On Thanksgiving night, November 26, 2009, a family celebration in Jupiter, Florida turned into a scene of unimaginable horror. Thirty‑five‑year‑old Paul Michael Merhige joined relatives at Jim and Muriel Sitton's home for what was supposed to be a peaceful holiday dinner. Hours later, he stepped outside, returned with a handgun, and opened fire on his own family. Four relatives were killed: his aunt, 76‑year‑old Raymonde Joseph; his twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, who was pregnant; and six‑year‑old Makayla Sitton, murdered as she slept in her bed.​

In this episode, Murder, Blood, and Psychopaths traces the path to the Thanksgiving Day Massacre: the troubled history within the Merhige family, Paul's long‑standing mental‑health struggles and disturbing threats, the horrific minutes inside the Sitton home, and the multi‑agency manhunt that ended with his capture at a motel in the Florida Keys. We then break down the court proceedings that led to seven consecutive life sentences, and the civil lawsuit that asked whether Paul's parents could—or should—have prevented the massacre.​​

Drawing on coverage from Investigation Discovery, ABC News, CBS News, and court and news records, this story examines how ignored warning signs, access to firearms, and holiday pressure can combine with deadly consequences.​​

Content warnings: Family annihilation, gun violence, murder of a child, pregnancy loss, mental‑health themes.​