Gary Triano's oldest daughter told jurors Wednesday her former stepmother never said anything about being blackmailed when they shared a house in Aspen, Colo. some time after Triano was murdered.
Heather Triano Klindworth, 39, testified Wednesday in the first-degree murder trial of Ronald Young, 67, that her stepmother, Pamela Phillips behaved normally during that nine months.
Prosecutors believe Young built and detonated the pipe bomb that killed Triano, a commercial real estate developer, on Nov. 1, 1996. They say the evidence will show Triano's former wife, Pamela Phillips, paid Young a portion of Triano's $2 million life insurance policy to kill Triano.
Defense attorneys told jurors during opening statements last week that Young didn't kill Triano, but he was blackmailing Phillips.
Klindworth was 14 when Phillips and Triano got married in October 1986. She testified the couple put their home in Phillips' name because Triano was having financial difficulties and they didn't want to lose the house if he filed for bankruptcy.
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When Phillips and Triano got divorced in November 1993, Phillips sold the house and moved to Aspen, Colo. with the couple's young children, Trevor and Lois, Klindworth said.
Klindworth testified Phillips limited the amount of time Triano could spend with the children. Klindworth said Phllips also objected to her seeing them.
Phillips didn't call after her father's death, nor did she attend the funeral, send a card or send flowers, Klindworth said. Trevor and Lois also didn't attend the funeral.
Years later, Klindworth said she moved from New York City to Aspen, because Phillips wanted help with a company Triano had bought for Phillips while they were married.
Phillips never mentioned being threatened or blackmailed, Klindworth said.
Dr. Bruce Parks, Pima County's chief medical examiner, said Triano suffered several wounds, any one of which would've been fatal. Metal fragments were found in Triano's head, liver and right lung.
It appears Triano was leaning toward the passenger seat when the bomb, which was sitting in the passenger seat, went off.
On StarNet: The At the Courthouse blog at azstarnet.com/news/blogs/courthouse will keep you up to date on the trial.
Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmith@azstarnet.com
