Columnist Jeff German: Murphy is that same old girl

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003 | 10:50 a.m.

When he ordered Sandy Murphy released on $250,000 bail Monday, District Judge Joseph Bonaventure said he was hoping it would signal a "fresh start" in the biggest murder case of all time in Las Vegas.

"I'm hoping the last four years in prison has changed Ms. Murphy's cavalier attitude," the judge said.

But even as Bonaventure spoke those words, Murphy was demonstrating that, despite her new conservative look and improved demeanor in court, she really hasn't changed at all. She still showed signs of that attitude.

As we've seen from the evidence previously presented in this case, Murphy had that attitude when she predicted her boyfriend, casino owner Ted Binion, would die three weeks before his Sept. 17, 1998, death.

She had it when she led a videotaped tour of Binion's home the day after his death, callously pointing out her material possessions.

And she had it when she repeatedly violated the conditions of house arrest after she was taken into custody on charges of killing Binion.

As Monday's televised hearing came to a close, it appeared that Bonaventure had made up his mind before the courtroom arguments.

But Murphy almost blew it when she told the judge (to the apparent surprise of her lawyers) that she had lined up a local "residence" and wanted to commute between Las Vegas and her parents' home in Downey, Calif.

The plan was that Murphy would be released to live with her parents and wouldn't be hanging around Las Vegas, but that wasn't the impression she was giving the judge.

None of that mattered to Bonaventure, however. He ordered bail for Murphy over the strenuous objections of prosecutors, who consider her a flight risk.

Could this be the decision of a judge who has been rebuked by the Nevada Supreme Court for not giving Murphy and her co-defendant, Rick Tabish, a fair trial the first time around?

As he recessed the hearing, Murphy, in another presumptuous comment, said someone, probably an associate of her wealthy benefactor, 80-something mining executive William Fuller, was on the way to the bank to withdraw the money to bail her out.

Several hours later, after she posted bail in near record time and left the Clark County Detention Center, she was whisked into a black Mercedes with the silver-haired Fuller and her parents in front of a crowd of reporters and cameramen.

During the hearing Dick DeGuerin, Murphy's new lead counsel from Houston, told Bonaventure that her time behind bars was a "big dose of humility."

Time will tell if that's true, but so far, it doesn't look like it. So far this looks like the same old Murphy, which definitely makes Bonaventure's decision puzzling.

Even more puzzling is Bonaventure didn't put any major restrictions on Murphy other than to order her to surrender her passport and stay away from witnesses outside the presence of her team of lawyers.

Last time at least Murphy had to follow strict house arrest rules. This time she's almost free as a bird.

Not bad for a girl with an attitude.