Individuals 'close to the defendants' investigated

The private investigator credited with breaking open the Ted Binion murder case said this morning he's still probing the wealthy gambling figure's death even though two people have been convicted of killing Binion.

Tom Dillard, who has been investigating the slaying for Binion's $55 million estate, said he's trying to determine whether others close to Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish, participated in his slaying.

"There likely were other individuals close to the defendants who may have been involved, but who were not charged," Dillard told the Sun.

Dillard would not mention the names of other possible suspects, but police early in their homicide investigation were eyeing David Mattsen, Binion's former ranch manager in Pahrump.

The 54-year-old Mattsen, who was never charged, has denied being involved in Binion's Sept. 17, 1998, death. But he has provided Dillard and the Sun with explosive information about the former casino man's demise.

Mattsen has acknowledged being at Binion's house the night before his death, and police have cellular phone records showing a pattern of calls between Mattsen and Murphy and Tabish in the immediate hours before and after Binion's death.

Mattsen, charged in the Sept. 19, 1998, theft of Binion's $6 million silver fortune, tried to work out a deal with prosecutors to testify against Murphy and Tabish, but never was able to strike an agreement. He is set to stand trial on the theft charges later this year.

Late Wednesday, after the jury sentenced Murphy and Tabish to life in prison with the possibility of parole, Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger told reporters: "We're satisfied that the two primary killers have been brought to justice."

But Roger added that there is no statute of limitations on murder.

Dillard, who interviewed more than 100 witnesses for police during the murder investigation, said there are other unanswered questions about the slaying.

He said he expects to step up efforts to determine where Binion's convicted killers planned to fence his stolen silver had they not been caught digging it up from an underground vault in Pahrump.

Mattsen, he said, told him the silver was headed for Chicago.

"The inference was that individuals involved in organized crime were going to be the recipient of the silver," Dillard said.

Dillard has been probing ties between Tabish, a 35-year-old Montana contractor, and Salvatore "Sammy" Galioto, a reputed associate of the Chicago mob.

In March Dillard told the Sun that there was an ongoing relationship between Tabish and Galioto before and after Binion's death.

The private detective said cellular phone records show numerous calls between Tabish and a Chicago area beeper number belonging to Galioto. Calls were made to the number as Tabish was preparing to dig up the silver in 1998.

Jail records show a man identifying himself as Galioto visited Tabish at the Clark County Detention Center on Aug. 16, the day before Tabish's preliminary hearing.

Dillard said he also is continuing to investigate reports that Tabish and Murphy were trying to sell their movie rights.

The Sun reported in November that reputed Chicago mob associate Joseph Cusumano, who lives in Las Vegas, had tried to strike a movie deal with Tabish.

Like Cusumano, Galioto has ties to the film industry.

Jason Frazer, a former Tabish associate, has told prosecutors that he once had dinner with Tabish, Cusumano and Galioto.

Dillard also is investigating reports that Murphy's 84-year-old benefactor, William Fuller, has sought to profit from a movie deal involving the two convicted killers. Fuller is reported to have financed much of Murphy's defense.

The estate and Binion's chief heir, his 19-year-old daughter, Bonnie Binion, want to attach any profits Murphy and Tabish might make from a movie as part of their wrongful death suit against the defendants.

Dillard said he also is continuing to search for Binion's valuables stolen from his home after his slaying. Among the missing assets are a $300,000 collection of rare coins and currency, as well as some diamonds and at least $20,000 in cash.

Roger said he's also interested in finding the items stolen from Binion.

"If there is sufficient information to obtain a search warrant to recover Binion's assets, we would certainly seek the court's authorization to do it," he said.

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