Binion was trying to get Murphy out of his life, lawyer says

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1999 | 11:31 a.m.

Ted Binion was taking steps to remove Sandy Murphy, his girlfriend and accused killer, from his life before he was murdered, one of his lawyers has told an investigator.

"I was convinced she wasn't going to be there much longer," Thomas Standish said in a June 19 interview with private detective Tom Dillard, who is investigating Binion's Sept. 17, 1998, slaying for his $50 million estate.

Standish, who handled Binion's 1997 divorce from his wife, Doris, provided new insight into the stormy relationship between the wealthy gambling figure and the woman he had met at a topless nightclub as his marriage was crumbling.

In a 74-page statement obtained by the Sun, Standish described the 27-year-old Murphy as a bad influence on the former Horseshoe Club executive.

"She just sort of planted herself in Ted's life," Standish said. "She was a spoiled, immature greedy young lady."

Murphy, he said, was determined to marry Binion and gain access to his millions.

Standish, who spent a lot of time with Binion the last two years of his life, said the relationship between Binion and Murphy often would get "violent and crazy."

"I told Ted many, many times that she was a psycho," he said.

At one point, he added, there was an "ugly" period of months in which Binion pressured a pregnant Murphy to get an abortion.

Binion frequently told Standish he wanted "to get rid" of Murphy, but could never "pull the trigger," the lawyer said.

"Sandra could be very sweet," he said. "Sandra took care of Ted in many ways."

But toward the end, Binion made it clear to Standish that he was looking to kick her out of his house.

Standish said he had previously encouraged Binion to break up with Murphy and even drew up a cohabitation agreement she eventually signed that only left her money from a stock deal and a black Mercedes Binion had bought for her.

Murphy caused headaches for Binion during his bitter divorce, often referring to herself in public as Sandy Binion, Standish told Dillard.

She also created trouble for Binion during his epic battle with gaming regulators over his heroin use and ties to organized crime figures, he said.

Murphy, Standish said, considered the late Chicago underworld figure Herbie Blitzstein her best friend.

Binion's dealings with Blitzstein, who was murdered gangland style in January 1997, ultimately cost him his gaming license, which was revoked in March 1998, six months before his murder.

Murphy and her reported lover, 34-year-old Rick Tabish, have been charged with killing Binion and stealing his valuables. Police believe the casino man's killers pumped him with drugs and suffocated him at his 2408 Palomino Lane home.

Binion's relationship with Murphy was marked by much paranoia, Standish said.

Murphy, he said, controlled tape recorders attached to phone lines in the house from her bedroom and often would listen in on Binion's conversations.

Standish recalled a time when Murphy was present when Tabish and a friend, Kyle Washington, came to Binion's home to persuade Binion to invest $10 million in a "risky" business venture.

He said he could tell by the way the two men were talking that they had become very close to Murphy.

On that day, Standish said, Binion looked bad, apparently suffering from heroin withdrawal.

Standish said he tried to stay away from Binion's house while Binion was using heroin.

Shortly before Binion's death, Murphy came to Standish to tell him how upset she was that her boyfriend was hooked on heroin again and how it was straining their relationship.

Standish said he "almost felt sorry" for Murphy.

About the same time, Standish said, he participated in discussions with Binion, Tabish and Murphy in which Binion indicated he was thinking about having someone remove his silver fortune from an underground vault in Pahrump in case of his death.

Binion was worried that someone might try to kill him and take everything he owned, Standish said.

Standish said he told Binion it was a "stupid" idea to make such arrangements and persuaded him to call Nye County Sheriff Wade Lieseke and inform him about the vault.

He said he was amazed when learned that Tabish and two other men were arrested in Pahrump for digging up the silver on Sept. 19, 1998.

Standish recalled specifically advising Binion, Tabish and Murphy that the last thing they wanted was to have someone get the silver after Binion's death without notifying the proper authorities.

"That was the dumbest thing I ever heard of," he said he told the trio.

Tabish has contended that he went to Pahrump to retrieve the silver at Binion's request.

But Standish said he was present when Binion telephoned Lieseke, told him where the vault was, and asked him to keep an eye on it.

Both Tabish and Murphy are charged with trying to steal the silver, which the estate has estimated is worth between $4 million and $5 million

Defense lawyers had subpoenaed Standish to testify at last month's preliminary hearing for Tabish and Murphy, but decided at the last minute not to call him to the witness stand.