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Robert Cantor, a 59-year-old divorced Teaneck home resident, was found shot to death in a murder that was masked to be a house fire. Cantor, a software engineer for Verizon Wireless, was in an extramarital affair with Sophie Menuet, who was married to Tony Tung.
Sui Kam "Tony" Tung was allegedly served the divorce papers by his estranged wife three days before Tung entered Cantor's home on March 6, 2011. Robert Cantor was shot to death with a .380 caliber handgun before being set on fire in his bedroom basement
The Dateline NBC episode The Room Downstairs, based on the 2011 murder of Cantor, airs on January 4, 2024, at 10 p.m. EST.
Who was Robert Cantor? Details explored
Robert Cantor was a 59-year-old Teaneck, Elm Street, New Jersey resident. He was a software engineer at Verizon Wireless who had been through a difficult divorce from his ex-wife of 34 years, Susan Kirschenbaum. Cantor was father to two adult daughters, Ally and Emily Sant Amour, with whom he was in contact.
His friends and family spoke of his interest in skiing, tennis, and cooking. Per CBS News, Cantor was a well-liked person in his neighborhood, as his neighbor Cesar Guaman shared:
"He was a very quiet man. He wouldn't get in trouble with anyone."
Cantor met Sophie Menuet at a wine-and-cheese event in September 2009 and fell for her. Menuet, on the other hand, confessed that she only acquired the guts to quit her marriage with Tung after her time with Cantor.
The day Robert was murdered, he met Tung’s three children for the first time.
What happened to Teaneck resident Robert Cantor?
Robert Cantor was living alone in his Teaneck home when neighbors noticed his basement bedroom on fire at approximately 11:30 p.m. on March 6, 2011.
Firefighters who were at the scene recovered Cantor's body which was burnt beyond recognition. His body was identified through dental records and his autopsy gave away a vital detail in an otherwise misinterpreted death - Cantor had suffered a gunshot wound from a .380 caliber handgun in his head before he was set on fire.
According to court documents, Robert's death took place at an approximate time between 10:30 p.m. on March 5, 2011 and 1:00 a.m. on March 6, 2011. Further investigation revealed that he, along with his bed, bedroom, and house, had been doused in grain alcohol.
As Cantor's mysterious death underwent investigation, Sophie Menuet's ex-husband Tony Tung was suspected to be involved. While Tung denied involvement, he had admitted to confronting Cantor on three separate accounts.
With the skills of a computer repair expert, he had installed spyware on his ex-wife's computer through which he monitored her mail communications with Cantor.
During one of his visits to Cantor's home, Tung allegedly demanded to see where Cantor made love with Menuet. Robert was found burnt beyond recognition in the same room.
A circumstantial case was built around Tony Tung's involvement in Robert Cantor's murder and he was charged with murder, arson, desecrating human remains, stalking, and weapons charges.
He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional ten years in February 2016. However, Tung underwent a second trial in July 2023 and was found guilty on all the previous counts.
