An observant viewer of “America’s Most Wanted” helped to bring a murder fugitive to the attention of authorities on January 2, 2010 . A female tipster called the show’s hotline and information that she provided led to the capture of Paul Michael Merhige.
Following a segment that aired on the popular FOX network show Saturday night, officers arrested Merhige without incident at the Edgewater Lodge in Long Key, Florida where he had been staying for the past month. The capture came just hours after the tip was received, bringing an end to the 37-day manhunt.
Merhige was on a computer when U.S. Marshals burst into his $89 a night second-floor room. He offered no resistance and was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail where he faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder. The case is expected to go before a grand jury within 30 days.
The fugitive was place on the Top 15 most-wanted fugitives list in December and a $100,000 reward was offered for information leading to his arrest.
On Thanksgiving Day, Merhige, 35, shot and killed his twin sisters Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, who was pregnant. He also murdered 6-year-old cousin Makayla Sitton and the young girl’s grandmother Raymonde Joseph. The 76-year-old woman’s husband was also critically injured.
The long running crime solver show is hosted by John Walsh, whose son Adam Walsh was murdered in 1981. That case was finally solved a year ago, when investigators named the murderer.
View more photos of Merhige and the victims below and see capture details on video.