DAYTON, KENTUCKY – A Burlington, Ky. woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Dayton today to aiding and abetting her daughter in intimidating a witness after the murder of her ex-son-in-law.
Chandra Harmon, 57, admitted to aiding and abetting the intimidation of a witness after the August 2017 murder of Robert Caldwell. Harmon and her daughter, Tawnney Caldwell, attempted to prevent the witness from providing testimony to law enforcement about weapons provided to a co-defendant.
According to court documents, around 6pm on Aug. 15, 2017, Robert Caldwell and his three minor children left a counseling appointment in Riverside, Ohio. While crossing the parking lot, Robert Caldwell was shot multiple times by an assailant in front of his children and died at the scene. The assailant was later identified as co-defendant Sterling Roberts.
Tawnney Caldwell is the ex-wife of the murder victim and was the girlfriend of Sterling Roberts at the time of the incident. Chandra Harmon is Tawnney Caldwell’s mother and previous mother-in-law to Robert Caldwell.
Tawnney Caldwell and the murder victim had an ongoing dispute regarding the custody of their children and Tawnney Caldwell had talked to Sterling Roberts on at least two occasions (while Roberts was incarcerated in Montgomery County) about killing Robert Caldwell.
Sterling Roberts; his brothers, Chance Deakin and Christopher Roberts; Chandra Harmon (Tawnney’s mother); and James Harmon (Tawnney’s step-father) collaborated to plan, execute and cover-up the violent crime resulting in the death of Robert Caldwell.
Tawnney Caldwell pleaded guilty in October 2020 to interstate stalking resulting in death, and Roberts is scheduled for jury trial in U.S. District Court on March 15.
Harmon faces up to 20 years in prison for aiding and abetting the intimidation of a witness in this case. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for 1:30pm on May 6.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson and Sugarcreek Township Police Chief Michael Brown announced the plea entered into today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Laura Clemmens are representing the United States in this case.