Binion estate filing seeks to bill convicted lovers

Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2000 | 10:42 a.m.

Convicted murderers Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish should foot the bill for Ted Binion's funeral, attorneys for the estate of the former casino executive contend.

The murder convictions established the lovers are liable for the wrongful death of Binion and therefore should pay funeral expenses totaling $10,992, estate attorneys say.

The request is one of several Clark County District Judge Michael Cherry is scheduled to consider at a Nov. 27 hearing.

Tabish's civil attorney, Robert Murdock, calls the estate's decision to pursue several actions arising from the September 1998 death of Binion illogical because neither Tabish nor Murphy has any money to pay for any judgment obtained by the estate or Binion's daughter, Bonnie.

Estate attorneys in court documents said the judgments of conviction filed in September are sufficient to establish civil liability on the part of Murphy and Tabish.

Should the judge agree, a trial could be scheduled in which jurors would determine what damages should be awarded.

The Nevada Supreme Court in October ruled that Murphy is not eligible to inherit anything from the estate of Binion, who she lived with for more than three years.

Prosecutors during the trial contended that Binion was suffocated at his Las Vegas home after he was forced to ingest potentially lethal amounts of heroin and the prescribed sedative Xanax.

In May, jurors convicted Murphy and Tabish and sentenced them to life in prison with possibility of parole in 20 years on their first-degree murder convictions. In September, District Judge Joseph Bonaventure sentenced the pair on related charges and added two years to Murphy's sentence and five years to Tabish's.

Several civil matters arising from Binion's death had been placed on hold pending resolution of the criminal case. Cherry is presiding over all the civil cases.

Among the issues the judge will consider Nov. 27 is a request by Bonnie Binion's attorney that asks the judge to resolve the issue of liability in the wrongful death lawsuit she brought against Murphy and Tabish.