Crime News Insider

A dangerous trend is happening across the country called street takeovers, where numerous cars block an intersection and perform dangerous stunts. Police in Bristol, Connecticut said they have seen a rise in takeovers, and recently in Los Angeles, California witnesses said 2 women died after fleeing from a street takeover.  And it's happening in San Diego, too. According to an NBC report, the San Diego Police Department has identified 172 people or vehicles that were involved in these street takeovers.

San Diego Police Sgt. John Ampol joins the podcast to discuss the dangers and consequences of street takeovers.

Laws on the Books Quiz: 2 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake? 

A. In Nevada, it’s illegal to ride a camel on the highway.

B. In Alabama, it’s illegal to ride a motorcycle without wearing shoes.

C. In Vermont, it’s illegal to ride a snowmobile on a highway.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

In April, an investigative report from the North Carolina State Auditor states a North Carolina charter school falsified student records and misused school funding, to the tune of $400K. Earlier this year a man in Minnesota was charged with misspending $30M dollars in federal funding for meals for children, spending it instead on luxury cars and lakefront properties. Other charter school scandals have been reported throughout the country. 

San Diego Deputy DA Leon Schorr joins the podcast to discuss the A3 Charter School Fraud case. Deputy DA Schorr led the prosecution team that uncovered a scheme that defrauded California of $400M. After a year of investigation, thousands of pages of discovery, and the testimony of 70 witnesses, a San Diego grand jury returned a 235-page indictment. The prosecution team secured numerous convictions, recovered $230M in stolen funds, and imposed a $37M fine against the main two fraudsters.

Quiz: 2 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake? 

A. Charles Ponzi, convicted of mail fraud in 1920, schemed his investors by promising them a 50% return in 45 days if they invested in his business of buying and selling postal reply coupons.

B. The phrase “If you believe that, then I've got a bridge to sell you” comes from the crimes of George C. Parker, who in the late 1800s was convicted of fraud after duping customers by selling them the Brooklyn Bridge.

C. The term “con man” comes from “confidence man”, a term attributed to Frank Murphy who was convicted of fraud in 1929 after selling fake stocks outside the New York Stock Exchange. 

Please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to the podcast. Thank you for listening!

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

On May 24, 2022, an 18-year-old fatally shot 19 students and 2 teachers, and wounded seventeen other people, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, United States. Earlier in the day, he shot his grandmother in the forehead at home, severely wounding her.

There have been 119 school shootings since 2018, in which 88 people have died and 229 people were injured, according to Education Week.

San Diego is no stranger to school shootings. From the San Diego Union Tribune:

"In January 1979, a 16-year-old killed the principal and a custodian and injured nine others at the now-closed Cleveland Elementary School in the Lake Murray neighborhood. In August 1996, a master’s degree student shot and killed three San Diego State University professors on campus. In March 2001, there were two shootings: one in which a 15-year-old killed two students and injured 13 others at Santana High School in Santee, and another in which an 18-year-old injured five at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon."

And finally in 2010, 41 y.o. Brendan Liam O’Rourke entered Kelly Elementary School and shot at several children, striking two 2nd graders who fortunately survived after they were life flighted to a hospital. O’Rourke was charged with seven counts of attempted murder and seven counts of assault with a gun and prosecuted by our current District Attorney and guest, Summer Stephan.

Our hearts go out to the Uvalde community as they try to recover from this horrific tragedy. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

DUI fatalities have spiked in San Diego County. 2021 marked the most fatal DUI crashes in two decades. Our county typically averages around 15-20 DUI fatalities annually, but 2021 saw more than 37 DUI fatalities. The average blood alcohol content (BAC) of someone arrested for DUI was .18%. Summer Stephan announced a half-million dollar grant from the Office of Traffic and Safety that is used to combat this growing problem.

Guest Bio: Cally Bright has been a Deputy District Attorney at the San Diego DA’s Office for over 20 years. Seven years ago, she started up our DUI Homicide Unit, and as the head of the unit, she is responsible for prosecuting DUI Homicides and Vehicular Manslaughter cases.She has taught for numerous organizations and institutions, including California Western School of Law and the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina. Cally has received numerous awards, including the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.’s) Prosecutor of the Year for San Diego County in 2010, the MADD Prosecutor of the Year for the State of California in 2014,  and the MADD Pursuit of Justice Award in 2018

Laws on the Books Quiz: 2 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake?

