TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) – From a life of the rich and famous, to life behind bars.

It was the murder of the decade that rocked Tucson, Arizona in the 90s. Well-known businessman Gary Triano was killed by a bomb, and the people responsible wouldn’t be convicted for almost twenty years.

Our True Crime Arizona journalists found new information about that fateful day and investigated the conspiracies that swirled until there was finally a break in the case.

“A bottle of champagne Perignon would come over to the table compliments of Gary,” said Ron Lehman. “Gary was just a fun guy.” It was a life of luxury and leisure. That was Gary Triano — work hard, play hard.

Ron Lehman knew him well. Gary Triano was both a friend and client.

Lehman was Triano’s attorney on business lawsuits. The two worked together for years.

But that came to a screeching halt on November 1st, 1996. “It is strange that two of the last three calls he made from the golf course on the day he died were made to me,” Lehman said.

“I’m looking at this sign-up sheet and I hear this huge explosion. A bang,” Sam Butman remembers. “And then I see a car with flames coming out of it with a hood that’s missing and there’s somebody in the car.”

At the time, Pima County Sheriff’s detective James Gamber got the call to get to the La Paloma Golf Club…for a bomb.

“There were a lot of rumors that he was killed over a bad business deal. Did you ever think that?” asked Whitney. “Um, yes,” Lehman said. “But when you followed those threads to the end there was nothing that came back to who wanted to kill Gary Triano.”

Pamela Phillips was Gary Triano’s second wife. She too, relished in their life of status in the fast lane. But, things change. “You might say led to the tragedy that led to the end of Gary’s life,” said Lehman.

For more on Gary Triano’s death, visit the AZ Family website.

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