Witness: Murphy predicted drug OD

Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004 | 10:59 a.m.

A week before Ted Binion's death, his live-in girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, was "bubbly and upbeat" as she predicted he would die from a drug overdose in three weeks, Murphy's former manicurist testified Wednesday.

Deena Perry testified that Murphy allegedly predicted the death of the millionaire casino figure while Perry gave her a manicure and pedicure over the course of five to six hours in a private room at the Neiman Marcus salon on Sept. 10, 1998.

Perry said she and Murphy hit it off because they were both dealing with difficult relationships.

Perry said Murphy told her Binion was "old, rich, (and) a drug addict who used heroin and Xanax." Perry said Murphy told her their relationship was rocky, and Perry said she told Murphy she understood because she was going through a divorce. Perry said she advised Murphy to "leave the relationship," and Murphy's response was "I'm going to hang in there."

Perry said Murphy first told her if she left Binion she "would get nothing" and later told her that because of a co-habitation agreement Murphy would receive $100,000 and a car if the couple split up.

If Binion died, however, Perry said Murphy told her she would receive "$3 million, a house, car and a jewelry store in Oregon."

Although Perry said Murphy initially said she didn't like it when Binion's drug dealer came over the house she "didn't care if he showed up now because Ted (Binion) was going to overdose."

Murphy also told Perry of a boyfriend named Richard who was "good looking, young, married and rich." Perry said Murphy told her that Binion had silver buried in the desert and after Binion's drug overdose Murphy's boyfriend and his friends "were going to dig it up."

Perry said Murphy asked a friend that accompanied her to the salon whether it would be "too soon after Binion's death" to take "Richard" to the grand opening of the Bellagio and another social event.

In 2000 Murphy and Richard "Rick" Tabish were convicted of murder in connection to Binion's Sept. 17, 1998, death and were sentenced to life in prison, but the Nevada Supreme Court later overturned the convictions. Defense attorneys contend that Binion died of a drug overdose.

In court Wednesday, Tabish's attorney, Joseph Caramagno, asked Perry if it was a pursuit of justice or just greed that prompted her to come forward with her allegations about Murphy.

Perry received $20,000 as a reward for information from the Binion estate at the conclusion of the first trial, a fact Caramagno focused on for roughly an hour, as he referred to her "so-called voluntary statement."

He pointed out the $20,000 reward was almost as much as the $25,000 to $30,000 Perry was then making annually as a manicurist.

Caramagno asked Perry if she really believed that Murphy was going to kill Binion why she didn't contact the authorities.

"You had Ted Binion's life in your hands, you could have saved him," Caramagno said.

Perry conceded that maybe she "should have" contacted the authorities immediately, but she didn't take Murphy's comments seriously at the time. She also said if she had contacted the authorities sooner she "might have" gotten more of a reward.

Perry said she didn't find out Binion was dead until Sept. 24 when she saw it reported on the television news. She didn't contact authorities until Oct. 21, which Caramagno pointed out was the same day that newspapers reported that a reward had been posted for information that led to the arrest and conviction of Tabish and Murphy.

Perry said she didn't contact the police originally because Binion's death was first "reported as a drug overdose; when it was said to be a murder, I did" come forward.

Perry said she didn't know about the reward until a colleague told her about it on the same day she first spoke with detectives investigating the case.

Perry said if she had a choice about testifying or not, she wouldn't have, but because she was required to testify she was "interested in the reward." Caramagno and Murphy's attorney, Michael Cristalli, asked Perry, who is now a bartender, if it was true she had told bar patrons "I'm the one who brought down Murphy." Perry said she never made such a statement.

Perry acknowledged that prior to her testimony at the preliminary hearing and at the first trial she did ask to be placed on the list of those eligible for reward money.

Georgia Gastone, a colleague of Perry at the Neiman Marcus salon in 1998, said after Murphy left the salon on Sept. 10, 1998, Perry told her of the encounter and said "You won't believe this, but Sandy (Murphy) said Ted (Binion) was going to die of an overdose in three weeks."

Gastone said she remembered Perry telling her "Sandy (Murphy) said Ted (Binion) was worth more dead than alive." Gastone said when she learned of Binion's death she was "shocked" and she checked the salon's appointment book to see when Murphy had last been at the salon.

Caramagno and Cristalli both pointed out that Gastone, during her testimony at the first trial and in her statements to police, had never previously brought up the alleged statement about Binion being worth more dead.

Cristalli asked why this information was coming out for the first time and if she had been paid for her testimony in court on Wednesday.

She said she was not being paid and she said she had not brought it up before because no one had previously prompted it with a question, but Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lalli later showed that Gastone was asked the question by authorities during her voluntary statement.

Gastone also testified that she was working at the salon when Murphy came to have her hair done in preparation for the opening of the Bellagio on Oct. 14, 1998. Gastone said Murphy was "upset about going to the opening because the Binion family would be there." She said Murphy didn't "appear to be upset about Ted Binion's death," but was upset about having been removed from Binion's home because she wanted her belongings.

Earlier Wednesday, Michael Barger a hairstylist in Tabish's native Missoula, Mont., testified that Kurt Gratzer, a former friend of Tabish who alleges Tabish was plotting Binion's death, shared the information with Barger prior to Binion's death.

Barger said Gratzer told him he was serving as "head of security for Tabish" and said, "I have to get away from this guy (Tabish). He wants me to kill someone in Las Vegas over some money."

Under a lengthy cross-examination by Tabish's attorney, J. Tony Serra -- a line of questioning that Barger said left his "head spinning" -- Barger was unable to specifically identify the date on which Gratzer made the statements, but Barger said he was certain it was before Binion's death.

Also on Wednesday, the testimony of Larry Stockett was read aloud into the record after the prosecution and defense stipulated he was unavailable to testify.

Stockett testified during the first trial that he tried to buy MRT Transport, a trucking company owned by Tabish days before Binion's death, but allegedly ended his friendship with Tabish after learning of his relationship with Murphy.

Stockett is unavailable because he is currently being held in Costa Rica awaiting extradition on federal criminal fraud charges in Las Vegas. Stockett's arrest was triggered by an August criminal indictment issued by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas relating to an alleged $1.2 million stock market scheme.

The prosecution is expected to continue its case this morning.