Robert Durst: The Killer?
(photo courtesy of HBO)
If you have seen the movie "All Good Things" or the HBO documentary "The Jinx" this story might seem familiar, there are spoilers, obviously. Grab a snack, it's about to get intense.
Robert Durst is a powerful, rich, american real estate heir, who is under investigation for murdering his friend Susan Berman by shooting her in the back of her head. That is not the only curious death revolving around Robert Durst. The prosecutors believe that Susan's murder is connected to the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen, in 1982.
Childhood
Let start this story in the beginning. Durst life turned up side down the day his mother fell from atop of their house on November 8, 1950. Never fully defined as a suicide, it was a turning point for Durst and his mental health. After the incident happened he attended years of therapy to move past the death of his mother. In the television show "The Jinx" he talks about how he witnessed the death. However, his brother has claimed that was false and none of the siblings saw her die.
According to his brother, Douglas, he was an aggressive child. He revealed in an interview with NY times that on multiple occasions his older brother had intentionally harmed him and his siblings.
“We would have constant physical fights,” Douglas said. “We were both about the same height, but he, being about a year and a half older, usually came out on top, until I got to be a little bigger.”
There were younger children in the house, a sister, Wendy, and a brother, Tom.
“He would torture them more than he would torture me,”
Douglas said.
and another chilling quote taken from that interview:
“I was always amazed that he had friends, because from what I saw, I didn’t see how anyone would see him as someone they wanted to be friendly with, obviously, he is someone able to assume various identities as it pleases him.”
Here is a testimony he gave in the case of Morris Black, a man he dismembered,
I can remember it from elementary school," he testified. "I had great, elaborate conversations with myself, wave my hands, and talk out loud. People can hear me 23 feet away."
Durst said people frequently confronted him when he talked to himself because they thought he was speaking to them.
"I have had people confront me and say, 'Well, if you want to say something to me, say something to me' because I will just sort of look straight ahead and people will think I am staring at them and waving my hands and making facial expressions and talking to them"
he testified.
Kathleen McCormick
Robert Durst met Kathleen McCormick in a building that was owned by the Durst's. He would stop by to collect rent from the tenants. He fell in love with Kathleen McCormick, shortly after dating they moved to Vermont to open a health food store. It wasn't very long until they moved back to New York so he could begin working for his family.
Family and friends of them begin to notice the relationship becoming more aggressive after Kathleen got an abortion when faced with the decision between Robert or the fetus. It was said that she wanted children while Robert absolutely refused to be a father, stating, he didn't want to end up like his mother. After this decision, Kathleen began to distant herself from the marriage and began to attend medical school. There was long periods of time where they were not close together. Friends of the couple said he didn't enjoy not having control over her. They fought constantly and divorce was a discussion they had multiple times.
One event recounted by Jim, Kathie’s brother, that was entirely overlooked by the police investigating the case during the time of Kathie’s disappearance:
“It was Christmas, 1980…We were all out at Hyde Park at mom’s house for Christmas dinner. It was evening and we were all sitting around, enjoying a few drinks after the meal. Kathie was sitting at one end of the couch near the fireplace and I was at the other end. Bobby was restless. He kept saying to Kathie that they should get going. But Kathie didn’t move. She was enjoying being with all her family and was in no hurry to leave. Bobby went outside, to warm up the car, but knowing him, no doubt he smoked a joint too. When he came back in, he was carrying her coat which had been thrown on the stairs like the others, and barked at her ‘Let’s go.’ Kathie said, ‘Aw, come on, Bobby, can’t we stay for a little longer?’ He just lost it. He lunged >at her, pulled her up off the couch by her hair, dragged her across the room and they were gone.”
Quickly the dark side of Robert began to show. Their relationship escalated to psychological, financial and physical abuse. Kathleen prepared to file for a divorce. Robert refused to give her anything. She collected evidence against the Durst's family and told her friends that Bob was dangerous, and that if anything happened to her, it was Bob.
She was last seen alive on January 31, 1982. Durst said she had gotten on to a train to get to class for the next day. He did not report his wife missing until February 5, 1982. They suspected Durst but no harden evidence was found, even this creepy to do list wasn't enough.
After the Murder; Susan Berman
This is when Roberts best friend Susan stepped into his life and became his unofficial spokeswoman. She answered questions from the press and Robert retreated into isolation. Friends claimed he seemed detached and always denied involvement. According to Durst, he was drinking, doing drugs, and eating a lot. He would show up to work disheveled, burping, and causing a scene. He told his brother he likes the different reactions he gets. He crossed the line when he pissed in the wastebaskets at work. For obvious reasons he did not get the company when his father passed. He left shortly after living off his families money.
He moved to Trinidad and 'lived like a hermit', he would cross dress, not because he particularly enjoyed it but because he no longer wanted to be Robert Durst. Even claiming he didn't like wearing a wig, it was itchy. He had multiple properties spread around and would travel a lot.
During this time he was still visiting Susan Herman, even giving her two checks amounting to 25k each. In 2000, New York district attorney re-opened the investigation and started to look into Kathleen's disappearance again they were urged to question Susan. She brought it up in conversation with Robert. Weeks before the case re-open was publicized Susan was murdered execution style with a bullet in her head. They received this letter, which would prove important later in the case:
(Courtesy of Daily Mail)
the case went cold, even though Robert Durst was a suspect they couldn't find evidence that was enough to prove it. They did not go after Robert Durst for the Murder of Susan Berman until 2015, following the HBO documentary "The Jinx". We will touch up more on this case later.
Morris Black
On September 28th, 2001, Morris Black was killed by Robert Durst. Morris, 71 at the time, was living in the same house as Robert Durst in Galveston, Texas. He was found chopped up, his head missing, wrapped in black trash bags, floating and washing up in the Texas City Ship Channel. When police caught Robert Durst they found evidence in his car pictured below, photographed by Robert Mihovil:
(Courtesy of NY Daily News)
People claimed they were very good friends. This was another time Robert Durst stole someones identity and pretended to be a woman. Durst claims it was self defense after a heated scenario between the two. He was released on bail and skipped his hearing and became a fugitive. He questioned why they would you give bail to a person on trial for murder. A good question indeed. Luckily he tried his luck at committing another crime, and he was arrested for trying to steal a $5.99 chicken salad sandwich.
He describes, calmly, dismembering the body in this video:
November 11, 2003 to everyone's surprise Durst was found not guilty for the murder of Black. The self defense stuck well with the jury, with lines such as "I didn't kill my best friend, but I did dismember him"and the influence of his diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. Not to mention the 1.8 million dollars payed out to his lawyer. Durst was relieved in the video of him hearing the verdict.
Robert after hearing the verdict of not guilty
The Jinx
The final punch, the evidence they needed, and lies galore. Robert Durst reached out to Andrew Jarecki, the writer of All Good Things. Considered a Docudrama, because of Robert's lying, by Douglas Durst, the interview revealed some terrifying clues that set the investigation into Susan Berman's murder.
During the interview the Jinx producers found a letter to have the same spelling error as the one that was addressed to the "Beverley" Police Department.
(Courtesy of HBO)
When the producers finally were able to get Durst back in to finish the interview, they confronted him about the misspelling and asked if he could different the two with this photo.
(Courtesy of HBO)
He claimed he could not tell the difference. The documentary ended but the mic audio did not. Durst goes into the bathroom and makes a chilling statement.
He is currently in trial for Susan's murder, prosecutors hope they will be able to connect it to the disappearance suspected murder of his wife Kathleen. There has been a couple witnesses coming forth about the case. It's not looking too well for Robert Durst at this point in time.
Do you think Robert Durst is guilty?