A divorce lawyer in Georgia was allegedly shot to death by the estranged husband of one of his clients.
Attorney Doug Lewis was gunned down inside his office on 6 December by suspect Allen Tayeh, 65, Lawrenceville police said. Lewis was representing Mr Tayeh’s wife in a contentious divorce battle that began in January 2021, local news station KENS5 reported.
Authorities said after killing Lewis, Mr Tayeh’s allegedly set the building on fire. Mr Tayeh, who also suffered burn injuries, was found in the vicinity of the crime scene.
“It’s pretty brazen. It’s kind of out of the blue,” Lawrenceville Police Lieutenant Jake Parker said on Thursday. “... [Mr Tayeh] did have a firearm on him. A revolver that had spent cartridges in the cylinders. And there were gas cans and an odour of gasoline around the area as well.”
Court records reviewed by 11Alive show that Mr Tayeh had been ordered by the court to pay his wife’s legal fees after their marriage was dissolved in August. When Mr Tayeh failed to make the $28,483 payment within 30 days of the judge’s ruling, Lewis filed to hold Mr Tayeh in contempt.
A court hearing had been scheduled for 14 December.
Mr Tayeh had also been ordered to pay half of his retirement benefits, and give his wife $500 monthly alimony payments.
It is unclear whether he paid those fees. Lewis made the filings against Mr Tayeh on 1 December.
“The payment for attorney’s fees was due to be received by Plaintiff’s counsel on or before November 30, 2022. Defendant failed to make the payment for attorney’s fees as ordered by the court. Defendant is in willful contempt of the Court’s Order dated October 31, 2022,” the document read.
After his arrest, Mr Tayeh was charged with murder and first-degree arson.
He is being held without bond at Gwinnett County Jail.
Meanwhile, Lewis was fondly remembered by colleagues as the “lawyer’s lawyer.” He had served as an attorney for 30 years before his death.
“No one, no family and no community should experience the agony that is currently reverberating throughout right now. But this madness has become commonplace, almost accepted, in our community,” former judge Kathy McCart Schrader said in a statement.
“I knew Doug as a colleague that I admired and respected in the justice system. He was the lawyer’s lawyer. He was always kind, compassionate, professional and respectful as opposing counsel and as an advocate before me in the courtroom. He was one of the few lawyers I actually enjoyed working with and against.”
According to his obituary, Lewis spent his free time volunteering at food pantries and teaching youth sports in Gwyneth County.
He is survived by his wife and three adult children.
