The 83-year-old man hired several hitmen to kill a podiatrist after he accused the doctor of botching the treatment on his wife’s ingrown toenail, leading her to have her foot partly amputated and then die. The elderly man plotted to have the doctor killed after blaming him for his wife’s death. The defendant’s wife was treated by the podiatrist for an ingrown toenail in 2014. Unfortunately, the woman had to have part of that foot amputated and then died in 2016 of an infection.
The 83-year-old man from California, Robert Lee, was convicted on Thursday. Prosecutors said the defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder over the 2018 shooting death of Dr. Thomas Shock, according to the DA’s Office.
Lee will be sentenced on May 16, court records say.
Prosecutors said the elderly man plotted to have the podiatrist killed after blaming him for his wife’s, Bonnie Lee, death.
Dr. Thomas Shock was reportedly found shot to death in this home in August 2018. The responding officers reportedly found a California Medical Board document next to the victim’s body that referenced the treatment of the defendant’s wife.
The defendant’s wife was treated by Dr. Thomas Shock for an ingrown toenail in 2014. Unfortunately, the woman had to have part of that foot amputated and then died in 2016 of an infection, per reports.
Dr. Thomas Shock retired in 2018. Per reports, he been disciplined by the Medical Board of California, in regards to Bonnie’s treatment. The podiatrist was sanctioned prior to Bonnie’s death.
The 83-year-old defendant hired several hitmen to kill the podiatrist, prosecutors said.
The 27-year-old man who reportedly shot Dr. Thomas Shock, Mallory Stewart, was also found guilty of first-degree murder and will be sentenced in May.
Prosecutors said that 26-year-old Raymond Jacquett (who drove the getaway car) and 26-year-old Christopher Costello (whose thumbprint was found on the medical board document) were found guilty last year and sentenced to 15 years to life in 2019.