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An English poker champion was extradited to the US state of Colorado this week. He faces murder charges for the slaying of his wife in 1997.
According to the Denver ABC News affiliate, Marcus Bebb-Jones and his wife, Sabrina Bebb-Jones, owned the Hotel Melrose in Grand Junction when she was reported missing by hotel workers.
Bebb-Jones had told authorities at the time that his wife left the state with their then three-year-old son following a domestic dispute.
Days after Sabrina Bebb-Jones vanished, the couple's young son was found alone in a Las Vegas motel room. The following day, Marcus Bebb-Jones attempted to commit suicide by shooting a gun into his mouth.
Authorities believe that Bebb-Jones murdered his wife, dumped her body in a rural field, then headed to Las Vegas where he ran up credit cards in the thousands. It would be nearly 7 years until Sabrina’s skull was found by a rancher.
Though he was arrested in 2009, Great Britain only agreed to extradite Bebb-Jones on the condition that prosecutors would not seek a death sentence.
Bebb-Jones has had three first place finishes in live poker tournaments, including the 2007 Grosvenor Grand Prix No Limit Hold'em, where he won nearly $169,000.
- Patrick Flanagan, Gambling911.com
