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Ted Binion's September 1998 death from an apparent overdose was nothing short of a spectacle and something out of the story books. The case is about a wealthy businessman and casino tycoon who his girlfriend and her lover seemingly betray. It is about the inheritance, his wealth, buried silver in the desert worth millions, and a will.
Over the months after Ted's death, investigators accumulated evidence that suggested the involvement of his then-girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, and her lover Rick Tabish. Both were arrested nearly a year later, in June 1999, and convicted of murder the following year. They were handed respective lengthy prison sentences.
Surprisingly, Sandy and Rick's convictions were overturned three years later. This was followed by a re-trial when they were found not guilty and acquitted of all charges in November 2004, leading to an immediate release from prison.
This article will explore a detailed timeline of events before and after Ted Binion's death ahead of NBC Dateline's upcoming episode titled What Happened in Vegas, which is slated to air on the channel this Friday, August 11, 2023, at 9:00 pm ET.
An official synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:
"A chance encounter on the Pacific Coast Highway with a woman he first spoke to in a jail cell leads Keith Morrison to reexamine the mysterious death of Las Vegas casino magnate Ted Binion."
Ted Binion's 1998 death: A detailed timeline covering events before and after the casino magnate's tragic death
According to reports, Ted Binion first met Sandy Murphy in 1994 at a Las Vegas strip club called Cheetahs and immediately hit it off. They started dating while Ted, the owner of Binion's Horseshoe Casino and a millionaire. He was still married to his estranged wife, with whom he shared a daughter, Bonnie Binion. Not long after, Sandy moved in with Ted.
In 1996, the Nevada Gaming Control Board revoked his license to hold any authority over the management of his casino following rumors of excessive drug use. In the years that followed, he got heavily involved in drugs, including marijuana, Xanax, and a type of heroin that he usually smoked. He continued to live in depression.
On September 17, 1998, Sandy Murphy made a frantic 911 call, informing the dispatcher that Ted wasn't breathing. First responders and paramedics found the 55-year-old dead in his upscale Palomino Lane residence. Next to his body was a bottle of Xanax, and foam was coming out of his mouth. His death was initially declared an overdose.
The night before the incident, Ted reportedly called his attorney and long-term friend James Brown, asking him to "take Sandy out of the will… If she doesn’t kill me if I’m dead, you’ll know what happened," as per Oxygen.
The outlet reported that Sandy had previously convinced Ted to include her as a beneficiary in his will, as part of which she was to receive his Palomino Lane residence and $300,000. The millionaire's remaining estate was to go to his daughter, Bonnie.
One day after Ted Binion's death, Sandy Murphy returned to the house to collect her belongings while her lawyer recorded what she took. In this video, she was seen removing a wine glass from the crime scene, which detectives believe was possibly used to deliver a fatal cocktail to Ted, which he consumed and died.
On September 19, 1998, 33-year-old construction worker Rick Tabish was caught digging Ted's hidden vault, where silver bars worth millions were buried, in the Mohave desert of Pahrump, Nevada.
Detectives then learn about Sandy and Rick's affair. The lovers met through Ted and would often go on romantic getaways. One such instance was shortly after Ted's tragic death when they traveled to a hotel in Beverly Hills.
In December 1998, the district attorney's office took the case to a grand jury, theorizing that Ted took Sandy out of his will after learning of her affair with Rick. This could have been the murder motive.
A few months later, the coroner reclassified Ted Binion's manner of death as a homicide. This was followed by Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish's arrest in June 1999. Both were charged with first-degree murder.
The duo stood trial in late March 2000 and were found guilty of first-degree murder on May 19. Rick was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, while Sandy was handed 20 years to life in prison.
Three years later, in 2003, Rick and Sandy's convictions were overturned following an appeal, leading to a re-trial in the following year. On November 23, 2004, they were both found not guilty of Ted's murder and were released from prison that same day.
Ted Binion's 1998 case is set to air on NBC Dateline's new episode on Friday at 9 pm ET.
