WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A man accused of fatally shooting four family members during a Thanksgiving 2009 gathering was sentenced Thursday to seven consecutive life terms in prison.
Paul Merhige was sentenced in the deaths of his sisters, twins Lisa Knight and Carla Merhige, his 6-year-old cousin, Makayla Sitton, and his 79-year-old aunt after agreeing to a plea deal, which allowed him to avoid the death penalty.
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Police said Merhige burst into the Sitton home and started shooting, killing Makayla, the Sittons' only child, as she slept in her bed.
"This narcissistic son of a bitch chose himself and his needs and wants over my family," said Makayla's father, Jim Sitton."I will never see her or hold her on this side of heaven," said her mother, Muriel Sitton.
"I will never see her come into my bedroom in the middle of the night and say, 'Mama, I can't sleep. May I cuddle with you?' I will never feel her sweet hugs and hear her say, 'Mom, I love you.'"
Merhige sat stoically throughout the hearing as the prosecution called several witnesses, including his parents, Michael and Carole Merhige, who pleaded for his life and for the Sittons' compassion.
"Everyone is hurting, and everyone is blinded by their own pain. My only wish is that we start focusing on the healing process and not on revenge," Carole Merhige said.
As each witness spoke, more than two-dozen deputies stood guard. Each was assigned a section of the crowded courtroom to make sure there were no violent outbursts.
"Makayla didn't have a chance to plea for her life," Jim Sitton said. "The only reason he's doing this is to save his life. He didn't give us that chance."
Clearly, the most emotional moment came when Jim Sitton dropped to his knees and was stopped by the judge.
"They listened to the murderer's plea. I thought that maybe, if I dropped to my knees, someone would listen to me," Jim Sitton said.
After the hearing, Muriel and Jim Sitton spoke to reporters in the hallway.
"In the end, he has gotten death," Muriel Sitton said. "He's gotten death in prison, and we know that in the end, he will never come out -- except in a box.
"The Sittons also made an unexpected announcement."
We're going to have a baby, and I'm going to watch my hands of this whole criminal injustice system," Jim Sitton said.
They said Muriel Sitton is 5 months pregnant with a girl.