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

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

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. A North Texas reality television 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. 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. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime Alert, hourly update. Breaking Crime News now. 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 Kinero 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 Kenero 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 Kenero 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 Keniro 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. Canero 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 Canero is innocent and did not commit the murders or set either house on fire. He certainly did not brutally murder the family members that you will hear. He loved and cherished and adored so much. Mastelone 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. They did not investigate any other suspects, even obvious ones, and they searched for evidence to support their theory.

Canero 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 Canero 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. 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 multi-million dollar pyramid scheme that prosecutors say preyed on trust inside the black community during the pandemic. Marlon and Lashondamore 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 Moors once appeared on the reality TV show Family or Fiance, 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 hard. ship. 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. We were just played. We were played with our feelings. We were promised the money. We didn't get it. One of the victims, Rosetta Fleming, says she and her husband invested more than $6,000.

She spoke to KXAS about the emotional toll. 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. Fleming says participants did not see the program as a risk. 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. According to the Department of Justice, the Moore's structured bent as a classic pyramid, mid-s scheme using so-called playing boards where participants had to recruit new members to move up

and receive payouts. Prosecutors say the couple placed themselves in positions that guaranteed 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're currently being held in the Fennon 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. The photographs were held in a hidden folder on the defendant's phone. She was very upset, obviously, when she saw 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 Samson 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 WNCNCN.

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. Warren has served as Newton Grove's police chiefs 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.

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. 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. news. 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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