Who is Allen Tayeh? Georgia man fatally shoots ex-wife's divorce lawyer and sets his office on fire
LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA: A Georgia divorce attorney was recently shot dead and his office was set on fire by the former husband of one of his female clients, according to authorities.
Police officers in the community of Lawrenceville allege that the lawyer Doug Lewis was alone inside his office on Stone Mountain Street on Wednesday evening, December 7, 2022, when Allen Tayeh walked in and shot him dead. He then poured gasoline all over Lewis’ office before torching the building on fire. Tayeh was reportedly witnessed walking away from the scene of the crime with burns and a revolver with spent rounds in its cylinder. The officers state that the man was in an area that reeked of gasoline and had fuel cans.
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According to a report by 11alive.com, Tayeh, 65, was taken under custody at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond. Investigators booked him on counts of felony murder and first-degree arson.
Officers were alarmed about a building being on fire at around 5 pm. Upon their arrival, the firefighters found the old wooden building severely burnt before dousing the blaze and locating the slain man’s body. Soon, a witness told authorities about seeing a man walking out with fire burns. Lawrenceville police detained Tayeh on the scene.
"He did have a firearm on him," lieutenant Jake Parker told WUSA, adding "A revolver that had spent cartridges in the cylinders. And there were gas cans and an odor of gasoline round the area as well." "It's pretty brazen," he added referring to Tayeh’s alleged actions. "It's kind of out of the blue," he said.
According to the Daily Mail, investigators confirmed that Tayeh owed Lewis more than $28,000 in legal fees after the esteemed attorney won the former’s ex-wife a $170,000 settlement, with a judge ordering him to pay for his exes' attorney's fees as well.
Court documents ascertained by 11 Alive suggest that Tayeh may have been motivated to kill Lewis over the legal win. The documents further state that the alleged murderer's ex-wife filed for divorce in January 2021 and hired Lewis as her attorney. A verdict was then reached in August to dissolve the marriage.
After facing the loss, the terms required Tayeh to give his ex-wife half of his retirement benefits along with a payment of $138,000 within 90 days for her share of equity in their Dacula house and $500 in monthly maintenance. A judge then ruled in late October that Tayeh would also have to pay his ex-wife's legal fees from the divorce proceedings which cost up to $28,483.23 on or before October 31, 2022. Tayeh never completed such requirements, as per 11 Alive reports. He was scheduled to meet his estranged wife and Lewis in court to discuss the matter on December 14, 2022.
"Doug was a consummate gentleman," said fellow attorney Phil McCurdy, as per The Guardian. "I never heard him raise his voice, I never saw him lose his temper. I never saw him treat anyone except with respect. I don’t know anyone who didn’t respect him as a colleague, as a professional, and as a human being," McCurdy added.
"I used to see him in Dacula Park all the time and he was just the nicest guy," said Kristina Weaver, a family friend. "He is well-known in the family court community, especially. It's just really sad," she added.