I-Team Exclusive: Murdered Dallas Lawyer's Widow Talks
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DALLAS (CBS11 I-TEAM) - A Dallas lawyer's widow spoke with emotion, holding back tears, as she talked exclusively about the horror of her husband's death.
"We're functioning and life is terrible. All we want is justice," said Debbie Tobolowsky. She said she fears for her life because the whereabouts of the person suspected of killing Ira Tobolowsky remained unknown.
Dallas firefighters found Tobolowsky dead inside his burning garage on May 13. Many people suspect the killer is connected to one of his cases.
Debbie and Ira Toblowsky were married 39 years. He was the outgoing one. She was shy.
"I just don't want to be the visible one," Debbie Tobolowsky said.
Speaking to CBS11 was not easy for her. Tobolowsky did not want her face shown in the TV news story.
She doesn't want attention and she says she's afraid. It's been six weeks. Her husband's killer is still out there.
"I fear he will see my face and know who I am," she said.
Tobolowsky says she is also afraid for her sons.
"They are all over the place and they are fighting hard to find the person who did it. And I don't want that person to feel like they need to finish the family," she said.
But her sons tell CBS11 they do not have time to think about being afraid.
"I think that emotion is secondary to anything else we feel right now," says Zachary Tobolowsky.
Michael Tobolowsky is an attorney now taking over his dad's law practice. "It's flight or fight and no question we're all staying here and we're all fighting. We all have this protector aspect."
Last week, all three sons announced a $25,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to an arrest.
Jonathan Tobolowsky, the oldest son, recently got married. Talk of his new wife sparks the only smile we see during our interview. But it quickly disappears when these men talk about their mom's struggle.
"At my wedding, I had a very hard time holding it together. And I looked at her and she had a face of a saint, and I couldn't have done it without her," says Jonathan Tobolowsky.
"Being a mom comes first and I want to be strong for them," Debbie Toblowsky said.
But she admits staying strong is hard when you are living in fear and sadness.
"He would say, 'Get on with your life…" but we say we can't until the person is found or persons is found," she said.
The family is asking anyone who noticed anyone suspicious, lurking around their North Dallas neighborhood, or someone with cuts or burns around May 13, to call Crime Stoppers.
They say any tip could be relevant.
You can reach Crime Stoppers online or at 1-877-373-TIPS.
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