Thomas Graber

Thomas Graber, known as “Tug” by his friends and family, was described as friendly, giving and witty. He volunteered feeding the homeless at the St. Francis House in Lincolnville, and was beginning to focus his attention on school and become more studious.

This was until Emmanuel Head ended his life.

In October of 2006, Graber was stabbed to death, and his apartment was set ablaze.
Head, 19 at the time, broke into Graber’s apartment and attempted to steal some of his belongings. During the struggle, Graber was stabbed multiple times and bled to death. Attempting to hide the evidence, Head set the apartment on fire and fled the scene. Vincent Sterling, also 19, was also arrested as an accessory to the murder, though Head tells the judge he worked alone.

During the trial in 2008, Head wrote a letter to the judge. He felt that he did not get a fair trial, and wanted to day some things that he had held back on in court.
“I have no rememberence (sic) of stabbing Mr. Graber that many times and it is something that I have shed many tears over. I have been made to look like a monster. Although I am not the world’s most upstanding person, I am also not a monster. In court I held a lot back. One of the things that bothered me the most was when Thomas Graber’s brother Mark Graber said that I was way bigger than Thomas and could have easily overpowered him but the fact of the matter is that less than a week before this happened, I was in the hospital strapped to a IV because of food poisoning. The fact of the matter is I’ve gained 50 pounds since that day. I feel that the only way I could have done this was out of fear.”

In the July 2008 court proceedings when the deposition of Head was given, Mark Graber spoke about the stabbing. He made Head an example of how our society is ugly, that it is not just him, our world is turning into this.

“But what I do know is that afterwards I got to clean up the pool of blood, and all I could think of in the whole entire process was why? If you were looking for self-defense, this man is so much larger than my – I’m bigger than my brother, and he (Thomas Graber) could have easily been taken. And if for the value of a few small hand-held electronics, to take a life? That’s just how society is so ill. But now there’s a 40-year sentence, and that is supposed to somehow console me. I’m supposed to be up here saying that’s going to do it for me.”

Houston was also arrested in relation to the murder of Graber. He was charged with accessory after the fact to murder, but was dismissed of the charges in August 2008. In the court proceedings of July 2008, Head said, "I'd like to say, first, my co-defendent, Vince Houston, didn't have anything to do with this at all." In the Motion to Dismiss regarding Houston, it was reported that Head told Houston to leave after the fact, and inevitably pushed him out of the house. Though it is suspected that Houston knew the death had occurred, "Florida case law states that suspicion is not sufficient for a conviction as an accessory after the fact," as noted in the Motion to Dismiss.

During the court proceedings, Graber’s mother Julie spoke about the mass she attended in St. Augustine a few days before the murder. Graber’s parents were visiting from Ohio. A sense of foreshadowing was spoken through the Bible that day. She read a portion of the gospel to the court that was read in mass that day.
“Jesus said to his disciples, be sure of this, if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would have not let his house be broken into. You must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect the Son of man to come.”

Many people loved Graber, and a clear piece of evidence stating the fact is his memorial group on the social networking website, Facebook. This group, entitled "In Memory of the Late Mr. Thomas Hugh Graber III' , has just over 130 members, family, friends, acquaintances, and people who simply crossed paths with the young man. As the group message says, Graber touched the lives of many in different ways. His friends still write on the wall for the group, each of them missing 'Tug' in their own special way.

The Graber family was not available for comment. Phone calls were attempted but the family did not return the calls.

Days after being convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison, Head wrote this in his letter to Judge Wendy Berger. "I am grateful for the forgiveness shown by his family. I would eventually like to get in contact with the family but as I can't do that, as (sic) least not now, you were the [person] I felt compelled to write." Head is currently in Walton Correctional Institute in Defuniak Springs, Fla.

Story by Breanna Sooter and Christina Arzapalo
Photo credit: Sasha Todd

Thanksgiving disaster

Thanksgiving started out like any other at the Sitton residence in Jupiter, Fla.

The family finished dinner around 9:45 p.m. and began packing up leftovers when 35-year-old Paul Merhige stepped outside briefly.

When Merhige came back in the house, family members said that he started shooting.

Merhige immediately killed his twin sisters, Lisa Knight and Carla Mehrige, both 33. Knight was pregnant, and her baby died as well. Then Merhige turned the gun on his 79-year-old aunt, Raymonde Joseph.

It didn’t end there.

Little 6-year-old Makayla Sitton was asleep in her bed when Mehrige burst into her room, and shot her five times. Two of those shots went through her heart and her head.

"He didn't even know Makayla," said Jim Sitton, Makayla’s father, in an interview with The Palm Beach Post. "He purposely walked down the hallway, opened her dark room and shot her five times. What kind of monster does that? What kind of evil?"

After the shootings, Merhige told the rest of the family that he had been “waiting 20 years to do this.”

