It is no secret that the famous real-estate heir, Robert Durst, has been charged once again for a first degree murder of Susan Berman back in 2000. During the murder trial fifteen years ago, Durst denied murdering Berman but a surveillance microphone attached to his shirt caught him saying the spine chilling words “There it is. You’re caught!” while he was alone in the restroom. Those few yet powerful words were enough to raise more speculation against Durst. Not only is that murder coming into the spotlight once again, now more questions have arisen for Durst regarding the disappearance of his wife Kathie McCormack.
On Monday March 16th, 2015, Los Angeles prosecutors decided to file a first-degree charge against Robert Durst for the murder of Susan Berman which could ultimately trigger the death penalty for him. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kerry Lawrence, a defense attorney, claimed that Durst’s lawyers “will have to try to explain away his comments, perhaps dismissing them as a joke.” To give some background information, Susan Berman was a trusted confidant and the woman that Durst was allegedly having an affair with when things became toxic in his marriage with Kathie.
Robert Durst was also part of a HBO documentary titled “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” which was based primarily on the murders he committed. The finale of this haunting documentary raised even more questions for the murderer. At some point during the last episode, Durst was reported to have said the words “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course” while he was alone in the restroom, which his attorney does not view as suspicious; he sees these words as mere entertainment and nothing more. Dick DeGuerin, his attorney, told reporters that he was “worried that the warrant that was issued in California was issued because of a television show and not because of facts” and went on to say that he believes Durst did not commit those capital crimes despite the evidence presented against Durst.
Back in 2000 after he became a suspected individual, Durst fled to Texas and took on a new identity; a mute woman. He did this in order to hide from prosecutors; another extreme action that was viewed as highly suspicious. Jeanine Pirro, an individual who was determined to crack the case of Durst, reopened the case and hoped to find new information about Durst and Kathie that could lead her to close the case once and for all. According to CBS News, Ellen Strauss, a close friend of Kathie, stated that Berman was murdered by Durst because “she knew too much” since she had reportedly helped him murder Kathie. Strauss goes on to say that “once that story broke about the case re-opening, I think Bob (Durst) was just trying to mop up all the loose ends” so he decided to kill her before she could reveal everything that she knew.
Soon after he committed the murder in 2000, there was another murder brought into the spotlight; the bloody murder of Morris Black in 2001. Black was a neighbor of Durst and according to Durst the murder was accidental; he found Black sitting in his living room with gun and when he tried taking it from him he accidentally shot and killed Black. What made this ‘accidental’ murder even more suspicious however, was the fact that Durst decided to dispose of the body himself, panicking. Surprisingly enough, Durst was found not guilty for this murder; a decision that shocked many individuals due to the vast amount of evidence against Durst. According to the Los Angeles Times, DeGuerin stated “we want to get to California and start what already will be a lengthy process of discovery and disclosures” which makes this case all the more interesting. Robert Durst and his history of murders is one that has not failed to make headlines as of recently and the mystery surrounding them has made them even more intriguing for those who are testifying against him.