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20/20 season 47 episode 14 delves into the mysterious murder of Gary Triano, whose car was fixed with a remote-controlled explosive. Triano was a wealthy real estate developer from Tuscon, Arizona, whose Lincoln Town Car exploded on November 1, 1996, with him inside it.
Investigators initially considered the explosion to be a mob attack, however, upon close interrogation, they discovered that it was a pre-planned murder. Gary Triano was leading a rich lifestyle, which he showcased to the media. However, he suffered from massive business losses, was highly in debt, and was facing a strained relationship with his partner.
The complete story behind the murder of Gary Triano is documented in 20/20 season 47 episode 14. The episode, titled Explosive Secrets is set to make its release on January 24, 2025, at 9 pm EST. The official synopsis of the episode reads,
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"A famed real estate developer is murdered in his car by a remote-controlled pipe bomb. Money, lies and revenge are the motivations, with evidence leading authorities on an international search to find the killers responsible."
20/20 season 47 episode 14: What is the story of Gary Triano?
Born on November 6, 1943, Gary Triano was a resident of Tucson, Arizona, who completed his graduation from Rincon High School. As per a Tucson Weekly article, published on November 1, 2001, he went on to attend the University of Arizona and received a degree in accounting. Triano went on to marry his first wife Mary Cram, with whom, he had two kids named Heather and Brian.
As per a Tucson Citizen article, published on November 4, 1996, the couple split apart, and it was on October 4, 1986, when Triano married his second wife Pamela Phillips. She was a real estate developer herself, and Triano went on to have two more children named Lois and Trevor. However, the couple's relationship soon began to deteriorate too, which ended in a divorce in 1993.
Triano was facing major loss in his business, and went on to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, revealing that he was in a debt of $ 40 million. While Pamela went on to take custody of their two children, and eventually moved to Aspen, Colorado, to continue her real estate business.
The murder of Gary Triano
As per an article on CBS News, published on May 23, 2024, Triano was playing golf at an upscale Tucson club in the Catalina Foothills, Arizona on November 1, 1996. After finishing a round, right after he entered his Lincoln Town Car, it was immediately exploded by a remote-controlled pipe bomb.
When police started the investigation, all their suspicion was directed towards Tiano's divorced wife Pamela Phillips, who was handling her business in Aspen. The primary piece of evidence came when investigators discovered that Pamela had done a life insurance policy on Triano worth $ 2 million before he was murdered.
As per an Aspen Daily News article, published on May 5, 2010, Triano's estranged children were kept as the beneficiaries and, she received the insurance money in 1997. Upon more research, investigators discovered that Pamela was having a relationship in Aspen with a criminal named Ronald Young. It was found that Ronald had rented a van before the murder of 20/20 season 47 episode 14 subject Gary Triano.
Ronald Young and Pamela Phillips were found as the culprits behind the car explosion
Investigators retrieved the abandoned van from Yorba Linda in California. When they looked inside the vehicle, they found documents relating to Triano and Pamela's divorce, along with a map of Tuscon, and a shotgun, with its pipe cut off. All the evidence strongly directed towards Ronald Young to have been involved in the crime.
However, investigators had to wait for almost nine years, to put Ronald behind bars again. It was in November 2005, when he was put on trial at Fort Lauderdale, Florida on charges of fraud and robbery. He was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for possessing a weapon. However, during this time, investigators again began to look into the murder of Gary Triano.
Investigators eventually managed to recover emails and text messages exchanged between Pamela and Ronald, concerning the bombing of Triano's car. As per CBS News, it was in 2008 when Ronald was charged with the murder of Gary Triano. In 2010, he was presented before the jury. It was revealed that he was paid for a sum of $ 400,000 by Pamela Phillips, to murder Gary Triano.
All the evidence, including audio recordings and text messages, was presented before the jury. Ronald Young was eventually found guilty, and he was sentenced to two prison terms, for the first-degree murder of Gary Triano. Pamela Phillips was also under police jurisdiction and was caught on December 3, 2006, after she flew to Vienna Austria.
As per a Tucson.com article, published on October 1, 2012, Pamela was behind bars at the Pima County Jail, with a bond of $ 5 million. In December 2011, the trial was postponed after declaring that she was unstable mentally unstable. However, in October 2012, she was stated to be competent to stand in her trial.
As per a CBS News article, published on May 23, 2014, Pamela Phillips was presented before the Pima County Jury, in May 2014. The defense claimed that Triano was executed by criminals, who owed money to him. They claimed that Gary Triano had criminal connections, which was opposed by his children.
As per CBS News, Gary Triano's daughter Heather Triano charged Pamela to be the culprit behind the murder plan, She said,
"Pam who at one time was my stepmother and my friend," she added, "destroyed lives due to her greed and love of money."
Prosecutor Rick Unklesbay, who was handling the case of Gary Triano added that Pamela should serve the maximum sentence for the crime she had committed. He said,
"On a gut level the one more responsible is the woman sitting here."
Similar to Ronald Young, the victims' ex-wife Pamela Phillips was also sentenced to a lifetime in prison, without any chance of parole. Both of the 20/20 season 47 episode 14 culprits will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
To know more about the murder of Gary Triano watch 20/20 season 47 episode 14, titled Explosive Secrets on ABC.
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