JUPITER, FL -- The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Task Force is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Paul Michael Merhige.
Police say Merhige shot six people, killing four, at a Jupiter Thanksgiving gathering.
The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for Merhige for 4 counts of First Degree Murder and 2 counts of Attempted First Degree Murder.
The police manhunt has extended to Michigan.
"We're gonna go wherever we need to go. wherever we need to go to find him...we're gonna go," says Jupiter Police Chief Frank Kitzerow.
Police in Birmingham, Michigan have issued a 'Be On The Lookout' bulletin, or BOLO, for suspect Merhige.
According to WXYZ TV, Merhige may have lived in the Birmingham area for a short time within the past year or so, and may have seen a doctor there.
Merhige, 35, is believed to be driving a 4-door royal blue 2007 Toyota Camry with Florida license plate W42 7JT, according to Jupiter Police Sgt. Scott Pascarella.
Merhige's last known address is on SW 88th Avenue in Miami.
Pascarella said that 17 relatives were in the house when the shootings were reported around 10 p.m. Thursday on Via Veracruz in Jupiter's Paseos community.
Police investigators returned to the crime scene Saturday and by days end, took down the crime scene tape.
Makayla Sitton, the six-year-old victim, is the daughter of WPTV photojournalist Jim Sitton and his wife, Muriel.
The Sitton's welcomed Merhige into their home for Thanksgiving dinner.
"I haven't seen him in like 15 years and he had his issues in the past. When I heard he was coming I thought 'Ok, I haven't heard any bad things in 5-10 years, so I thought maybe he's getting better. A red flag did not go off. He sat like two people down from me. There was no red flags. He wasn't moody," says Sitton.
Police say at the end of the evening, Merhige left the home and came back inside with a gun.
Investigators say Merhige fatally shot his twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, his aunt Raymonde Joseph, 76, and his young cousin, Makayla.
Knight was pregnant. The two women were 33-year-old twin sisters, and sisters of Paul Merhige.
A fifth victim, Patrick Knight, was being treated at a hospital, and is the husband of Lisa Knight.
Clifford Gebara was grazed by a bullet.
Makayla was asleep in bed when she was shot.
"This monster walked into my daughter's room in the dark, she was asleep. He shot her point blank in the head, shot her point blank in the heart and a couple of other places," says Jim Sitton.
"It's just pure evil. Darkness hates light and he tried to snuff it out but what man uses for evil, God uses for good and my baby's in heaven. She just beat me there," adds Sitton.
This is an evil plan Merhige apparently had in the works for years.
Jim's father-in-law told Jim Merhige said he had been waiting 20 years to kill the family.
Detectives say Merhige not only has the handgun, but recently purchased two other weapons.
Agencies throughout the state of Florida have been put on alert, as have the Federal Marshals.
"When you work with the Marshal's office, one thing is, you know we're gonna get him eventually," says Kitzerow.
America's Most Wanted has posted Merhige's picture online.
Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of this homicide suspect is asked to contact the Jupiter Police Department at (561) 746-6201.
