Tabish's friend says contractor wanted gambling figure dead

A Montana contractor talked about killing Ted Binion and making the death look like a suicide so he and the gambling figure's girlfriend could get Binion's fortune, a witness testified Saturday.

"He asked me if I knew what the result would be of mixing drugs," Steven Kurt Gratzer testified during a preliminary hearing for six people linked to the Binion case.

Gratzer, of Missoula, Mont., is a childhood friend of Rick Tabish, who, along with Sandra Murphy, is charged with the Sept. 17 death of the member of the legendary casino family. Tabish and Ms. Murphy, Binion's live-in girlfriend, were reportedly having an affair.

Gratzer said Tabish discussed several ways to kill Binion, including shooting him or staging the death as a suicide. Gratzer, who has been granted immunity from prosecution, said Tabish also considered enlisting him to kill Binion.

"Rick's an imaginative individual. That's why he succeeds so well," Gratzer said.

Prosecutors believe Binion was killed either by suffocation or was forced to ingest lethal doses of heroin and the prescription drug Xanax.

Gratzer testified that Tabish wanted to kill Binion because "he was dying anyway" from his addiction to heroin and because he was angry that Binion had not paid him to build an underground vault to store his silver fortune in Pahrump, Nev.

Gratzer said Tabish, 34, told him Binion would already be on heroin and asked him to find out what type of prescription drug could be mixed with heroin to produce a lethal combination. Gratzer said he asked a pharmacist but later told Tabish he did not know the answer.

Gratzer said he also was asked by Tabish to find out if cellular phone calls could be traced to a specific location.

Gratzer said Tabish told him that if Binion's death appeared to be a suicide, Ms. Murphy would get the money from the insurance policy. Tabish also confided he was having a sexual relationship with Ms. Murphy, he said.

Gratzer said Tabish told him he had control over Ms. Murphy, 27. "He sees that she is on his team," he said.

Tabish also told Gratzer Binion had "various treasures" he could get after the death, Gratzer said.

He testified that Tabish has never confirmed that he killed Binion even though Gratzer told a grand jury earlier this year that Tabish bragged about the killing.

Gratzer also told the grand jury he asked Tabish how he was able to get heroin down Binion's throat. Gratzer testified Saturday that Tabish, who was visiting Gratzer's home, said "Xanax" and drove away laughing.

He said that after the murder, he asked Ms. Murphy when he would get his $3 million.

"She said, 'We'll take care of you Gratzer, just hang in there.' "

At times, Gratzer avoided questions during his testimony, refusing to give yes or no answers. Justice of the Peace Jennifer Togliatti admonished Gratzer several times to answer the questions posed to him.

Gratzer admitted under cross-examination he was angry at Tabish for not giving him jobs at some of his companies and that he went to police because he thought Tabish was setting him up "to be the fall guy."

Tabish, David Mattsen and Michael Milot were arrested two days after Binion's death while digging up his silver fortune in Pahrump. They have been charged, along with Ms. Murphy, with the attempted theft of about $7 million in silver.

Mattsen and Milot are free on bond.

Ms. Murphy, Tabish, Steven Wadkins and John Joseph are charged with kidnapping, assault and extortion in the kidnapping of Leo Casey. Authorities contend Tabish was trying to take control of a sandpit owned by Casey.

Wadkins and Joseph are free on bond on those charges.

Ms. Murphy is free on $300,000 cash bond while Tabish is being held without bond.

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