Real estate agent recalls ‘disturbing’ phone conversation with Murphy

Thursday, July 29, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

New details of a chilling telephone conversation between Ted Binion's real estate agent and his girlfriend the day he was murdered are disclosed in court documents obtained by the Sun.

The agent, Barbara Brown, discussed the conversation, which took place at 12:15 p.m. on Sept. 17, in a taped interview with private detective Tom Dillard six days after Binion's slaying. The Sun has obtained a 27-page transcript of the interview.

Dillard, investigating Binion's death for his $30 million estate, and homicide detectives believe the former casino executive already was dead by the time Brown telephoned his home and talked to his girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, who nine months later was charged with his murder.

Chief Medical Examiner Lary Simms has concluded Binion most likely died between 5:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sept. 17.

A hysterical Murphy, who lived with Binion, telephoned police at 3:55 p.m. to report discovering his body. An autopsy report obtained by the Sun shows he died after receiving lethal doses of heroin and the prescription sedative Xanax.

At 12:15 p.m., when Brown called Binion's 2408 Palomino Lane home, she encountered an emotionally upset Murphy.

Brown said Murphy told her that Binion was out cold and had obtained a "prescription from some doctor" the day before.

"She said 'nobody understands what it has been like living with a drug addict.' " Brown said. "And she was quite hysterical with, you know, a crying and very distraught sound."

Brown quoted Murphy as saying: "I got this mess to clean up in this bathroom."

The real estate agent, who was calling to confirm a 1 p.m. luncheon appointment with Binion the next day, said she offered to come over to the house. But Murphy, she said, replied: "No. He doesn't want anybody to come over here, Barbara. He lost so much weight and doesn't want anybody to see him."

Brown said she found that strange because she had talked to Binion earlier in the week about his efforts to buy a piece of property, and he seemed in good spirits.

When Brown pressed Murphy about coming over or maybe going to lunch to talk, Murphy declined the invitation, saying she gets "interrogated" every time she goes out.

Murphy, Brown said, told her to call that night to confirm whether Binion could make their appointment the next day.

Police believe Binion's killers staged his death scene by the time they arrived at his home on Sept. 17 to tend to his body.

Brown told Dillard that she was "stunned" and confused over her conversation with Murphy.

"It was really a disturbing phone call," she said.

Prosecutors are expected to call Brown to the witness stand at the Aug. 16 preliminary hearing for Murphy and her co-defendant, Rick Tabish.

Tabish, a 34-year-old Montana contractor, has previously said he and Murphy went to lunch together about 12:30 p.m. on the day of Binion's death.

Meanwhile, Brown said she talked to Binion's sister, Horseshoe Club owner Becky Behnen, at the viewing of his body several days later.

She said she told Behnen that it didn't appear to her that he had lost any weight, as Murphy had claimed.

Behnen, one of the first to suspect foul play in her brother's death, then told Brown to go back and look at his wrists.

Upon her return visit to the body, Brown said, she saw two red rings around the wrists, and she also saw a quarter-sized puncture wound on his right hand.

The autopsy report said there were fresh bruises and other injuries on Binion's body at the time of his death, suggesting that he may have been in a struggle and that his body was moved before police arrived at his home.

Brown told Dillard she got the impression from her contact with Murphy that she was obsessed with money and material things.

She said Murphy also hated Binion's 19-year-old daughter, Bonnie, the chief heir to his estate.

Earlier this year, Bonnie Binion told Dillard that Murphy once had threatened to shoot both her and her father.