After winning a trial, divorce attorney Doug Lewis was murdered by his client’s ex-husband, who was nearly $200,000 in debt after his trial.
Doug Lewis practiced for more than 30 years as a divorce attorney, until the afternoon of December 7, when everything changed in Lawrenceville, the Georgia town where the professional lived.
This is because, at the beginning of 2021, Lewis took charge of the case of a woman who filed for divorce from her partner, which would have generated the tragedy that took place in her law firm.
The famed and beloved lawyer was murdered in his own office, which was later burned down with him inside, sending shock waves through the population of Lawrenceville.
The tragedy of a divorce lawyer in the United States
On the afternoon of Wednesday, December 7, Doug Lewis was in his office as usual when Allen Tayeh, 65, entered the compound.
The man was the ex-husband of one of Lewis’ clients, who had sought his services as a divorce attorney in early 2021.
Tayeh entered the office, located in an old house in the Stone Mountain Street area of Lawrenceville, and shot him.
A police report suggests that after killing the lawyer, Allen Tayeh poured petrol at the scene with the aim of burning down the house converted into an office. Then, he moved away from the sector and also seems to have been burned, witnesses of the event reported.
Something he achieved, because the office burned down causing great damage. In the midst of this situation, firefighters found Doug Lewis’ body inside.
Lawrenceville Police Lieutenant Jake Parker said the situation “was unexpected,” he said. WCNC extension.
The motive for the murder
As detailed by Daily mailthe financial situation in which Tayeh was would have been the motive for carrying out the murder.
This was because the divorce settlement implied it I had to pay more than 28 thousand dollars to Doug Lewis for the concept of taxes and $170,000 to his ex-wifea debt that in Chilean pesos amounts to more than 170 million pesos.
The man had to pay the debt by the end of November, which she failed to do, so Lewis asked a judge to hold him in contempt for failing to make payments.
In her brief, the divorce attorney noted that “defendant has failed to pay attorney fees, as ordered by the court” adding that “defendant willfully violates a court order dated October 31, 2022.”
The hearing to settle the case had been set for December 14, but given the tragic events, it never took place.
After the fact, Tayeh was arrested by the police. “He had a firearm, a revolver that had run out of cartridges in the cylinders. And there were also gas drums and the smell of gasoline in the area,” Lt. Jake Parker said.
A lawyer loved by his community
The situation has rocked the Georgia city, and many friends and people close to the attorney have spoken out about the tragic situation he experienced.
Lawyer Phil McCurdy remembered him as having “a great sense of humor and a quick wit … I will miss him”.
“I’ve never heard him raise his voice, I’ve never seen him lose his temper. I’ve never seen him treat anyone except with respect… I don’t know anyone who hasn’t respected him as a colleague, as a professional and as a human being,” added McCurdy in statements collected by Univision.
His wife, Kristina Weaver, commented that she “saw him all the time in Dacula Park,” adding that “he was just the nicest guy. He’s well known in the community, especially in family court. I think he mostly handled divorce cases and things like that”.
Allen Tayeh’s legal trial is still ongoing, pending investigations by the Laurencewille Police, Gwinnett County Fire Department and coroner.
For his part, Allen Tayeh has not yet released any statements regarding his act.
