Binion jury in fourth day of deliberations

Monday, May 15, 2000 | 11:20 a.m.

Jurors in the Ted Binion murder trial entered their fourth day of deliberations today after taking the Mother's Day weekend off.

The 12 jurors, nine women and three men, have deliberated nearly 30 hours since getting the case Wednesday.

Binion's girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, and her lover, Rick Tabish, are standing trial on charges of killing the wealthy gambling figure on Sept. 17, 1998, and stealing his valuables.

Both Murphy, a 28-year-old one-time topless dancer, and Tabish, a 35-year-old married Montana contractor, face conspiracy to commit murder and murder charges in Binion's death. They also face burglary and robbery charges in the theft of Binion's property from his Las Vegas home and his $6 million silver fortune in Pahrump.

And Tabish is charged with kidnapping, extortion and assault in the alleged torture of businessman Leo Casey two months before Binion died.

On Friday the jurors requested a VCR and a monitor to view videotapes presented during the six weeks of testimony.

That led to speculation that panel members were focusing on the murder charges.

Two key videos presented by prosecutors involve a tour Murphy gave of the 55-year-old Binion's 2408 Palomino Lane home the day after his death.

On the first video, which is about 20 minutes, observers can view a dramatic change in Murphy's demeanor. Throughout the tour, she's yelling obscenities and pointing out items she says are hers in the house. She even walks through the den where Binion's body was found without showing any grief.

A day earlier at Binion's home, a grief-stricken Murphy had to be taken to the hospital by paramedics. Nurses from the hospital testified that they thought her hysteria was "almost theatrical."

The second tape is in slow motion showing Murphy appearing to take a wine glass from a kitchen counter and slipping it into her purse. Prosecutors alleged that the glass was used to give Binion a lethal cocktail of the prescription sedative Xanax. But defense lawyers said Murphy merely was drinking wine from the glass prior to the videotaped tour of the home.

Prosecutors have alleged that Murphy and Tabish pumped Binion with drugs and suffocated him at his home. Defense lawyers contend Binion committed suicide with a drug overdose.

The jurors have been deliberating from 9 a.m. until as late as 8 p.m. They left about 7 p.m. on Friday.

Jeff German is the Sun's senior investigative reporter. He can be reached at (702) 259-4067 or by e-mail at german@lasvegassun.com.