hard to find sympathy. It's hard to find anyone, frankly, who would come out and say, yes, we love you and we support you. Paul Canero. But again, innocent until proven guilty. And he is saying right now he's innocent. However, Robes does not, at least I have heard an alternate theory for how this all took place. Because the authorities, at least prosecutors say, yes, two homes were set on fire. That is Paul Canero and his brothers, both homes, arson. And I guess they're saying that the suspect, now the guy on trial, was trying to set up a scenario to make it look as if their entire family, the Canero family, was being targeted. That's. That's a hell of a scheme you're putting together to burn down your own damn house.
Amy Robach
Yes. And to hope that your family's going to get out in time because that is.
T.J. Holmes
Which they did.
Amy Robach
Yes, but this, I think this is going to be fascinating to see what the defense puts up as their defense, because with all of the evidence, and we'll go through it that the prosecutors have right now, they're going to have to put up some alternate theory, as you point out, and perhaps what he was trying to create, what prosecutors say he was trying to create in terms of a smoke and mirrors, like an. That may be what the defense goes with. Who knows? But we will find out in court.
T.J. Holmes
But the thing is, they don't have to. They don't have to. It might help with the jury, but we just watched the Brian Walsh trial. They gave them an alternate theory of how someone died, how the woman might have died. Do you have to? Or will they go up there and say, wasn't our guy? We don't have to prove who it was. We can just prove that it wasn't our guy. I don't know what other theory you put out for this one, because it is. They have such a trail of financial desperation and fraud and wrongdoing by this guy that they can establish, it seems a motive. But man, what motive would make you kill your brother, his wife and two babies.
Amy Robach
Yeah. Your niece. Your nieces, you know, this is family. And they lived close by to one another. These homes were close to each other. These brothers were business partners. These families did everything together. The prosecutor said in the case, I thought this was interesting. I mean, you hear a lot of superlatives when prosecutors are trying to discuss their cases. But they said, this is one of the most brutal cases that I've seen in my experience. And when you hear the details, it does, it does read.
T.J. Holmes
We hear those superlative. And we hear that a lot to the point. Okay, that again, that, again, that. But a lot of these cases, I can't imagine. I mean, hell, I haven't. I mean, all the cases we always cover, this one has some unique properties.
Amy Robach
Yes, it does. So it begins on November 20, 2018, where prosecutors say it was around 5 o' clock in the morning that firefighters responded to Paul Canero's home in flames. And they say that Paul, his wife, his two adult daughters all escaped the fire. They were huddled in his Porsche, is what they described it as. And they were upset, obviously scared. And authorities say at the time, Paul's wife said, we don't know who would be looking to harm us. We have no idea how this could have happened. But they found a, a gas can in his driveway and a, like a charred glove. So it it was clearly arson. And that was obvious by the crime scene. And the Canero family were at least seemingly saying, we don't know who could be targeting us. And then seven hours later, his brother's home goes up in flames. Except for when police arrived there, it was a much different scene. The family members were not alive and they did not die because of the fire. Authorities found a horrific scene inside.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah, I mean, inside. I mean, his brother's shot dead out in the front of the house. I mean, so this wasn't. So it was clear. This was something else right off the bat. I believe the brother was actually shot several times in the head. This was clear targeted. This was someone who had the intent of making sure no one survived this incident. Not just a fire, but inside. You got an 11 year old kid, 8 year old kid, both dead. You got the 45 year old mother, Jennifer, also dead. I believe she was the other that had gotten gunshot wound. The kids had stab wounds. So think about the uncle right in the house killing his nieces. In this situation is the scenario that the prosecutors are putting together. This is a scene of horror, of absolute horror in this house. And then he sets this one on fire again seven hours later, seven hours after he had set his own place on fire, according to authorities at least. So this is the crime, folks, and it's taken now eight years to get to this point because in part, at least robes. It sounds like a lot of legal wrangling with this case, but lingual wrangling having to do with civil court and lawsuits. Because now a financial picture is coming together after the crime. That's possibly helping give motive for the original criminal act.
Amy Robach
That's right. And police were very quick, by the way, to arrest Paul Canero. They arrested him three days after these fires for aggravated arson at his own home. And then within a period of time, very short time, they charged him with the murders and the other crimes afterwards. So almost immediately, this wasn't some long investigation of a who done it. They quickly zeroed in on Paul Canero. So, yes, when we come back, we will talk about the motive, which is all about money, and how this all according to prosecutors, went down. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltson. My new podcast, what Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed.
