A Thanksgiving Celebration Turned Deadly
What should have been a joyful celebration of Thanksgiving and Jim and Muriel Sitton's wedding anniversary at their Jupiter, Florida home in 2009 became the scene of a horrific shooting rampage that would change their lives forever. The unexpected guest who arrived with a deadly plan was Paul Merhige, the Sittons' 35-year-old cousin, who waited until after dinner to unleash his attack.
The Night That Shattered a Family
Jim Sitton has spoken exclusively to the Daily Mail on the 16th anniversary of the tragedy, recalling the moment he realised their family gathering had turned into a nightmare. Merhige opened fire as people were packing up leftovers, killing four relatives in a calculated assault.
The youngest victim was the Sittons' six-year-old daughter, Makayla, shot dead in her bed. Merhige also murdered his 33-year-old twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight - who was pregnant at the time - along with his 76-year-old aunt, Raymonde Joseph, who was Muriel's mother.
Jim recalled hearing gunshots and shouting for everyone to run. He immediately rushed to Makayla's bedroom, but arrived too late. "We had put her to bed 30 minutes before that. She was not sleeping. She was in bed, but awake," the heartbroken father told the Daily Mail.
Jim had worked his way to his daughter's bedroom window with the intention of breaking through to rescue her when he heard the fatal shot. "When he shot her. I heard her gasp," he said. Merhige, apparently doubting he had fatally wounded the child, returned to shoot her a second time.
The Aftermath and Search for Justice
Before fleeing the home, Merhige uttered only one statement: "I've been waiting for 20 years to do this." Police later revealed he had "ongoing resentment" towards some family members.
Jim described Merhige as a "recluse" whom he had only met a couple of times, noting the gunman rarely attended family events. The family had no warning of his arrival - while Merhige's parents and sisters knew he was coming, they hadn't informed the Sittons.
Disturbingly, it emerged that Merhige's mother had emailed a friend before Thanksgiving expressing concern that her son might "come up to Jupiter and kill everyone." His sister Lisa had also voiced similar fears to their mother before sitting down to eat.
After a manhunt lasting nearly 40 days, Merhige was captured at a Florida Keys hotel. He later pleaded guilty to four murders to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to seven consecutive life terms without parole.
When asked if he had forgiven Merhige, Jim responded: "I have forgiven him a thousand times, but if he had the death penalty, I would pull the lever on the electric chair. I don't want him to go to hell or anything, but I don't think we got justice for our daughter."
Rebuilding Life After Tragedy
Jim and Muriel still live in the home where the massacre occurred and have since had two more daughters, now aged 11 and 13. Jim also has a 46-year-old son from a previous relationship.
The couple decided not to move because leaving would have felt like abandoning Makayla. For years, they kept her room unchanged until their younger daughters were born and needed the space.
"I didn't want to leave all the good memories behind of Makayla. That's where she lived," Jim explained.
This week, the couple celebrated their 25th anniversary after marrying at The Breakers in Palm Beach on November 25, 2000. Jim revealed they hadn't been able to properly celebrate their anniversary for nearly a decade after the tragedy, but with their daughters growing older, they're learning to embrace life again.
"Now with my daughters getting older, we need to fully engage in life again, for their sake, if not our own," he said.
Jim filed a negligence lawsuit against Merhige's parents in 2011, claiming they could have prevented the murders, but the District Court of Appeal ruled that parents cannot be held liable for adult children's actions.
Reflecting on the enduring pain, Jim said he feels less anger now than a profound sense of loss. "He stole Makayla from us. When you have a kid, you have dreams of seeing her grow up and get married and have kids, and he stole all of that."
