Binion probe focuses on phone records

A private detective has uncovered a trail of cellular phone conversations between Ted Binion's girlfriend and the man accused of trying to steal a fortune in buried silver from the late gaming figure's estate.

The conversations, which took place in the several months leading up to Binion's Sept. 17 death, ended with a call seven minutes before the girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, reported discovering Binion's body, investigator Tom Dillard said Thursday.

Dillard, hired by Binion's multimillion-dollar estate to probe the former casino executive's death, said cellular records show Rick Tabish, who police have charged with the silver theft, called Murphy's cell phone at 3:48 p.m on the day Binion died.

Records indicate the 26-year-old Murphy stopped using that phone after receiving the call, which was about a minute in length, Dillard said.

Murphy telephoned police from Binion's Palomino Lane home at 3:55 p.m. to report that she had found his body on the floor of his den next to an empty bottle of the prescription sedative, Xanax.

Dillard said the 3:48 p.m. call between Tabish and Murphy is part of what the detective described as "significant communication" between the two the last several months of Binion's life.

"It warrants further investigation," said Dillard, who has been working closely with Metro homicide detectives looking into Binion's death.

Dillard, a former homicide detective, was able to obtain Murphy's cellular records because the 55-year-old Binion had been paying her bills.

Investigators are said to be attempting to determine whether there were other phone conversations between Murphy and Tabish before and after Binion's death. Murphy was known to have used a second cell phone, as well.

Nye County sheriff's deputies investigating the silver theft have uncovered evidence of a possible romantic relationship between Murphy and Tabish, a 33-year-old Montana contractor who had befriended Binion a year ago. Tabish and two others are facing criminal charges in the alleged attempt to steal $4 million in silver coins and bars from Binion less than 36 hours after Binion's death.

The Binion estate has been told that Murphy and Tabish were observed together at a posh Beverly Hills hotel the weekend before Binion's death.

Homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said police in Missoula, Mont., reported that Murphy and Tabish have been seen there in recent days.

But sources said Murphy was in Las Vegas as late as Thursday.

Her lawyers, Oscar Goodman and David Chesnoff, declined comment today on the cellular phone conversations.

The SUN reported this week that Binion had hired private detective Don Dibble the day before he died to follow Murphy. Dibble said he surmised from his discussions with Binion that Binion was concerned Murphy was cheating on him.

Binion also telephoned his lawyer, James J. Brown, the day before he died and instructed him to take Murphy out of his will. Brown filed papers in District Court this week explaining the conversation. Murphy was set to inherit $300,000 and the Palomino home and its contents.

Investigators, meanwhile, now believe Binion died in the morning on Sept. 17, hours before Murphy reported discovering his body.

The time frame has not been pinned down, but it is believed to be between 5:30 a.m. and noon.

Binion, sources said, was last seen alive by a neighbor's housekeeper about 5:30 a.m. Sept. 17. The housekeeper, who saw him picking up a newspaper outside his home, has reported that he appeared in good spirits.

Dibble also has indicated that Binion left a voice message for him early in the morning on Sept. 17 and that he sounded fine.

Binion's real estate agent, Barbara Brown, has previously told the SUN about a puzzling phone conversation she had with Murphy between 12:15 p.m. and 12:25 p.m on the day Binion died.

A distressed Murphy, she said, was complaining about "living with a drug addict."

Brown said she offered to come to the house, but Murphy told her that Binion was "out of it" and didn't want anyone to see him in his current state.

Murphy initially told police she left the house that afternoon and discovered his body when she returned home about 3:55 p.m. Detectives have been unable to interview her since the day she telephoned police.

A toxicology report found that Binion had lethal levels of both heroin and Xanax in his system, a conclusion that has disturbed Binion's family and homicide detectives investigating his death.

The report also has indicated that a significant amount of heroin was found in his stomach, which has raised more questions. Binion was known to smoke heroin, not ingest it.

Meanwhile, Binion's housekeeper confirmed today that she recently gave homicide detectives a tour of Binion's house.

The housekeeper, who was told not to come to work the day Binion died, said she pointed several items that were missing or out of place at the home.

Among the missing items were gold pocket watches, rare coins and cash, she said.

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