T.J. Holmes
We have some breaking news to tell you about. Tennessee's attorney general is suing a Nashville doctor.
Amy Robach
In April 2024, a fertility clinic in Nashville shut down overnight and Trapped behind locked doors were more than a thousand frozen embryos. I was terrified. Out of all of our journey, that was the worst moment ever. At that point, it didn't occur to me what fight was going to come to follow. But this story isn't just about a few families futures. It's about whether the promise of modern fertility care can be trusted at all. It doesn't matter how much I fight, doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. It doesn't matter how much justice we get. None of it's going to get me pregnant. Listen to what happened in Nashville on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Radhi Devlukia, and I am the host of a really good cry podcast. This week I am joined by Anna Runkle, also known as the crappy childhood Fairy, a creator, teacher, and guide, helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods. We talk about how the things we went through when we were younger can still show up in our adult lives, in our relationships, our reactions, even in the way we feel in our own bodies. And Anna opens up about her own story. What helped her notice the patterns she was stuck in and how she slowly started teaching her body that it is safe now. So when I got attacked, it was very random. Four guys jumped out of a car and just started beating me and my friend. And they broke my jaw and my teeth. I was unconscious. Then I woke up and I screamed and I screamed because even though I didn't know who I was or where I was, something in me was just like, hold on, wait. They could kill me. And I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm gonna get through this. And I did listen to a really good cry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryant and Robyn Dixon is here dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama and and reality news you can handle. And you know, we don't hold back. So come be reasonable or shady with us. Each and every Monday, I was going through a walk in my neighborhood.
T.J. Holmes
Out of the blue, I see this.
Amy Robach
Huge sign next to somebody's house. Okay. The sign says, my neighbor is a Karen. No way. I died laughing. I'm like, I have to know you are lying humongous, y'. All. They had some time on their hands. Listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Decoding Women's Health. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Poynter, Chair of Women's Health and Gynecology at the Atria Health Institute in New York City. On this show I'll be talking to top researchers and top clinicians, asking them your burning questions and bringing that information about women's health and midlife directly to you. 100% of women go through menopause. It can be such a struggle for our quality of life. But even if it's natural, why should we suffer through it? The types of symptoms that people talk about is forgetting everything. I never used to forget things.
T.J. Holmes
They're concerned that one they have dementia.
Amy Robach
And the other one is do I have adhd? There is unprecedented promise with regard to cannabis and cannabinoids to sleep better, to have less pain, to have better mood, and also to have better day to day life. Listen to Decoding Women's Health with Dr. Elizabeth Poynter on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening. The moments that shape us often begin with a simple question. What do I want my life to look like now? I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford and on Therapy for Black Girls we create space for honest conversations about identity, relationships, mental health and the choices that help us grow. As cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloucester reminds us, we are in a divisive time where our comments are weaponized against us. And so what we find is a lot of black women are standing up and speaking out because they feel the brunt of the pain. Each week we explore the tools and insights that help you move with purpose, whether you're navigating something new or returning to yourself. If you're ready for thoughtful guidance and grounded support, this is the place for you. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Foreign. Welcome back everyone as we continue to talk about a significant trial that is about to take place almost eight years in the making in Central New Jersey. Jury selection begins on Monday for the Paul Canero trial. He is accused of murdering four of his family members in the most horrific of ways. His own brother, his sister in law, his nieces. His nieces were stabbed to death in their own home. So was his sister in law and also shot. He, according to police, shot his brother five times in his front yard and then set everyone's homes on fire. So the Canaro brothers were close. According to prosecutors, they were in business together. But in the months leading up to the killings, police say Keith discovered multiple instances of his brother Paul stealing from the business and from him personally. Allegedly. They say he was stealing $11,000 a month and stole a total of $90,000 from Keith's children's college tuitions. And so literally three days before the killings, his own brother said he was going to cut off his brother's salary. Pretty damaging evidence.
