Seven share Binion reward

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

The seven people sharing the $100,000 reward in the Ted Binion murder case were key witnesses during the trial.

The reward, paid by Binion's $55 million estate, was split among the seven recipients who played essential roles in helping authorities convict Binion's girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, and her lover, Rick Tabish, of killing the wealthy gambling figure in September 1998.

Four people receiving $20,000 each are:

Binion's housekeeper, Mary Montoya Gascoigne, received $10,000 from the estate. She provided detectives with a wealth of information about Binion's last days alive and testified that Murphy had told her the morning of his death not to come to work.

Another key witness, Binion's gardener, Thomas Loveday, was given $5,000. Loveday was mowing Binion's lawn when authorities believe Binion was killed inside his home. Loveday testified about several strange occurrences at the home that morning.

Christopher Hendrick, a salesman at the Gianni Versace store at the Forum Shops at Caesars, also received $5,000. He testified that Murphy told him two weeks before Binion's death that she had a new boyfriend.

Murphy and Tabish, who were convicted in May, are behind bars in the Nevada prison system.