In the early morning hours of October 17, 1993, a passerby noticed smoke coming from the Corral Club, a bar in Nashville, Tennessee, and alerted emergency services. Inside the establishment, first responders made a grim discovery. The body of the bar's owner, Ronnie Bingham, a 46-year-old white male, was found seated in a chair. It was apparent that a fire had been deliberately set, with a gas can found near his body, though the flames had not spread to the rest of the bar.
Those who knew Bingham described him as a kind and generous person, making the nature of his death all the more shocking to the community.
An autopsy soon revealed that the fire was not the cause of death. Ronnie Bingham had been shot at close range on the left side of his neck with what was determined to be a. 38-caliber handgun. The bullet had not exited his body and was recovered during the examination. Investigators also found Bingham's wallet in the parking lot behind the bar with the money missing, suggesting that robbery was a potential motive for the violent crime. The scene indicated a targeted attack, with the fire likely set in an attempt to destroy any evidence left behind.
The investigation quickly honed in on a man named Tom Steeples, a businessman who was reportedly the last person seen with Bingham at the bar, discussing the potential sale of computer software. A crucial piece of evidence found at the scene was Steeples' own business card. When questioned, Steeples claimed he had left Bingham alive at the club. However, his alibi came under scrutiny when his wife could not fully account for his whereabouts during the estimated time of the murder.
The case against Tom Steeples grew stronger when he was linked to another horrific crime. In March 1994, several months after Bingham's death, a married couple, Robb and Kelli Phillips, were found murdered in a Nashville motel room. Forensic evidence, including DNA, connected Steeples to this double homicide. With the evidence mounting, authorities arrested Steeples and charged him in connection with all three murders. Before he could stand trial for the killings of Ronnie Bingham, Robb Phillips, and Kelli Phillips, Tom Steeples died in jail from a cocaine-induced heart attack on August 10, 1994, in what was described as an assisted suicide.
