Murphy, Tabish jailed in Binion murder case

Friday, June 25, 1999 | 11:27 a.m.

Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish remained in jail today on no bond, as homicide detectives looking to cap a nine-month investigation were rounding up four more suspects on charges related to Ted Binion's murder.

Both Murphy, Binion's 27-year-old girlfriend, and Tabish, her 34-year-old reported lover, are facing murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges. They're also facing robbery, burglary and grand larceny charges in the theft of valuables from Binion's home and the attempted theft of the former gaming executive's silver fortune in Pahrump.

Tabish, a Montana contractor, and two other men -- Steven Lee Wadkins of Las Vegas and John Bradford Joseph of Southern California -- also have been charged with kidnapping, extortion and assault in a scheme to force a business partner to turn over his interests in a Jean sand pit.

Homicide detectives were searching for Wadkins and Bradford today.

Detectives also were looking for David Lee Mattsen of Pahrump and Michael David Milot of Las Vegas in the Sept. 19 attempted theft of $4 million in silver from Binion in Pahrump less than 36 hours after Binion's death.

The execution of the arrest warrants come as a 109-page police affidavit obtained by the Sun detailed an elaborate scheme of greed and betrayal allegedly carried out by Murphy and Tabish in the months leading up to Binion's murder.

The sworn affidavit, signed by homicide detective James Buczek, was used to persuade Justice of the Peace Jennifer Togliatti to issue the arrest warrants Thursday for the six suspects.

Dozens of witnesses were interviewed during the course of the well-publicized investigation that drew national attention. Among those interviewed were Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, who said Binion was in high spirits when she visited his home the day before his murder to receive a $40,000 contribution for her campaign for governor.

Several witnesses who had raised suspicions -- among them his housekeeper who was told by Murphy not to come to work the morning of Binion's death -- had been interviewed by the Sun several months before police were prepared to say Binion had been murdered.

Homicide detectives even interviewed Binion's heroin supplier, who told them Binion smoked the street drug and did not ingest it. Murphy and Tabish were the last two people seen at Binion's 2408 Palomino Lane home before his death.

Binion's body was discovered on the floor of his home next to an empty bottle of the prescription sedative, Xanax. Clark County Coroner Ron Flud concluded he died of lethal doses of heroin and Xanax. Large amounts of both drugs were found in his stomach, leading Flud to declare his death a homicide on March 15.

Buczek's affidavit, meanwhile, provides new evidence showing the financial motives that both Murphy and Tabish had to carry out the alleged murder plot that began as early as April 1998. It also documents the couple's secret romantic relationship that included trysts at posh Beverly Hills hotels before Binion's death. Tabish, a two-time convicted felon, comes from a prominent family in Missoula, Mont. He is married with two children.

Central to the murder plot, the affidavit alleged, is a scheme by Tabish, Wadkins and Joseph through brutal force to persuade business partner Leo Casey to turn over his interests in equipment at the Jean sand pit.

Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger, who has been spearheading the homicide investigation, said Tabish needed $500,000 to buy into the business and that provided a motive for him to kill Binion and steal his assets.

Buczek said Tabish and Wadkins met Casey at the sand pit, where they immobilized Casey with thumb-cuffs and proceeded to torture him.

"While Casey was still restrained by the thumb-cuffs, Wadkins stuck a gun in Casey's mouth and threatened Casey," Buczek said in his affidavit. "At another point, Wadkins inserted a knife under Casey fingernails. Tabish repeatedly struck Casey about the face and body with a yellow page phone book.

"During the hour-long torture session, Tabish and Wadkins threatened to kill Casey if Casey did not sign a confession saying he embezzled money and equipment, and transfer Casey's ownership interest in the equipment to John Joseph."

Buczek said Casey agreed to sign the documents after Tabish and Wadkins dug a hole and dragged Casey to the edge and threatened to bury him in it.

With a gun pointed to his head, Casey was driven back to Las Vegas, where the thumb-cuffs were removed. He later was escorted to a local law office to sign the documents.

Afterwards, Buczek said, Tabish and Wadkins warned Casey not to meddle in their business and told him to leave town.

The affidavit also detailed numerous financial problems Tabish and his contracting and transportation businesses were having.

"Rick Tabish was in poor financial condition prior to Ted Binion's death," Buczek said.

The companies were having cash-flow problems, bouncing payroll checks and acquiring huge monthly bank fees for writing bad checks, Buczek said. The IRS also had levied liens against the companies for $337,884 in unpaid employee withholding taxes.

Both Murphy, who was piling up $5,100-a-month credit card bills on Binion in the months before he died, and Tabish were setting up alibis for themselves, telling friends and acquaintances that Binion was sick and on the verge of overdosing on drugs, Buczek said.

Detectives, Buczek said, found the book, "Lovers, Killers, Husbands and Wives," in Murphy's closet during a search of Binion's home after his death.