A. In Wisconsin, the state can forfeit your car after your second DUI conviction.

B. In Utah, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .05% or higher, making it the state with the lowest threshold for DUIs in the United States.

C. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets the legal limit for piloting a plane at .04% or higher.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Deputy DA Scott Pirrello joins the podcast to discuss his fight against elder abuse.

Background: The Wall Street Journal recently reported a surge in elder abuse cases, stoked by the pandemic. “Elder Abuse Spreads, Stoked by the Pandemic.” 

In Pittsburgh, 2 people were initially arrested for elder abuse for neglecting the care of a 76 year old woman, and used the woman’s money for their personal use and admitted to not bathing her possibly for years. A third person also in charge of caring for her was arrested the next day on December 23, 2021.

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, as of 2018 there were 52.4 million adults 65 and over in the United States. For the first time, in 2034, it is anticipated that older Americans will outnumber children. Global estimates from a recent meta-analysis reflect that one in six elders, or 15.7%, in the community experienced past year abuse.

Bio: Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello is the Head of Elder Abuse Prosecutions for the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and has been a prosecutor for 16 years. Since 2009, Scott has been assigned to the Family Protection Division prosecuting Elder Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse cases.  Scott now focuses exclusively on prosecuting all varieties of Elder Abuse including physical, financial, sexual, and neglect cases.  Scott is an expert in Elder Abuse enforcement, prosecution, and on the multi-disciplinary team approach to Elder Abuse prevention. 

Check out his Op-Ed in the San Diego Union Tribune, entitled "We need more than education to stop elder scams. We need law enforcement."

Laws on the Books Quiz: 3 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake?

A. In Japan, the country with the oldest population, elder abuse laws prohibit caregivers from committing psychological abuse, including negative or injurious speech.

B. In Niger, the country with the youngest population, it’s illegal to import an elder from another country in order to collect the government’s elder caregiver benefits.

C. In the United States, in 1986, the “Gray Panthers” successfully lobbied Congress to prohibit employers from imposing a mandatory retirement at the age of 70.

D. In China, it’s illegal to neglect or snub elderly parents.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

We review podcast stats, quiz stats, provide an update on cases, and discuss crime news we didn't get to cover. We also play some of our funniest moments from this year and some outtakes. Thanks for listening and have a happy new year!

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

A Best Buy in Minneapolis, a Louis Vuitton store in Chicago, and a Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, CA were all struck recently by organized retail theft.  But even before these high-profile thefts in the news, some cities have been plagued by constant theft. Wal-Greens in San Francisco had to close 5 stores due to rampant and brazen shoplifting. A Safeway in SF’s Castro neighborhood previously was open 24 hours a day, but will now operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m due to the relentless shoplifting.

In San Diego, it’s been a problem as well. A couple years ago, a 7-Eleven reported constant shoplifting, noting that the thieves would come in and steal something every day. Even before the pandemic, in California we’ve seen an uptick in theft after the passage of Prop 47, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Bio: Anna Winn was hired as a Deputy District Attorney in the previous century.  She prosecuted various types of crimes for years until she found THE coolest people to work with. Of course that means bank investigators, financial crimes detectives, and anyone who knows that “ORCA” is not a whale. For the past 10 years, Anna has been assigned to the San Diego Regional Fraud Task Force, prosecuting cases from both local and federal law enforcement officers.  Anna’s caseload includes defendants committing identity theft, manufacturing counterfeit money, and embezzling more than $100,000. To spice up her caseload, Anna also prosecutes rings of thieves who (wrongly) think they can take whatever they want from retail stores without penalty.

Laws on the Books: Each week we end the episode on a light note and look at the laws on the books and do a quiz. 3 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake?

A. In Florida, it’s illegal to steal the manure from a commercially registered animal of the bovine class.

B. In Delaware, it’s illegal for a pawnbroker to take or receive as a pledge any artificial limb.

C. In New Jersey, felony theft is set at $200 or greater, which is the lowest threshold for felony theft in the United States. 