The Palm Beach Post reports that Merhige had a few long standing grudges against members of the family, and a history of mental illness. “Court records indicate he had a troubled relationship with his sister Carla Merhige, who was among those killed Thursday. In 1998 Carla filed a domestic violence complaint against her brother in civil court, and in 2006 he reciprocated with one against her.”

Sitton said that the dinner went well, and he saw no warning signs that Merhige was angry.

"(Merhige) sat a couple of chairs down away from me. I joked around with him. I didn't see any red flags or any irrational behavior,” said Sitton.

Merhige fled the scene of the crime immediately after shooting Makayla. Officials have not located him yet, and he is still considered armed and dangerous. Police are searching for Merhige in Florida, Michigan and Haiti, where he has ties. The Jupiter Police Department reports that he was driving a 2007 blue Toyota Camry with the license plate W42-7JT.

The Palm Beach Post instructs that anyone with information about Merhige’s whereabouts is to call the Jupiter Police Department at (561) 746-6201.

Photo credits: Jim Sitton, The Jupiter Police Department

Sugar and spice

Colleen Messner is a spicy lady.

Owner of The Spice and Tea Exchange on Hypolita Street, Messner is an energetic, vivacious woman. Despite the failing economy, Messner’s spice shop is bustling, and even expanding to other cities like Ft. Worth, Texas, Asheville, N.C., Charlotte S.C. and Green Bay, Wis., among other cities.

The Spice and Tea Exchange hasn’t seen a decrease in customers, and Messner chalks it up to everyone’s love of eating good food. “We’ve seen a lot of different changes within the last year, but people always have to eat, and they’re doing a lot more cooking at home. And it’s creating a lot more family time together,” Messner said. “Why spend an outrageous amount of money on a dinner out when you can buy some special spices that will last a long time, and cook delicious, healthy food for your family and yourself? It’s a no-brainer.”

Messner does not advertise in local newspapers or magazine. She relies on word of mouth from people like Carmelo’s gas station attendant Linda Williams. Williams thinks Messner creates a special relationship with her customers. “Colleen is just a doll. She goes out of her way to be helpful to every customer that walks in the door. And it doesn’t hurt that everything here makes food so damn tasty,” said Williams.

Student Rebecca Cooper agrees that the Spice and Tea Exchange is a great store in downtown St. Augustine. “I go in there for the company because she’s so friendly. It’s always a blast. I plan on doing some major shopping in the spice shop before I go home for Christmas break to buy presents.”

By providing a 10 percent discount to all repeat customers, Messner offers an incentive to keep people coming back for more. “Some customers come in twice, three times a week. Especially my tea lovers,” Messner said. “I gotta give the people who shop here some kind of discount, just to show them that I’m thankful for having them in my life,” she said. Messner’s bubbly attitude and positive outlook on life is evident to anyone who steps inside the stop and has a conversation with her.

“We gotta keep everybody spicy. Spice is the key to life, and if you ain’t got it, you ain’t havin’ no fun.” Messner said.

The New York Daily News reports that 12,000 stores will close due to poor sales in 2009. Luckily for Messner and her loyal customers, The Spice and Tea Exchange won’t be one of them.

You can check out The Spice and Tea Exchange online at www.spiceandtea.com. The website includes recipes, as well as Gourmet Sampler Packs, Sea Salts, Teas, Gourmet Spices, Blends and Rubs among many other items.

Is there any truth in “Get well or die quickly”?

Health insurance in America is an issue that affects millions of people. One would think the issue could be easily resolved: all full-time employees should be covered under a health insurance plan provided by their employer, right? Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. The National Coalition on Health Care reports that nearly seven million Americans will lose their health insurance between 2008 and 2010. Also, an average of 22,000 citizens without health insurance die each year as a result of not being able to receive medical care. This problem isn’t going to resolve itself until health insurance companies lower their premiums and accept more people into their programs.


The topic of uninsured citizens is an issue widely discussed in pop culture. The release of Sicko in 2007 showcased health care companies as evil, manipulative organizations that don’t look out for the best interest of their patrons. Director Michael Moore is notoriously controversial, but the people interviewed in this movie really made a case as to why healthcare in America desperately needs to be improved.

“Dawnelle Keys talked about how her 18-month-old daughter died after being denied treatment at a hospital. Andy Bales of the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles testified about how hospitals dump patients on Skid Row. And Dr. Linda Peeno spoke about her work as a medical reviewer for the health insurer Humana. She says she denied one patient a life-saving operation to protect company profits,” said Democracy Now!.

Krista Purcell, a 24-year-old full-time employee at Flagler College only recently became covered under health insurance. When Purcell was in college, she had to struggle to stay well because she knew she could not afford going to doctor’s appointments. “I was really paranoid every time I got sick, and I would get so stressed out. God forbid I would be seriously injured, I’m sure my family would go into serious debt to take care of me,” said Purcell. But now that Purcell is covered under Flagler College’s full health insurance plan, she does not have to worry about getting sick, and can see a physician any time she needs to.

