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Slain sisters' voices heard again

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rsamuels@MiamiHerald.com

Four days after the slayings in Jupiter, the songs of twin sisters killed on Thanksgiving night floated from the ceiling of a church whose members had always said they sounded like angels.

Some of the 400-plus people who gathered Monday at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Miami had known Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight for years. Others interacted with them for only three, four, five minutes -- however long it took them to get through the hymn.

Either way, parishioners thought it was most appropriate to play recordings of the 33-year-old sisters during a short vigil to celebrate their lives.

``Here I am, Lord,'' Lisa's reedy voice sang. ``I will go, Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.''

After a scripture reading, the priest led the congregation outside. Holding candles, they gingerly walked around the church, sniffling and clasping a program whose cover bore the sisters' faces.

``The large turnout is a testament to what the sisters meant to everyone they touched,'' said Aleen Sirgany, a parishioner. ``We will cope through prayer and love for one another, and through relying on the strength and love they gave us through song.''

Police suspect their brother, Paul Michael Merhige, shot and killed them, as well as his aunt, 76-year-old Raymonde Joseph, and Makayla Sitton, 6. Authorities were still looking for Paul, who lived in Kendall and left the scene in a blue Toyota Camry. They knew of no motive.

Many at the church said they wanted to honor the lives of the two whose voices played at their most tender moments -- birthdays, weddings, funerals.

``This was such an honor to them,'' said Christina Denis, 32, who is a third cousin to the family. ``It's just amazing to hear their voices again.''

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