An attorney for the parents of accused Thanksgiving killer Paul Merhige spoke out against lawsuits claiming the couple could have known their son would go on a murderous shooting rampage that claimed the lives of four family members.
The accusations against Michael and Carole Merhige are "absurd," said Allen E. Rossin in a statement.
"The lawsuits which have been recently filed against them contain numerous allegations and accusations which have ben reported in the news media....Any conclusions or judgements based upon these allegations should not be made."
Two lawsuits have been filed by the relatives of two people killed the day Paul Merhige showed up at a 2009 holiday dinner at the Jupiter home of his cousin Muriel Sitton and her husband Jim and opened fire.
Police said Merhige, 37, sat calmly through Thanksgiving dinner before excusing himself, going to his car and grabbing his handgun.
When he came back into the house, he opened fire, killing his twin sisters, Carla Merhige and Lisa Merhige Knight, aunt Raymonde Joseph, and little Makayla, the Sittons' 6-year-old daughter.
Two family members were also wounded but survived, including Patrick Knight, Lisa's husband, who spent three months in a coma before finally awaking to learn his pregnant wife was dead.
Last month, the Sittons filed a lawsuit against Michael and Carole Merhige, claiming they should be held responsible for the deaths of Makayla and Joseph. A week later, Patrick Knight filed a similar lawsuit against the couple.
Knight's claims the Merhiges knew their son's behavior was becoming increasingly dangerous and that he had stopped taking psychotropic medication. The suit states that the Merhiges didn't tell anyone Paul was coming to Thanksgiving dinner until just before he arrived.
"Any allegations which suggest Mr. and Mrs. Merhige knew their son would harm the family are absurd," said Rossin, who pointedly noted the couple are "continuing to deal with their profound grief and sadness from the loss of their two daughters."
After the shootings, Merhige fled the scene, touching off an intense, 38-day nationwide manhunt until a profile of him on an episode of "America's Most Wanted" led to his capture on Jan. 2 in a Keys motel room. Prosecutors have announced they'll seek the death penalty for Merhige, and a trial is expected to begin this fall.
