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2009 Thanksgiving murders

SOLVED2009Jupiter, Florida, United States3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · crimes against children — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On November 26, 2009, a Thanksgiving dinner in Jupiter, Florida, ended in a mass shooting when 35-year-old Paul Michael Merhige opened fire on members of his own family. According to Wikipedia, Merhige waited three hours after dinner before beginning the shooting, reportedly stating, "I've been waiting 20 years to do this." He shot multiple relatives, killing his aunt Raymonde Joseph, his twin sisters Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, and his six-year-old cousin Makayla Sitton. Lisa Knight was pregnant at the time of her death. Lisa's husband, Patrick Knight, was severely wounded in the attack and spent three months in a coma as a result of his injuries.

The family had a documented history of prior violence. In July 1973, Paul Merhige's aunt, Salwa Merrige-Abrams, killed her ex-husband and two children before dying by suicide via barbiturate overdose. Merhige's own attendance at the 2009 Thanksgiving gathering came as a surprise to relatives, since he had been estranged from the family for several years and one of his sisters had previously obtained a temporary restraining order against him. Merhige's parents had invited him to the dinner without informing the Sitton family, who were hosting the event that year.

Following the shooting, a manhunt for Merhige was launched, and a $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest. He was arrested on January 2, 2010. On October 27, 2011, Merhige pleaded guilty to all charges related to the killings and was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Civil litigation followed the criminal case. On September 15, 2011, Jim and Muriel Sitton — the parents of victim Makayla Sitton, with Muriel also the daughter of victim Raymonde Joseph — filed suit against Paul Merhige's parents, arguing that they could have prevented the murders by warning the Sittons of Merhige's presence at the gathering. In 2014, Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that Merhige's parents could not be held liable for the killings.

This summary is based on the Wikipedia article for the case, which cites contemporaneous news coverage from CBS News and NBC News as sources.

Key facts

Victims
Raymonde Joseph, Carla Merhige, Makayla Sitton, Patrick Knight, Lisa Knight
Date
2009
Location
Jupiter, Florida, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1973-07

    Paul Merhige's aunt, Salwa Merrige-Abrams, killed her ex-husband and two children before dying by suicide, according to the Wikipedia account of the family's background.

  2. 2009-11-26

    Paul Michael Merhige opened fire during a Thanksgiving dinner in Jupiter, Florida, killing four family members and severely wounding another.

  3. 2010-01-02

    Merhige was arrested following a manhunt that included a $25,000 reward for information.

  4. 2011-09-15

    Jim and Muriel Sitton filed a lawsuit against Paul Merhige's parents, alleging they could have prevented the murders.

  5. 2011-10-27

    Merhige pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole.

  6. 2014

    Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that Merhige's parents could not be held liable for the killings.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Raymonde Joseph

    VICTIM

    Aunt of Paul Merhige; killed in the November 26, 2009 shooting.

    citation on file

  • Paul Michael Merhige

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty on October 27, 2011, to all charges in the killing of four family members and wounding of another; sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole.

    citation on file

  • Carla Merhige

    VICTIM

    Twin sister of Paul Merhige; killed in the November 26, 2009 shooting.

    citation on file

  • Makayla Sitton

    VICTIM

    Six-year-old cousin of Paul Merhige; killed in the November 26, 2009 shooting.

    citation on file

  • Patrick Knight

    VICTIM

    Husband of victim Lisa Knight; severely injured in the shooting and spent three months in a coma.

    citation on file

  • Lisa Knight

    VICTIM

    Twin sister of Paul Merhige; pregnant at the time; killed in the November 26, 2009 shooting.

    citation on file

Places

Jupiter, Florida, United States

26.9342, -80.0942

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On November 26, 2009, Paul Michael Merhige shot and killed four family members during a Thanksgiving dinner in Jupiter, Florida, and critically wounded another; he pleaded guilty in 2011 and was sentenced to seven consecutive life terms.
Where did the murders happen?
Jupiter, Florida, United States.
Who was convicted?
Paul Michael Merhige (Pleaded guilty on October 27, 2011, to all charges in the killing of four family members and wounding of another; sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2009 Thanksgiving murderswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — CBS Newsnews · CBS News · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — NBC Newsnews · NBC News · 2026-07-07
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