‘America’s Most Wanted’ to feature Jupiter Thanksgiving killings on Saturday
December 15th, 2009 by TCPalm.comWhen “America’s Most Wanted” interviewed Jupiter Police Detective Jason Vansteenburgh Friday morning, the highly rated show was interested in the town of Jupiter and in the manhunt for Paul Merhige, accused of gunning down four members of his family on Thanksgiving night.
“Homicide is very rare in Jupiter,” said Vansteenburgh, who is the city’s police liaison with the U.S. Marshals’ Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force. “Also, we have had a manhunt for Merhige since Thanksgiving night, and are working both internationally and nationally to find him.”
“America’s Most Wanted” is expected to lead its telecast Saturday night at 9 p.m. on Fox with the Thanksgiving Day murders, and plans to air the in-depth story they are now developing on Dec. 26, according to Jupiter police.
“We’re interested in this story because it is rare that there is a quadruple murder, although unfortunately, another four people were killed in Ohio this week,” said Cindy Anderson, the America’s Most Wanted Florida producer.
“Anytime there is a child killed, for John Walsh, the story goes right to the top,” she said, referring to the face and voice of “America’s Most Wanted.”
Merhige is the suspect in the shooting of four members of his family — his twin sisters from Miami, an aunt from Jupiter and a 6-year-old cousin, Makayla Sitton, at the Sitton home in Paseos following Thanksgiving dinner. Since the shootings, both Merhige and his 2007 royal blue Toyota have been missing, and Jupiter police said that Merhige carefully planned the murders well before Thanksgiving night. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
Manny Puri, a supervisor inspector for the U.S. Marshals Service, said Friday the marshals as well as Jupiter police and the FBI want to keep Merhige’s face in front of the public.
“This is a waiting game, a chess game,” Puri said. “I don’t have to hide, but Merhige does. Time is on our side. He has certain physical characteristics, his large protruding stomach and his receding hairline that are distinctive, as well as the obsessive compulsive characteristic that may draw someone’s attention to him, resulting in a tip that would lead us to Merhige.
“This is what the U.S. Marshals do, we chase after fugitives and we do this well. We have the resources of all the other marshals across the country to help us as well.”
A digital billboard about Merhige has been activated in cooperation with the Jupiter Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and America’s Most Wanted. The billboard displays a photo of Merhige and is on the southbound side of I-95 in Delray Beach.
The FBI has also activated “Wanted” billboards along the southeast region of the United States about Merhige.
Vansteenburgh said: “We are following every tip, and hope to get that one tip that gives us a lead in this case. We encourage people to call the Jupiter police with any information they may have.”
The number is (561) 746-6201.
Kit Bradshaw
Tags: america's most wanted, homicide, jupiter police, manhunt, paul merhige, Thanksgiving
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December 15th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I’d bet that if the police haven’t found this scumbag, his body is somewhere in a canal or deep in a wooded area. Either way I’d say he committed suicide shortly after the murder.
December 15th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Sherlock - I was thinking the same thing.
December 15th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Yes but I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON FINDING THE CAR!
December 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Dear Sir/Madam:
This man is wanted by law so soon or later he will be arrested.
I used to be a cop and it is why all this cases bring to my attention old memories .
Thanks,
Escalada
Pompano Beach ,Fl
December 15th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
I bet if he’s really planned this out as well as I think he did, he probably had another car close by hidden in a storage facility. Just a guess, but if he had paid the storage up front for a few months and had an old non-descript car as a get-a-way all he’d have to do is swap out the cars. On a holiday there wouldn’t be anyone that would notice him for the 5 minutes it would take to do the switch. So my money is on this Toyota showing up at a storage facility in a few months when he hasn’t paid his bill. I bet he’s driving an late 80’s / early 90’s Nissan or something very dependable and non-descript. His new car won’t be found anywhere but in a storage facility with that new car cover on it. Just a theory. But, I hope we find this maniac before he hurts someone else!
December 15th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I wish that any officer will shoot and kill him when they see him. let’s not waste any money on this animal (trial and so)…I don’t really care of why he did it; this animal does not deserve to live in this world.
December 15th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
c’mon to those who think he killed himself!!
This guy “planned” this whole thing in advance, buying 4 guns, getting his car “tuned up”, Buying a car cover, withdrawing a bunch of $$$, Cleaning out his apartment…..etc, etc……There is NO way, he just “offed” himself after doind ALL THIS!!
Remember he’d been “waiting 20 years to do this”!!!
I’d say he switched cars (makes sense with the idea of a storage area and his new car cover”,,,, Jumped into the waiting car….and headed for the Desert where he could “sweat off” some of those “pounds” he’d put on, now all he has to do is sneak into Mexico and get a Sex change and he’s home free…..and he could always “pose” as an Arab woman………but kill himself,? He’s too narcicistic (sp)?!!!
January 1st, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Sherlock is quite correct. All we need to do is locate Merhige’s corpse.