Many claims that health insurance companies process do not get approved, and the answer as to why they are not approved is not given most of the time. One is simply left to wonder why their health insurance carrier is not responding to the needs of its patrons. For this reason, sometimes people decide to omit their health issues in order to become insured in the first place. But healthcare expert Bilyana Savic from Insurance Insights discourages this practice, as it encourages fraud. “A prior diagnosis not disclosed implies fraud. That is sufficient to cancel coverage. The alternative would be to go back and ask the claimant if they willfully omitted information. What answer would you expect? That's why it is so difficult to actually prove intent,” said Savic.

With health insurance companies making it so hard for people to receive coverage, or even existing customers having their claims recognized, everyone is afraid of getting sick. It seems as if health insurance companies are ignoring their customers in a time when their help is needed the most. The recession may be to blame for the denial of many insurance claims, but time will tell if the economy improves, as will the passing of the healthcare bill.

No limits

Debby Cooper is a survivor.

When asked about the three most important events in her life, she named the birth of her two children and the day she got the transplant.

September 26, 2002 was the day Debby, now age 50, received a new lease on life.

After being sick for years with Gardner’s Syndrome, a new small intestine was what it took for her to be healthy once again. But despite the new organ, Debby knew that it was time to stop taking life for granted, and be thankful for the things she had.

“I learned that it’s important to make the most of each day that you have. There are small things that come up, but you just have to look past them,” Debby said.

Before receiving the new small intestine, Debby had to deal with a long list of illnesses. She had to visit the hospital frequently, fell asleep out of nowhere (anywhere), had trouble with nausea and achy joints. But now, because of her new organ and weekly treatments with dialysis, Debby is feeling like herself again.

Debby receives dialysis three times a week at Divita Dialysis in The Villages, Fla. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for two hours and 45 minutes. “Ms. Cooper is certainly crafty. I always see her sewing new projects. We have our inside jokes and I enjoy her company,” said Sid Stanson, 41, a nurse at Divita.

Because the use of dialysis has improved Debby’s life and functionality, she has been able to take trips with her children and go places she wouldn’t be able to go if she weren’t healthy. “We got to travel to Washington D.C., New York and Barbados,” said Debby’s son, Billy Cooper, 27. “Her life expectancy is so much longer now, and I’m happy that she’ll be around to be around for my wedding, her grandchildren and other big events in our lives.”

Although the transplant did help improve Debby’s life in a significant way, she says she still has her bad days. “The dialysis can get tiresome,” said Debby. “Also, I have to take a lot of medications to regulate my blood. But you know what? It’s not really all that bad.” Spending time with her children and her daschund, Baby, keeps her happy and reminds her to stay healthy for them.

Out of Debby’s two children, her daughter Rebecca, 21, has the closest relationship with her. “Honestly, without the transplant, I don’t know if my mom would have lived this long. It’s so nice to have her here, when I know she may have not been otherwise. I’m happy she was able to see me graduate from high school. And she’ll be around to see me graduate in April,” said Rebecca.

Most importantly, Debby is happy to be healthy for herself. “I can do whatever I want now. There are no limits as to what I can accomplish.”

Can I borrow your sanitizer?

We all saw the headline of the St. Augustine Record on Thursday, September 10.

“Swine flu hits Flagler campus.”

Although the swine flu had only one confirmed case at the college, the article made it seem like it was a widespread epidemic.

Junior communications major Ashley Wermick is worried that the school hasn’t been taking proper precautions against the spreading of swine flu.

“People aren’t being cautious enough. And where are the hand sanitizers that were supposed to be distributed in every classroom? If the school had put them up before the semester started, I wouldn’t be so worried about getting sick,” Wermick said.

While the school has made efforts to add hand sanitizers to the dining hall and library, they are still absent in the classrooms, and senior elementary education major Rebeccca Cooper is dissatisfied with the school’s efforts to keep things clean.

"We have received many emails and notifications about swine flu and ways to prevent catching the virus. One mentioned was that the cleaning staff would help with precautions by cleaning common areas more often than usual. As of yet, I have still not seen them clean it once, much less more often than usual. I know they clean it at least once, but how come no one sees them clean it during the most active part of the day? I know there are many of us this year that have the same mindset - we're going to stay healthy because we just don't have the time to get sick.”

It’s not uncommon to witness students sanitizing their hands before sitting down to a computer or wiping down their desks in Kenan Hall. This shows that students are being proactive about their health, rather than just waiting to get sick. As long as this continues, hopefully we won’t have to see the headline “Swine flu infects entire Flagler campus” splashed across the front page of the St. Augustine Record.