Opening statements Friday morning in Binion murder case

Thursday, March 30, 2000 | 10:45 a.m.

After 18 months of legal wrangling and three days of jury selection, prosecutors and defense attorneys plan to present opening statements Friday in the high-profile Ted Binion murder trial.

A jury of nine women and three men was selected Tuesday to hear the case, which has gained international attention. The trial is expected to take six to eight weeks.

Six alternate jurors were selected Wednesday.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure released jurors until Friday morning to them time to take care of personal business.

Jury selection began Monday and was expected to take as long as two weeks, with Bonaventure and attorneys prepared to question as many as 300 panelists. But the selection process went faster than expected.

Binion's girlfriend, Sandra Murphy, 28, and Missoula, Mont., contractor Rick Tabish, 35, are charged with killing Binion on Sept. 17, 1998, and stealing his valuables. Both are being held without bail.

Prosecutors contend Binion was pumped full of heroin and the anti-depressant prescription drug Xanax, then was suffocated. They claim Murphy and Tabish plotted to kill Binion, a member of a well-known casino family, after learning she was being cut out of the Binion will.

Defense attorneys agree Binion died of an overdose of the drugs, but they contend the death was either a suicide or accidental. Binion had lost his gambling license because of heroin use and associations with an organized crime figure.

Both sides have well-known forensics experts to back up their theories.

Prosecutors said they plan to call at least 110 witnesses.

Defense attorneys have not ruled out calling Murphy, Tabish and some family members to the witness stand when they present their case.