Bingaman enters not-guilty plea in strangulation death of his wife

By Matt Pordum

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

A man accused of strangling his wife to death and then dumping the body in a garbage can pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

Craig Bingaman, 26, is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 27 before District Judge Nancy Saitta for the murder of his wife, Tiffany Bingaman, 23. Craig Bingaman is being represented by Deputy Public Defender Howard Brooks.

Bingaman surrendered to police after a three-day manhunt that included an Amber Alert being issued. Bingaman had the couple's 5-year-old son, Donovan.

Bingaman initially had planned to take his son to Mexico, but after having second thoughts he returned to Las Vegas, police said. He later turned himself in at the Country Inn at Blue Diamond and Industrial roads.

Donovan Bingaman now lives with his maternal grandmother, police said.

During Bingaman's preliminary hearing, Metro Detective Robert Whiteley, a friend of Bingaman, testified that Bingaman called him immediately after the death of his wife.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Chrysanthis said that Bingaman told Whiteley everything that happened concerning the killing.