Lawsuit: Woman used escort service funds to pay for Beavercreek man’s murder

DAYTON — The homicide of a Beavercreek man in front of his three sons was funded with proceeds of high-dollar escort work by one of his ex-wife’s relatives, a lawsuit claims.

Lisa R. Thomas used money from her escort work and from owning and operating an animal grooming business in Centerville to bankroll a conspiracy that led to two attempts on Robert “Bobby” Caldwell’s life, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Caldwell’s widow in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Robert Caldwell, 35, was shot and killed Aug. 15, 2017, in a Riverside parking lot in front of three of his children.

Thomas, the aunt of Robert Caldwell’s ex-wife, Tawnney (Thomas) Caldwell, was given $30,000 per month from a Michigan businessman for her “exclusive escort services,” according to records contained in a lawsuit between Thomas and the businessman.

MORE ON THE CASE

• Ex-wife indicted in Robert Caldwell murder conspiracy has trial delayed

• Missing teen found a year after witnessing his father's death had run away before, records show

Hugh Bode, a Cleveland attorney who has represented Lisa Thomas in other cases, said the accusations are false.

“I’ve never seen anything like that, those claims before … where a widow is claiming that multiple people are somehow liable to her for the death of her husband who was murdered by someone else,” Bode said. “So how do these lawyers for the widow Caldwell, what’s their information that any money came from Lisa? I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and I haven’t seen anything like this. To me, it seems to be to be completely unfounded.”