Paul Caneiro has been charged in the killings and is awaiting trial. Now, he is the sole defendant in the wrongful-death suit filed on behalf of the estate of Sophia by Karidis, her maternal grandfather. The suit seeks damages from Paul Caneiro on behalf of the girl's estate.

Authorities say Paul Caneiro shot and killed Keith Caneiro in the front yard of the family home, then shot and killed Jennifer and stabbed the two children, before starting a fire in the home's basement. Paul Caneiro also set fire to his own home in Ocean Township. Keith, Jennifer and Jesse Caneiro died instantly but an autopsy shows Sophia survived 9 hours after the attack before she died of smoke inhalation, said Christopher Musmanno, the lawyer filing the wrongful-death suit.

Besides four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree felony murder, two counts of second-degree aggravated arson and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, Paul Caneiro is charged with one count of insurance fraud.

Because Sophia survived her parents, she inherited their estates and died intestate, passing the estates to her grandparents, and Karidis has standing to bring the claim, said Musmanno, of Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost & Botwinick in Denville.

Keith Caneiro started an information technology consulting business, Square One, after high school, and he later brought Paul in to help with the business, the suit says. Later, Keith and Paul acquired a pest control company, EcoStar.

But starting in spring 2018, Keith's wife, Jennifer, confessed to her sister that Paul had been diverting funds from trusts they had set up for their children, of which he was trustee. Keith and Jennifer both reported to her sister that Paul had been charging excessive personal expenses to credit cards for their two businesses, which Keith paid off.

On the evening before his death, Keith told his other brother, Corey, in an email that money was missing from SquareOne's business account and that he was cutting off Paul's salary.

"Little by little, Keith came to realize Paul was stealing from him, from the business, taking money that Paul was not entitled to," said Musmanno, who filed the suit on behalf of Sophia Caneiro. Musmanno said Paul Caneiro is not represented by an attorney.

Plaintiff Karidis brought the suit to prevent Paul Caneiro from profiting from the sale of the portions of the two family businesses that he owns, said Musmanno.

The suit brings claims for wrongful death, a survivorship action and negligence, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, interest and cost of suit.

Paul Caneiro is awaiting trial in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.