Long-Delayed NJ Quadruple Murder Trial Finally Begins: Suspect Killed Four Family Members and Torched Two Homes | Crime Alert 6AM 01.14.26

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Long-Delayed NJ Quadruple Murder Trial Finally Begins: Suspect Killed Four Family Members and Torched Two Homes
Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Drew Nelson (substituting)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

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Overview

This episode dives into the shocking start of a long-awaited quadruple murder trial in New Jersey, where Paul Caniro stands accused of brutally killing his brother's family and setting two homes on fire in an alleged attempt to hide financial motives. The episode also covers two other headline cases: the conviction of a couple in a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme and the jailing of a North Carolina police chief on serious child exploitation charges. The reporting provides key updates, courtroom moments, and the human impact on victims and communities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Jersey Quadruple Murder Trial: Paul Caniro

• Case Background (00:03):
  • Paul Caniro on trial in Monmouth County, NJ, accused of murdering his younger brother Keith, Keith’s wife Jennifer, and their two children, Jesse and Sophia, in November 2018.
  • Prosecutors allege Caniro killed the family, then set fire to their Colt’s Neck mansion and his own Ocean Township home to cover up the crime and misdirect investigators.
• Prosecution’s Opening Statement (00:37):
  • Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Wallace paints the killings as “calculated and driven by money, greed and desperation.”
  • Allegation: Caniro hunted his family in their darkened house, shooting his brother outside, then stabbing his niece Sophia 17 times.
  • Motive: Mounting financial problems; theft from co-owned businesses; desire to secure a life insurance policy worth millions.
  • Notable scene: Caniro appeared emotional, “wiping away tears as the jury heard the details.”
• Defense Response (01:33):
  • Attorney Monica Mast asserts Caniro’s innocence, arguing the case is built on tunnel vision and failure to investigate other suspects, including another brother.
  • Quote:

    “He certainly did not brutally murder the family members that you will hear he loved and cherished and adored so much.”
    — Monica Mast, Defense Attorney [01:33]

  • Quote:

    “They did not investigate any other suspects, even obvious ones, and they searched for evidence to support their theory.”
    — Monica Mast, Defense Attorney [01:54]

• Early Testimony (02:03):
  • First witness: Accountant who spoke to Keith the night before the murders, described him as “deeply upset.”
• Trial Logistics:
  • Ongoing since 2018, delayed by legal wrangling and the pandemic.
  • Trial set to last weeks, with extensive forensic, financial, and witness testimony expected to continue into March.

2. Texas Pyramid Scheme Conviction: Marlon and Lashonda Moore

• Verdict (03:47):
  • Marlon and Lashonda Moore (reality TV personalities) convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
  • Scheme dubbed “Blessings in No Time” (BENT), targeted thousands—primarily within the Black community—during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing $25 million.
• Scheme Mechanics:
  • Promised “community-based” financial help, guaranteed money, and refunds (which weren’t honored).
  • Used a “playing board” recruitment model, classic pyramid structure.
  • Moore couple positioned to collect highest payouts; most participants lost money.
  • Victims’ Voices:

    “We were just played. We were played with our feelings. We were promised the money. We didn't get it.”
    — Rosetta Fleming, Victim [04:50]
    “They were African Americans as well and they were taking advantage of us. They specifically stated no other race, no other group of people, no social media.”
    — Rosetta Fleming [05:08]
    “We didn't look at it as like it was a gamble. We look at it like it was something out there that could help us, you know, pay the bills, feed our children.”
    — Rosetta Fleming [05:23]

• Legal Fallout:
  • Couple facing decades in prison, currently held in jail pending sentencing.

3. North Carolina Police Chief Arrested: Gregory Warren

• Criminal Charges (06:55):
  • Gregory Warren, chief of Newton Grove Police Department, arrested on multiple felony charges including indecent liberties with a child and secret peeping.
  • Allegations: Secretly photographed a sleeping girl in her bedroom; evidence found in a hidden folder on his phone.
  • Additional incriminating images and suspicious apps uncovered.
• Community Reaction & Aftermath:
  • Residents express shock and disappointment.

    “Shocked?”
    — Brandy Melby, Resident [07:40]
    “Disappointment. I mean, most people didn’t even know we had a Newton Grove Police Department, but he was good people to me. If he did what he did, then he needs to pay for it.”
    — Unnamed Resident [07:41]

  • Warren suspended without pay; held without bond at Sampson County Detention Center.
• Judicial Commentary:

  “I have some serious concerns as to whether at this time under these facts, at this early stage in the proceeding, I don't think at this time the presumption has been rebutted.”
  — Judge Robert Gilmore, on denying bond [08:07]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Paul Caniro appeared emotional at times in court, wiping away tears as the jury heard the details.” — Drew Nelson [00:56]
• “She told jurors Caniro hunted his family members inside the darkened house after shooting his brother outside, he stabbed his niece Sophia 17 times over her entire 45-pound body.” — Drew Nelson, summarizing prosecution [00:41]
• “We were just played. We were played with our feelings. We were promised the money. We didn't get it.” — Rosetta Fleming, pyramid scheme victim [04:50]
• “Shocked?... Disappointment. I mean, most people didn’t even know we had a Newton Grove Police Department, but he was good people to me. If he did what he did, then he needs to pay for it.” — Newton Grove residents [07:40-07:41]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NJ Quadruple Murder Trial
  • Case background, prosecution/defense (00:03–02:33)
• Texas Pyramid Scheme
  • Conviction & victim stories (03:47–05:35)
• Police Chief Arrested in NC
  • Allegations, community & legal developments (06:55–08:19)

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains an urgent, serious, and empathetic tone as it breaks down complex legal developments into accessible updates. Direct victim testimony and community reactions bring human depth and emotional resonance to the legal proceedings and headlines.

