Early Grave : A True Story of Love, Deceit, and Murder in the American Desert

by King, Gary C.

• ISBN13: 9780312979263
• ISBN10: 0312979266
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-15
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Summary

OVERDOSE OR MURDER? On September 17, 1998, police found Las Vegas gambling magnate Ted Binion lying dead on the floor of his palatial home, an empty bottle of Xanax beside him. They'd been called by Binion's live-in lover, Sandra Murphy, 23, a California girl who had been working in a Vegas strip club when Binion had first met her. At first it seemed it was a fatal drug overdose that had killed the handsome multi-millionaire. But was it?A few days later, Binion's "friend" Rick Tabish was arrested for trying to break into a vault where the eccentric millionaire had stored $7 million dollars' worth of silver bars & coins.Family members hired ex-homicide detective turned private investigator Tom Dillard to start digging into the case. Dillard turned over the evidence he collected to Las Vegas police. What they found led to Binion's death being ruled a homicide and Murphy and Tabish's arrest for murder.The state said they were greedy lovers who'd conspired to kill Binion before he could strike Murphy out of a will, while the defense claimed that his vengeful family was trying to railroad her to keep her from inheriting her fair share of the estate. The two sides collided in court, amid lurid charges & counter-charges of physical abuse, drug use and illicit passion, in what became the Southwest's Murder Trial of the Century!AUTHORBIO: For the last twenty years, Gary C. King has been one of America's foremost crime writers. Over 400 of his stories have appeared in crime magazines across the United States, Canada, and England, including True Detective, Official Detective, Inside Detective, Front Page Detective, and Master Detective. He is also the author of five true crime books.Web of Deceit, explores the tangle of sex, greed and cold-blooded murder that surrounded sociopath Michael David Lissy. Driven to Kill, the story of serial child killer Westley Allan Dodd's killing spree, was nominated for an Anthony Award in the Best True Crime Book category at Bouchercon 25. Blood Lust: Portrait of a Serial Sex Killer, details the bizarre case of Dayton Leroy Rogers, Oregon's worst serial killer to date. All were chosen as featured selections of the True Crime Book Club.His fourth true crime, Blind Rage, covered the gruesome case of suspected serial murderer Darren Dee O'Neall.Savage Vengeance, co-written with Don Lasseter, was published in 1996. A full-time writer, Mr. King is an active member of The Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his wife and two daughters.

Author Biography

For the last twenty years, GARY C. KING has been one of America's foremost crime writers. Over 400 of his stories have appeared in crime magazines across the United States, Canada, and England, including True Detective, Official Detective, Inside Detective, Front Page Detective, and Master Detective. He is also the author of five true crime books.

Table of Contents

OVERDOSE OR MURDER?
On September 17, 1998, police found Las Vegas gambling magnate Ted Binion lying dead on the floor of his palatial home, an empty bottle of Xanax beside him. They'd been called by Binion's live-in lover, Sandra Murphy, 23, a California girl who had been working in a Vegas strip club when Binion had first met her. At first it seemed it was a fatal drug overdose that had killed the handsome multi-millionaire. But was it?

A LUST FOR LOOT
A few days later, Binion's "friend" Rick Tabish was arrested for trying to break into a vault where the eccentric millionaire had stored $7 million dollars' worth of silver bars & coins. Family members hired ex-homicide detective turned private investigator Tom Dillard to start digging into the case. Dillard turned over the evidence he collected to Las Vegas police. What they found led to Binion's death being ruled a homicide and Murphy and Tabish's arrest for murder.

LETHAL LOVERS?
The state said they were greedy lovers who'd conspired to kill Binion before he could strike Murphy out of a will, while the defense claimed that his vengeful family was trying to railroad her to keep her from inheriting her fair share of the estate. The two sides collided in court, amid lurid charges & counter-charges of physical abuse, drug use and illicit passion, in what became the Southwest's Murder Trial of the Century!