T.J. Holmes
I mean, that. Sure, this could all be a coincidence, but that is. I mean, I don't know what motive, what financial motive, you could tell me, and how bad things got that I would say, oh, okay, I see why he snapped and did that. I see why he snapped and punched his brother. I see why he snapped and, I don't know, punched a hole in his tires. I see why he did all kinds of stuff. That's. There is nothing financially I can understand about doing something this heinous. And look, I. I don't know how much it will come into play. They say there was a change in him after a terrible car accident he had had and that it might have messed with him, and he ended up on pain medication and addicted to it, and who knows. Who knows they're going to try to use that, but there is nothing you can point to. How bad is he going to. I don't know. I'm not going to get into their defense. But that's just. Yeah, there's nothing here.
Amy Robach
No, there was. There. You're right. There was some. A lot has been written about Paul having some serious car accident in 2012, I believe. So that would have been six years prior to the killings themselves. But they said there was a significant change in him, that it was a traumatic brain injury and he was never the same. And yes, the pain medications, but obviously that would not be a defense or justification for the heinous murders that took place. And he is denied actually committing them from the beginning.
T.J. Holmes
Yeah. So you can't. So that's out the window. I mean, I guess you could change it at the end, but that'd be difficult to understand as well. But. Yeah, what is the defense going to be other than I didn't do it? There's evidence having to do with. I don't know exactly what's going to be entered, but whether or not it seemed to show him disconnecting a home surveillance system.
Amy Robach
Oh, but that's because it was Interfering with the WI fi, babe.
T.J. Holmes
That's what he said. But the WI fi happened to be hardwired, so it, it's not even a wireless signal to actually get screwed up is what they, yes. Actually said as well. So I don't, I am fascinated to hear what they come up with. We are not going to hear it tomorrow because it's just jury selection that could take at least a week, as we've seen with some of these things. But when that opening statement comes, I am going to be glued to that courtroom.
Amy Robach
This is going to be fascinating. We have been watching now several court cases over these past few months and just to see what the defense can bring to the table there. Obviously, as you point out, do not have to put or up any sort of defense other than the prosecution has to prove their case and we don't have to prove anything. He didn't do it, period. End of story. But usually when we hear these opening statements, we do get an indication of what alternative theory they're going to offer the jury. Juries do. Motive is important. It's not necessary, but it's important. People and jurors, just as a human experience, want to understand what happened. And if you're saying that didn't happen, then what else could have happened? That's usually a strategy by most defense attorneys, but not always.
T.J. Holmes
But if you're sitting on the jury, okay, fine, you tell me he didn't do it. So what happened? I need to hear something. As a juror, I honestly, honestly do. But right now, motive wise, from what I've read and what the prosecution has put out, again, we've always put ourselves in the position of the jurors. And as a juror, I hear enough of a motive. I hear enough of this guy being pissed with everything laid out financially.
Amy Robach
And I don't know exactly. And that, of course, the motive, yes, does seem to read, to make a lot of sense. And if they can actually show, because of these lawsuits, these civil lawsuits that are in place, there's a lot of evidence that has been accumulating over the past seven plus years. But we know that Paul's attorneys did try to bar prosecutors from introducing a lot of this evidence. They weren't successful initially. They were with that surveillance evidence from his garage where he supposedly tried to turn off a security system in his garage. And he did actually, around 1:30 in the morning, they actually got that thrown out by a lower court. But just last month, New Jersey's high court overruled that decision so that that evidence will be allowed. They also tried to get DNA evidence thrown out. The testing, they said they to test the DNA. They were questioning that that got thrown out. So all of their efforts over the years to try and get some of this evidence prosecutors have squelched didn't work. It's all coming out in court and we will be watching. So we always appreciate you staying tuned with us, but please know that we will be covering this trial and I wanted to give you the information on it because it is going to be explosive and we will be following up with you all. So thank you for listening. We always appreciate it. I'm Amy Robach alongside T.J. holmes. Johnny, the kids didn't come home last night.
T.J. Holmes
Along the Central Texas plains, teens are dying. Suicides that don't make sense. Strange accidents and brutal murders in what seems to be a plot ripped straight out of Breaking Bad.
Amy Robach
Drugs, alcohol, trafficking of people. There are people out there that absolutely know what happened.
T.J. Holmes
Listen to Paper Ghosts, the Texas Teen murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Amy Robach
You know the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryant and Robyn Dixon is here dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama and reality news you can handle. And you know, we don't hold back. So come be reasonable or shady with us each and every Monday, listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro.
