Ex-mother-in-law in Robert Caldwell murder case gets 70 months in prison

RIVERSIDE — A 57-year-old ex-mother-in-law of a man killed in front of his children in a Riverside parking lot in August 2017 will spend 70 months in prison for her role in his death.

Chandra Harmon pleaded guilty in January to aiding and abetting the intimidation of a witness after the killing of Robert Caldwell on Aug. 15, 2017.

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“Harmon and her daughter, Tawnney Caldwell, attempted to prevent the witness from providing testimony to law enforcement about weapons provided to a co-defendant,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

Tawnney Caldwell was previously sentenced to 35 years in prison for her role in the case.

The suspected gunman was identified as Sterling Roberts. His case is still pending in federal case.

Around 6 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2017, Robert Caldwell and his three children left a counseling appointment in Riverside. Robert Caldwell was shot multiple times while walking across the parking lot and his children witnessed the attack.

Tawnney Caldwell is the ex-wife of the murder victim and was the girlfriend of Sterling Roberts at the time of the incident, according to officials. Chandra Harmon is Tawnney Caldwell’s mother and previous mother-in-law to Robert Caldwell.

Robert Caldwell’s son, Jacob, went missing for over a year after watching his father’s death.

According to prosecutors, Tawnney and Robert Caldwell had been in an ongoing argument over the custody of their kids. Tawnney Caldwell had talked to Sterling Roberts, while he was in jail, at least twice about killing Robert Caldwell, prosecutors said.

Court documents alleged Roberts acted like a customer in need of stonework and messaged Robert Caldwell to lure him into meeting with him in Jamestown in early August 2017.

“Roberts, armed with a gun, allegedly ambushed Robert Caldwell, who fled and called 911. Robert Caldwell eventually escaped that encounter and reported it to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office,” prosecutors said in a statement.

According to Tawnney Caldwell’s plea, between the time of the attempted homicide and shooting death of Robert Caldwell, Roberts fled to Tennessee. Tawnney Caldwell then went to Tennessee and picked him up, stopping in Kentucky to by an AK-47.

“The two planned the details of the victim’s murder together at Tawnney Caldwell’s residence and were in contact via cell phone multiple times before and after the murder,” according to Tawnney Caldwell’s plea.

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