Tape shows other side of Murphy

Monday, July 26, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

In less than 24 hours, Sandy Murphy went from being hysterical over Ted Binion's death to materialistic over the couple's possessions, a transcript of a videotape made at Binion's home shows.

The videotape was made the afternoon of Sept. 18, the day after Binion's murder, to keep a permanent record of the remaining valuables in the former casino executive's 6,000-square-foot house.

But at one point on the tape, Murphy appeared to take a computer disk from a dresser drawer in her bedroom, sources who have viewed the tape told the Sun.

The disk, sources said, is different than one homicide detectives recovered earlier this year during a court-authorized search of Murphy's Green Valley apartment.

Investigators now are examining the hard drive of Binion's computer in an effort to determine what's on the disk taken during the Sept. 18 taping.

At the time, the 27-year-old Murphy was not charged in Binion's slaying, and she later was awarded the $900,000 ranch-style home, its contents and $300,000 in cash above the objections of Binion's estate, which contended she was cut out of the gambling figure's will the day before his death. The estate is appealing the court decision.

The videotape, recently subpoenaed by prosecutors, has become key evidence in the murder case and Murphy's bid to move back into her boyfriend's 2408 Palomino Lane home amid her inheritance battle for his $30 million estate. After weeks of delays, District Judge Michael Cherry has scheduled a hearing Friday to decide whether to allow her to take up residence there while she's under house arrest.

Present during the Sept. 18 videotaping, which became very contentious, were James J. Brown, an attorney for Binion's estate, Murphy, her lawyer, William Knudson, her mother, and two friends, Tanya Cropp and Linda Carroll.

Cropp, 24, who was hired as Binion's secretary two days earlier, now is cooperating with homicide detectives, who arrested Murphy nine months after the videotape was made and her reported lover, Rick Tabish, on charges of murdering Binion and stealing his valuables.

Police believe Murphy and Tabish stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver coins, antique currency, diamonds and cash before police arrived at the sprawling home in the late afternoon of Sept. 17 to tend to Binion's body.

But at the home on Sept. 18, it was Murphy who was accusing Brown and Binion's 19-year-old daughter, Bonnie Binion, and even the police of doing the stealing, according to an 18-page transcript of the videotape obtained by the Sun.

With Knudson aiming the video camera in a room where Bonnie stayed when she visited, Murphy said:

"I want to take my ... and perfume bottles because ... I'm afraid they might steal them since they tried to steal the china. They already loaded up some stuff ... Make sure you get a complete inventory of everything because if anything's missing, I just want to make sure."

Looking around the room, Murphy added: "All my junk's in here. So I want this, too, in case they try to steal anymore stuff."

Later on, when the group came across Binion's empty safe, Murphy appeared startled.

"The safe's empty," she said. "There's nothing in it. Get a picture of the keys there and the box being opened and the money missing."

Murphy said Binion had $20,000 in the safe prior to his death.

She instructed Knudson to keep taping.

"(Get) the big screen. All the good stuff," she said.

Then she added: "They can sue me all they can. Forget it. I don't want any stealing I want to make sure. I don't trust anybody anymore. I can only trust one person, my old man, and he's not around to protect me anymore. So I've just got to be tough."

Several times during the videotaping Murphy said she knew Brown didn't trust her and that she didn't trust him. She often used foul language.

At one point, Murphy sought permission to take her jewelry and clothes, a couple of handguns and some pieces of art she claimed she had bought.

"Everything in here is mine," she said with the camera turned to her bedroom. "I'm going to take it."

Murphy told Knudson to turn the camera on what she called a piano drawer in the bedroom.

"I've got music in there," she said. "I've got another pistol in there. I bet they forgot about that one because they weren't smart enough to f...ing look. Here you go."

In another part of the house, Murphy steered Knudson to the couple's china.

"This is all very important," she said. "And don't worry, they'll steal anything they can get their hands on."

Surveying the kitchen, she added: "Make sure you get a good view of all this because ... this is what they came to steal."

Later, she found some of her clothes, what she called "expensive $400-$500 suits," thrown carelessly in a laundry bin. She also found another pistol.

"This is my personal property," she said of the weapon. "It was a gift. But I'll leave it so that Jimmy (Brown) doesn't throw a f...ing tantrum."

At the end of the tour, Murphy asked: "Can I take my Teddy bear that says Ted on it at least?

Then she added: "Oh my God. Somebody took my picture of Teddy. That's my favorite. Teddy hates it. Teddy hates that picture."

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