A man is found shot to death in his car On a summer day in 1980, a construction worker discovered a blue 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck parked on the shoulder of Interstate 81 South in Pulaski County, Virginia. Inside, 25-year-old Gary Nolen Romano, a White male, was found deceased. An investigation determined that he had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Both doors of the truck were closed and unlocked, leading authorities to believe he had been shot while he was sleeping.
The date of the discovery was June 30, 1980.
The case of Gary Nolen Romano's death is an active and ongoing homicide investigation. Over the years, law enforcement has continued to seek answers. In the course of the initial investigation, latent fingerprints were lifted from the vehicle. Additionally, a number of cigarette butts were collected from inside the truck. As of early 2023, these cigarette butts were reportedly undergoing DNA testing in the hopes of developing a profile of a potential suspect.
Despite the passage of time and the efforts of investigators, no suspects have ever been publicly identified in connection with the murder of Gary Nolen Romano. The case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made. Virginia State Police continue to seek information from the public that might lead to a breakthrough in this decades-old cold case.
