A Pima County Superior Court judge has denied an effort to overturn the conviction of Pamela Anne Phillips in the 1996 murder of Tucson businessman Gary Triano, bringing an end to the latest chapter in one of Southern Arizona's most notorious homicide cases.
The ruling dismisses Phillips' petition for post-conviction relief, which challenged her convictions for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The decision follows years of post-conviction litigation, including multiple hearings, extensive legal briefing, and additional DNA testing using newer forensic technology.
According to the Pima County Attorney's Office, the court rejected every claim raised in the petition and found no grounds to overturn the jury's verdict.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover praised the office's appellate team for defending the conviction through years of legal challenges.
"Justice doesn't end with a verdict. It requires an ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity of that verdict through every stage of the legal process," Conover said in a statement, recognizing Appellate Supervisor Bill Brammer, Deputy County Attorney James Rappaport, Paralegal Maggie Guzman, and the Appeals team for their work on the case.
Triano was killed in 1996 when a bomb exploded in his vehicle. Prosecutors said Phillips hired Ronald Young to carry out the killing by planting and detonating the explosive device.
Phillips was indicted in 2008 and convicted in 2014 following a 31-day jury trial. She was sentenced to life in prison. Young was convicted separately and is serving a natural life sentence.
The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld Phillips' convictions in 2018. She later sought post-conviction relief in 2024, leading to additional court proceedings that culminated in the Superior Court's July 29, 2026 ruling dismissing her petition.
The decision leaves Phillips' convictions intact and marks another legal victory for prosecutors in a case that has remained one of the region's most closely followed murder prosecutions for nearly three decades.
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