T.J. Holmes
We were in the car like a Rolling stone came on and he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what? What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity that other people can't have.
Amy Robach
I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened. These are just a few of the moving and important stories on my 13th.
T.J. Holmes
Season of family Secrets.
Amy Robach
Listen to family secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
T.J. Holmes
Greatness doesn't just show up. It's built. One shot, one choice, one moment at a time. From NBA champion Stephen Curry. Comes shot ready. A powerful, never before seen look at the mindset that changed the game. I fell in love with the grind. You have to find joy in the work you do when no one else is around. Success is not an accident. I'm passing the ball to you. Let's go. Steph Curry redefined basketball. Now he's rewriting what it means to succeed. Shot Ready isn't just a memoir, it's a playbook for anyone chasing their potential. Discover stories, strategies and over 100 never before seen photos. Order shot ready now at stephencurrybook.com don't miss Stephen Curry's New York Times bestseller Shot Ready available now.
Amy Robach
Whether it is getting swatted or just hateful messages online, there is a lot of harm in even just reading the comments. That's cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloucester on the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. Every season is a chance to grow, and the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is here to walk with you, Dr. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford, and each week we dive into real conversations that help you move with more clarity and confidence. This episode, we're breaking down what really happens to your information online and how to protect yourself with intention. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
In this gripping episode, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes dissect the shocking case of Paul Canero, accused of murdering four family members and setting two homes ablaze in an affluent part of New Jersey. With the trial set to begin after an eight-year wait, the hosts explore the complexities, motives, and dark family dynamics at play. This is a chilling story of alleged betrayal, greed, and premeditated violence, as the legal process finally gears up to search for justice.
[02:52 - 04:38]
Quote:
"This is about a man named Paul Canero who is charged with more than a dozen counts of murder. And the people he murdered were his own family members."
— Amy Robach [03:26]
[05:41 - 12:24] | [16:42 - 22:45]
Quote:
"We're talking about a case of...it usually comes down to one of two things. Love, lust, or money. And this seemed...a strictly a financial situation."
— T.J. Holmes [03:50]
Quote:
"In the months leading up to the killings, police say Keith discovered multiple instances of his brother Paul stealing from the business and from him personally...Three days before the killings, his own brother said he was going to cut off his brother's salary. Pretty damaging evidence."
— Amy Robach [16:42]
[09:52 - 12:24]
Quote:
"This is a scene of horror, of absolute horror in this house."
— T.J. Holmes [10:59]
[12:24 - 13:14]
[06:31 - 08:33] | [20:44 - 22:45]
Quote:
"Paul has waited more than seven years to have a full and fair trial where the evidence will be heard and evaluated in a court of law. Despite this lengthy process, Mr. Canero remains patient and resolute..."
— Paul Canero’s defense team statement [06:31]
Quote:
"As a juror, I hear enough of a motive. I hear enough of this guy being pissed with everything laid out financially."
— T.J. Holmes [22:21]
Quote:
"We are not going to hear [the defense] tomorrow because it's just jury selection... But when that opening statement comes, I am going to be glued to that courtroom."
— T.J. Holmes [21:11]
[05:41 - 06:31] | [09:39 - 10:59]
Quote:
"To go to the level at which prosecutors say he did, to plan this crime and then cover it up...is just horrific."
— Amy Robach [04:38]
"This took a lot of planning and this took a lot of evil intent."
— Amy Robach [04:38]
"What motive would make you kill your brother, his wife, and two babies?"
— T.J. Holmes [08:33]
"You got an 11 year old kid, 8 year old kid, both dead. You got the 45 year old mother, Jennifer, also dead... Think about the uncle right in the house killing his nieces..."
— T.J. Holmes [10:59]
"There is nothing financially I can understand about doing something this heinous."
— T.J. Holmes [19:27]
"The prosecutor said, 'This is one of the most brutal cases that I've seen in my experience.'
— Amy Robach [09:11]
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes provide a clear, sensitive, and thorough recap of the Paul Canero case as it heads to trial, blending detailed crime reporting with legal analysis and commentary on the human impact of such a disturbing event. Their discussion sets the scene for listeners to follow the proceedings with insight into both the facts and emotional undertones that will define this closely watched case.