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2009 Thanksgiving murdersOn November 26, 2009, a man killed four members of his family in Jupiter, Florida.[1][2][3] ShootingPaul Michael Merhige waited three hours before opening fire at his family's Thanksgiving Day dinner, shooting multiple family members.[4][5] His aunt, Raymonde Joseph, his twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, as well as his 6-year-old cousin, Makayla, were killed in the shooting. Lisa Knight was pregnant at the time of the shooting.[6][7] Her husband, Patrick Knight, was severely injured and spent three months in a coma.[8] BackgroundThe family had a troubled past. In 1973, Paul Merhige's aunt, Salwa Merrige-Abrams, murdered her ex-husband and two children before committing suicide by taking barbiturates.[9] AftermathA manhunt for Merhige followed, with a $25,000 reward offered for information leading to his arrest.[10] On January 2, 2010, Merhige was arrested.[11][12] On October 27, 2011, Paul Merhige pleaded guilty to all charges, and was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole.[13][14] The same year, on September 15, Jim and Muriel Sitton sued Paul's parents, with their reasoning being that they could have prevented the murders.[15][16] In 2014, 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that Merhige's parents could not be held liable for the massacre.[17][18] References
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