Fla. motel owners talk about Thanksgiving Day killings suspect who stayed there

Fla. motel owners talk about suspect in 4 killings

MIAMI — The owners of a Floria Keys motel say a man accused of killing four relatives at a Thanksgiving dinner checked in there under a fake name, paid in cash and stockpiled canned food during a monthlong stay.

Paul Merhige’s cover was blown when motel owner Paul Pfaff recognized him in a preview for the television show “America’s Most Wanted” on Saturday night.

Melinda Pfaff said Sunday that she and her husband rarely saw Merhige during his stay at their Edgewater Lodge on Long Key. She says Merhige wanted his privacy and insisted on cleaning his own room.

Merhige is being held at the Palm Beach County jail without bond on four charges of murder. He’s accused of gunning down his twin sisters, a 79-year-old aunt and a 6-year-old cousin at a family Thanksgiving Day gathering.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man accused of killing four relatives at a Thanksgiving dinner is being ordered held without bond on four charges of murder.

Paul Merhige was booked early Sunday at the Palm Beach County jail, hours after he was captured at a motel in the Florida Keys.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Merhige was silent at his first court appearance. He was appointed a public defender, and an arraignment is set for Feb. 1.

The 35-year-old Merhige eluded authorities for about a month by checking into a Long Key motel under a fake name and address, and hiding his car with a cover. He is accused of gunning down his twin sisters, a 79-year-old aunt and a 6-year-old cousin at a family gathering of more than a dozen relatives in Jupiter.