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Summary

This episode delivers gripping updates on three major crime stories, with the centerpiece being the emotionally charged New Jersey quadruple murder trial. The reporting is balanced, bringing both prosecution and defense perspectives to light, while also spotlighting the devastating personal and community impact in cases ranging from financial fraud to child exploitation within law enforcement ranks. Listeners gain a thorough understanding of the cases’ stakes, motivations, and implications for justice.

Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

CRIME Alert Hourly UPDATE Breaking crime news now.

[Drew Nelson]

I'm Drew Nelson. A long delayed quadruple murder trial is now underway in New Jersey with prosecutors and defense attorneys laying out starkly different versions of how an entire family was wiped out inside their own home. Paul Kiniro is on trial in Monmouth county accused of killing his younger brother Keith Kiniro, Keith's wife Jennifer and their two children, Jesse and Sophia during a violent rampage in November 2018. Prosecutors say Kiniro then set the family's Colt's 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 Caniro hunted his family members inside the darkened house after shooting his brother outside, he stabbed his niece Sophia 17 times over her entire 45 pound body. Prosecutors say Caniro 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 alleged the murders were carried out to gain control of a life insurance policy worth millions. Caniro 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 Mast told jurors Caniro is innocent and did not commit the murders or set either house on fire.

[Monica Mast]

He certainly did not brutally murder the family members that you will hear he loved and cherished and adored so much.

[Drew Nelson]

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.

[Monica Mast]

They did not investigate any other suspects, even obvious ones, and they searched for evidence to support their theory.

[Drew Nelson]

Caniro 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 Caniro 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.

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Drew Nelson]

Texas Reality TV Husband and wife are now convicted felons after a federal jury found they ran a multi million 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 Bent. The Moore's once appeared on the reality TV show Family or Fiance, which prosecutors say help 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. Participants were told their money was guaranteed and that refunds would be issued if they were not satisfied. Federal investigators say neither promise was true.

[Rosetta Fleming]

We were just played. We were played with our feelings. We were promised the money. We didn't get it.

[Drew Nelson]

One of the victims, Rosetta Fleming, says she and her husband invested more than $6,000. She spoke to KXAS about the emotional toll.

[Rosetta Fleming]

They were African Americans as well and they were taking advantage of us. They specifically stated no other race, no other group of people, no social media.

[Drew Nelson]

Fleming says participants did not see the program as a risk.

[Rosetta Fleming]

We didn't look at it as like it was a gamble. We look at it like it was something out there that could help us, you know, pay the bills, feed our children.

[Drew Nelson]

According to the Department of Justice, the Moore's structured Bent as a classic pyramid scheme using so called playing boards where participants had to recruit new members to move up and receive payouts. Prosecutors say the couple place themselves in positions that guarantee they collected the largest payments while most participants lost everything. An attorney for Marlon Moore told KXAS the couple tried to fix the program after it grew out of control. The Moore's now face potential decades in federal prison when they are sentenced later this year. They are currently being held in the Fannin County Jail. Shock ripples through a small North Carolina town after its police chief is jailed on child sex charges, with prosecutors detailing allegations involving secret photos taken while a child slept. Gregory Warren, chief of Newton Grove Police Department, is behind bars facing seven felonies, including indecent liberties with a child and multiple counts of felony secret peeping. State investigators say the alleged crimes involve a juvenile girl and date back to 2023. According to arrest warrants, Warren is accused of going into the child's bedroom and taking explicit photographs while she was asleep. During a court hearing, special prosecutor Donna Rainwater described the evidence in blunt terms.

[Narrator/Announcer]

The photographs were held in a hidden.

[Drew Nelson]

Folder on the defendant's phone. She was very upset, obviously, when she saw the photos, investigators say. Additional examination of Warren's devices revealed images tied to the allegations along with apps prosecutors described as having no legitimate purpose. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation launched the investigation at the request of the Sampson County Sheriff's Office after deputies received the initial allegations. SBI agents arrested Warren on Wednesday. The arrest has stunned residents in Newton Grove, which is a small town in Sampson County. One of those residents is Brandy Melby, speaking to wncn.

[Brandy Melby]

Shocked?

[Unnamed Resident]

Disappointment. I mean, most people didn't even know we had a Newton Road Police Department, but he was good people to meet. If he did what he did, then he needs to pay for it.

[Drew Nelson]

Warren has served as Newton Grove's police chief since 2019. In 2021, he shot a rape and kidnapping suspect during a confrontation. That shooting was later ruled justified by the district attorney. During Warren's first court appearance, Judge Robert Gilmore denied bond.

[Judge Robert Gilmore]

I have some serious concerns as to whether at this time under these facts, at this early stage in the proceeding, I don't think at this time the presumption has been rebutted.

[Drew Nelson]

Town officials announced Warren has been suspended without pay while the case moves forward and say police operations will continue without interruption. Warren remains held at the Sampson County Detention center as the investigation continues. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert Hourly update on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert, I'm Drew Nelson.

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[Brandy Melby]

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[Rosetta Fleming]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Drew Nelson]

Guaranteed Human.