Detective hired by Binion lawyers

Friday, Oct. 2, 1998 | 11:22 a.m.

Lawyers for the estate of Ted Binion have hired a former homicide detective to investigate the ex-gaming figure's mysterious death.

Tom Dillard, a private detective who worked in Metro's homicide unit from 1983 until his retirement in 1993, confirmed Thursday he has been looking into Binion's death on behalf of the multimillion-dollar estate.

"There are some very interesting aspects to this case that need to be investigated more thoroughly," Dillard said. "Whatever information I obtain, I'll turn over to Metro and the Nye County Sheriff's Department if it's warranted."

Dillard, who has worked closely before with Metro homicide detectives since his retirement, has been questioning witnesses interviewed by the SUN in the past 10 days.

Among those Dillard has talked to are Binion's housekeeper, who was asked not to come to work the day Binion died, and his longtime gardener, who noticed several unusual occurrences at the home that day.

James J. Brown, one of two lawyers overseeing Binion's estate, was out of town and could not be reached for comment on Dillard's hiring. The other lawyer, Richard Wright, declined comment.

Binion's body was found by his girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, on Sept. 17 in his home next to an empty bottle of the prescription sedative, Xanax, that he had obtained a day earlier.

Police have received word that Binion would use Xanax to get himself off of heroin, an addictive drug he began using again after gaming regulators revoked his license at Horseshoe Club hotel-casino last May.

But more questions about the manner in which he died were raised this week, when Clark County Coroner Ron Flud received a toxicology report that showed lethal levels of both heroin and Xanax in his system.

Flud has classified Binion's death as "undetermined" until police bring him evidence that it was accident, suicide or homicide.

Binion's lawyers have urged police to conduct a full-scale homicide investigation into his death in the wake of the report.

Homicide detectives are calling Binion's death suspicious, but they are reluctant to turn the probe into a murder investigation. Police found no indication of foul play at Binion's home, and an autopsy disclosed no signs of trauma on his body.

Detectives, nevertheless, have decided to interview Binion's former friends, employees and associates.

High on their list of witnesses are Murphy, an ex-topless dancer who had a stormy relationship with Binion, and Montana contractor Rick Tabish, who has been charged in Nye County with trying to steal as much as $4 million in buried silver from Binion less than 36 hours after his death.

Homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said today that detectives still were trying to contact Murphy and Tabish through their attorneys.

Nye County sheriff's deputies investigating the silver theft in Pahrump have uncovered evidence that suggests a possible romantic relationship between Murphy and Tabish.

Petersen said homicide detectives met with the coroner's office Thursday to discuss the toxicology report.

Detectives are hoping to get a better handle on how lethal doses of heroin and Xanax could have found their way into Binion's body, Petersen said.