A disgruntled Georgia man is reportedly facing murder charges for allegedly shooting his ex-wife's divorce lawyer and then setting fire to the victim's law firm.
Allen Tayeh, 65, is accused of confronting veteran divorce attorney Doug Lewis in his Lawrenceville office on Wednesday and shooting him before setting the fire, according to a report from KENS-TV News.
Firefighters found the lawyer's body inside the building after extinguishing the flames.
“It’s pretty brazen,” Lawrenceville Police Lt. Jake Parker told the station about the heinous crime. “It kind of comes out of the blue.”
Parker said a witness led police to Tayeh, who was still in the area when officers showed up to grab him.
“The arrested suspect actually had injuries consistent with being in or near the fire,” Parker said. “He had burns on his trousers and singed hair.
“He had a firearm with him, a revolver, the cartridge cases of which were empty,” the police officer added. “And there were also gas cans and there was a smell of gas in the area.”
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According to KENS, Lewis represented Tayeh's wife when she filed for divorce last year. The couple will appear in court next week.
Tayeh has been charged with murder and arson in the case, but he has not provided police with information about his possible motives, the outlet reported.
Meanwhile, members of the local legal community mourned Lewis' death.
“Doug was a consummate gentleman,” local attorney Phil McCurdy told KENS. “I’ve 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.
Lewis practiced law in the city, which is about 30 miles outside Atlanta, for about 30 years, the station said.
