Citizen Staff Writer
Law and Order Report
RYN GARGULINSKI
rynski@tucsoncitizen.com
Tucson police say they have solved a 6-year-old murder with the indictment of a man who was already serving time in prison for an unrelated crime.
Tiaron G. Ross, 29, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting death in March 2003of Delavan L. Holmes, 32.
Tucson police found Holmes wounded when they responded to reports of a shooting in the 400 block of East Waverly Street. Holmes died later in a hospital.
Gang detectives arrested someone other than Ross within a month of Holmes’ murder. Charges were withdrawn later that year.
Police could not provide specifics on why the charges were withdrawn in the earlier arrest, but Sgt. Fabian Pacheco said it was clear the person arrested was not responsible for Holmes’ death.
“Results of DNA as well as ballistics tests were received in early December, which clearly implicated 29-year-old Tiaron G. Ross as the sole gunman in the murder of Mr. Holmes,” Pacheco said in a news release Friday.
Ross was sent to prison in December 2007 and is serving a 15-year sentence for repeated drug offenses.