Paul Caneiro is charged in the 2018 murders of Keith Caneiro, 50, his wife Jennifer, 45, and their two children, daughter Sophia, 8, and son, Jesse, 11, on Willow Brook Road in Colts Neck.

The trial began Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It’s expected to last about 2.5 months. Court proceedings are expected to begin at 8:30 a.m.

Live stream the trial above.

8-year-old girl’s DNA on bloody jeans in Paul Caneiro’s home, jury hears

FREEHOLD — The DNA of 8-year-old Sophia Caneiro was found in five locations on a pair of bloody jeans recovered from her uncle’s basement after she, her mother, father and 11-year-old brother were found murdered at their Colts Neck mansion in 2018, a scientist testified Feb. 2 at Paul Caneiro’s trial in the murders. Read more.

— Kathleen Hopkins

Video shows figure lurking outside Caneiro mansion before murders

FREEHOLD — A jury on Jan. 29 watched security surveillance footage showing a shadowy figure going back and forth outside Keith Caneiro’s garage in the early morning of Nov. 20, 2018, when prosecutors say Keith and his wife and children were murdered at the home. Read more.

— Kathleen Hopkins

THE SCOOP

The Devils are battling for their playoff lives. But the hill to climb is only getting steeper as the teams around them continue to win, making it difficult to gain any ground. The Devils currently have 58 points in 55 games played. That puts them seven points out of the final Metro Division slot and nine for the last Wild Card position.

The Devils are entering a critical stretch this week ahead of the Olympic break. They have two home games, both against Metro opponents that New Jersey is chasing. To really remain within a viable shot at earning a postseason berth, the Devils will likely need to win both games this week and ideally in regulation. Anything less than a four-point swing would really put the Devils in a hole.

The Blue Jackets are in a similar situation. They have three more points than the Devils (61), but also have a lot of ground to make up in either the Metro or Wild Card. Columbus has two games this week, Tuesday in New Jersey and Wednesday at home against Chicago.

Columbus being in the playoff hunt has been a surprised. The team entered January well out of the playoffs and began the month with a 1-3-1 run. Things looked bleak. But a head coaching change has caused a surge in Columbus. Rick Bowness stepped in on Jan. 12 in place of Dean Evanson. The Blue Jackets are 8-1-0 under Bowness and 9-1-0 overall in their last 10 contest. That points run has catapulted Columbus from the bottom of the standings into a fighting chance.

Zach Werenski continues his play as the most underrated defenseman in the NHL. While Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes steal the headlines, it is Werenski that leads the League’s blueliners in scoring with 60 points (t-Evan Bouchard). Werenski’s 19 goals are also tied for the most in the NHL while his 41 assists rank fourth (tied).

The state could pause electric distribution rate hikes — but it’s not clear how long that would last

In addition to supply charges, which utilities pass along to consumers without earning a profit, utilities charge customers for delivering electricity to their homes and building and maintaining grid infrastructure.

Since this is where the profit lies and utilities are afforded a monopoly, the companies have to periodically ask the Board of Public Utilities for permission to increase these delivery rates. Sherrill’s order directs the board to consider pausing these proceedings.

The board is currently considering a request from Rockland Electric Company in North Jersey to raise the typical household’s monthly bill by as much as $29. A spokesperson for the board did not answer questions about whether and for how long it plans to pause cases like this one by press time.

“The [Board of Public Utilities] often has a clock on which they have to act,” Silverman said. “It’s very difficult for them to just sit there and hold these [proceedings] in abeyance, but now they have the … governor telling them to do that.”

Silverman said the board will need to make “tough choices,” as it needs to balance the long-term need for grid maintenance and growth with the need to reduce short-term costs. He said Sherrill’s executive order shows the governor is prioritizing “immediate rate relief” for customers.

Lipman, who advocates for utility customers in rate cases before the board, said his office has not been told that the Rockland Electric rate case is on pause, so it is continuing to hire experts, issue discovery and prepare testimony.

“We’re moving forward as if the case is moving forward,” he said.

Lipman expects utilities to file other petitions with the board this year seeking smaller increases, usually no more than a few dollars on the typical customer’s monthly bill, to recover costs from replacing wires, hardening infrastructure or making energy-efficiency improvements.

“Those are the ones that I think are likely going to be paused or strung out a little bit more than they would have in the past,” Lipman said.

But Lipman worries such a pause could simply delay the bill hikes, essentially putting them “on the credit card.” He said the state would be “hard pressed legally” to deny the companies reimbursement for certain investments.

“So we’ll say to the utilities, ‘We won’t give you an increase in 2026, but we’ll give you either a bigger increase in 2027, or we’ll pay interest,” he said. “That’s what I’m really concerned about.”

Representatives for PSE&G, Atlantic City Electric and JCP&L all did not respond to questions about any bill increases they plan to seek approval for in the coming year. All three provided statements that acknowledged the need for energy affordability and indicated they are willing to work with Sherrill. Rockland Electric’s parent company, Consolidated Edison, did not respond to a request for comment.