Dallas attorney’s death in suspicious fire ‘was a hit,’ friend tells ‘Today’ show

The mysterious death of a local lawyer was part of the lineup on the Today show this morning — and one of his friends told the show he believes the death “was a hit.”

Ira Tobolowsky, a longtime civil lawyer, was found dead in his garage last week after a fire in his apartment.

Officials said the fire was suspicious but have yet to release details about the circumstances that led to Tobolowsky’s death.

Tobolowsky’s friend, also a prominent lawyer in the Dallas area, told the Today show that he believes the 68-year-old was slain.WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reported that his body was doused in fuel.

“This was a hit. There’s no question in my mind this was a hit. … It just had to be criminal,” Robert Hinton told Today. “It was disguised as a fire to cover a hit.”

Tobolowsky, described as a “lawyer who loved the law” by his brother-in-law, was involved in contentious litigation before he died.

“He was brave, and he would not be the guy to be afraid of anything. And I certainly can’t imagine that he imagined that this was possible,” his brother-in-law Stuart Prescott told our media partners at KXAS-TV (NBC5).

Judge Eric Moyé, who was presiding over the litigation, has been warned of a possible connection between the case and Tobolowsky’s death, his office said in a statement toToday. Moyé removed himself from the case on Wednesday.

The Dallas County sheriff’s office provided security to the judge over the weekend, and the judge’s bailiffs had been warned to be on alert.

Meanwhile, authorities continue to investigate whether Tobolowsky’s death was related to arson. In a news release Monday, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said none of the houses nearby had surveillance video, which could have helped with the investigation.

Tobolowsky’s son was reportedly planning to get married in two weeks.

The family — which includes state District Judge Emily Tobolowsky and Groundhog Dayactor Stephen Tobolowsky — has long been active in the Jewish community and the legal profession.