Real estate agent recounts conversation with Murphy

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Monday, Oct. 25, 2004 | 9:32 a.m.

Sandy Murphy was hysterical on the day Ted Binion died during a call to his real estate agent, according to testimony Friday in the retrial of Murphy and Rick Tabish on murder charges in Binion's death.

Barbara Brown, a real estate agent who had known Binion since 1987, said on Sept. 17, 1998, she called to confirm a meeting she scheduled for the millionaire casino figure for the next day, but never spoke to him.

Brown said instead a "very, very upset" Murphy uncharacteristically answered the phone on the first ring. She said Binion and Murphy always screened phone calls by allowing the answering machine to pick them up before deciding if they wanted to speak to the person.

"I said, 'Hi Sandy. Is Ted there?' " Brown said. "She said, 'No Barbara, he can't talk right now. He's out cold.' She was crying, hysterical, distraught."

Brown said Murphy went on to say there was a "mess in the bathroom to clean up" and that "no one knows what it's like to live with a drug addict." Brown said she volunteered to come over and help her, but Murphy didn't want her or anyone coming to the house.

"She said 'No don't come over here. He'll be upset. He's lost a lot of weight and doesn't want anyone to see him. If you come at all, come alone,' " Brown said.

Brown suggested the two go have lunch to talk about what was bothering Murphy, suggesting they go to a Chinese restaurant close to Binion's home, but Murphy declined saying, "He (Binion) interrogates me every time I go out."

Before she got off the phone Brown let Murphy know Binion had a meeting to discuss purchasing some land. Murphy said she "didn't think he (Binion) would make it. She would try to get him ready."

Brown said roughly two hours later she called twice more, but there was no answer and the answering machine never picked up. She said roughly 10 days before his death, Binion was in "great spirits and anxious to get into something."

In 2000 Murphy and 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.

Kathy Rose, who served as secretary to both Ted and Jack Binion, said Murphy came to her office around 2:30 p.m. on the day Binion's death and had her pulled out of a meeting, telling her she needed Rose to deposit a $150 check from Binion's nephew.

Rose said Murphy had never before come to the office with such a request. She said the rest of their conversation consisted of Murphy telling her unsolicited facts about what she had done the night previous and was going to that afternoon.

"Sandy said she had stayed up all night with Ted because he had gotten a prescription for detox medication and asked her to stay up all night with him," Rose said. "She said he was now asleep and she was going to lunch with an attorney I didn't know."

Roughly 20 minutes later Rose said Murphy called her at the office asking for the phone number of Mike McDowell, a friend of Binion who owns a sport fishing lodge in Alaska, and repeated she was going to lunch.

After Binion's death Rose said she heard from Murphy three times. On Sept. 18, 1998, she said Murphy called asking if she could assist in Binion's funeral arrangements and hours later called again because she couldn't get into Binion's home.

Rose said on Sept. 28, 1998, Murphy called for Jack Binion, saying she had some "rings and clothes" at Binion's ranch in Pahrump she would like to retrieve. Rose said Murphy also said she knew where "Ted had buried something out there and that he (Jack Binion) and her could share it."

Prior to Binion's death, on Sept. 4, 1998, Rose said Binion called her and told her to cancel the $10,000 a month limit credit card he gave to Murphy. Although Rose said Binion had made his request before, this time was different because Binion usually called back immediately or in a few days saying he changed his mind.

Rose said four days after the request she faxed a letter to the bank requesting Murphy's account be closed.

Tom Loveday, Binion's gardener for 14 years, said he noticed some "unusual" things at Binion's home when he went tend to Binion's landscaping the day he died.

Loveday said in the more than 520 times he had worked at Binion's home he had never seen the drapes in the den closed. He also said Murphy's car being parked on the east side of the house, the window to Murphy's bathroom window being open and not seeing Binion's housekeeper were "unusual."

The prosecution is scheduled to continue its case this morning, for the eleventh day of what is expected to be a six- to eight-week trial. The entire trial is being broadcast on Las Vegas ONE, Cox cable channel 19.