Medical examiner: Dallas attorney found dead in house fire was murdered
DALLAS -- A prominent Dallas attorney who was found dead after a house fire in May was murdered, a medical examiner has ruled.
According to CBS Dallas, the Dallas County Medical Examiner on Thursday released the cause and manner of death for Ira Tobolowsky, finding he died of “thermal burns and smoke inhalation in association with blunt force trauma.” The manner was ruled to be a homicide.
The body of the 68-year-old was found inside the burning garage of his North Dallas home May 13, reports the Dallas Morning News.
Investigators have said the death was suspicious and had been investigating the case as a homicide since June, the station reports. However, the full autopsy report was not released and officials have remained tight-lipped about details. According to the Morning News, the medical examiner will seek a ruling from the attorney general’s office on whether to release the report, because authorities believe it could interfere with the criminal investigation if made public.
At the time of the fire, Dallas Fire Rescue officials told CBS Dallas that chemicals including gasoline were in the garage and caused the fire to “flash” like an explosion. They said at the time the fire was “suspicious in nature” but no official cause for the blaze has been released, according to the Morning News.
The paper reports Tobolowsky was involved in a contentious defamation lawsuit with an Austin attorney at the time of his death. The Austin attorney had reportedly sued his brother and mother in 2013 over their family’s trust. Tobolowsky was representing the mother.
There have been no arrests and no suspects have been named.
Tobolowsky’s family has offered a $20,000 reward for information in the case, and Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $5,000.