D. In Colville, Washington, the mayor is authorized to issue one reward in the amount of $150 to anyone who furnishes information that leads to the identification and conviction of person who has stolen municipal property. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

San Diego County is the 5th most populous county in the United States, and the second most populous county in California. The City of San Diego is, by many measures, one of the safest major cities in the United States. The San Diego DA’s office is the second largest DA’s office in California and has 1,000 employees.

Bio: Summer Stephan was the first DA in San Diego to rise through the ranks as a prosecutor to become the elected DA.  As a trial prosecutor, she tried more than 100 jury trials, including cases of complex homicides, sexually-violent predators, child molestation, sexual assaults, school shooting, and human trafficking-related cases. She served as Chief of the DA’s North County Branch and Chief of the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division, a special victims unit she pioneered, and an area of the law where she is a national leader, named a “Modern Day Abolitionist” and received numerous awards. 

Summer served on the Governor’s Task Force for High-Risk Sex Offenders and Sexually-Violent Predators. She spearheaded the innovative “Know the Price” campaign, which focused on reducing sexual assaults on college campuses. She also led the award-winning “The Ugly Truth” human trafficking awareness campaign as well as the “San Diego Opioid Project,” aimed at reducing opioid overdoses. Summer led a coordinated effort to protect the community from targeted mass violence with a School Threats Task Force that implemented a unified protocol with all 42 school districts in San Diego County. In addition, she began an effective Veterans Treatment model in North County inspired by a heroic Marine Corps veteran.

In June of 2018, San Diego County voters overwhelmingly elected Summer as District Attorney, a career prosecutor who has devoted her life to protecting children and families, and providing justice to the most vulnerable.

Show: DA Stephan talks about human trafficking, the prosecution of the Kelly Elementary School shooter, domestic violence, the opening of the North County Family Justice Center, the new Elder Justice Center, and much more. 

Laws on the Books: Each week we end the episode on a light note and look at the laws on the books and do a quiz. 2 are real, 1 is fake; can you guess which one is the fake?

1. In North Carolina, it’s illegal to have a bingo game last more than 5 hours.
2. In South Carolina, it’s illegal to operate a dance hall within a quarter of a mile of a church.
3. In Severance, Colorado, it’s illegal to throw snowballs.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys John Lewin, Habib Balian, Ethan Milius, Euguene Miyata, and Rob Britton join the podcast and discuss the prosecution of Robert Durst. In this episode, the prosecutors discuss organizing discovery, preparing clips for cross examination, how they decided who would do opening and closing argument, whether they could prove the case without the cadaver note, changing Durst's catheter bag, what surprised them during Durst's testimony, and who would play John Lewin if they made a movie about this case. 

The trial of Susan Berman's murder lasted over 4 months, had over 100 witness, had over 180,000 pages of discovery, and over 1,000 clips from interviews and trial footage that were presented to the jury in an organized and seamless way. Durst was tried and convicted of 1st degree murder on September 17, 2021 for the murder of Susan Berman, and the jury agreed Durst killed her because she was a witness in the disappearance of Kathie Durst who Durst allegedly killed in 1982. Durst was sentenced to life without parole on October 14, 2021. 

Facts:

Kathie Durst mysteriously disappears on January 31, 1982. One of the last people to hear from her was the dean of Albert Einstein Medical School, where Kathie allegedly called in sick and said she wasn’t going to be able to attend her rotation. In November 2000, it becomes public that the police reopened the investigation into Kathie Durst’s disappearance. On December 24, 2000, a woman named Susan Berman is found murdered execution style in her home in Los Angeles. Who was Susan Berman? A close friend of Robert Durst and the daughter of a mobster. She was also someone who told others that she in fact placed the call to the dean of the med school and pretended to be Kathie, thus creating an alibi for Robert Durst. The police later receive a note postmarked December 23, 2000, saying there was a “cadaver” at Susan’s address in Beverly Hills, except “Beverly” is misspelled as “Beverley.” 

On October 9, 2001, body parts of a person named Morris Black are found floating in Galveston Bay, Texas. Durst is arrested that day but posts bail and skips his hearing, only to be arrested a month later for shoplifting a sandwich. Durst is acquitted of murder on a claim of self-defense, even though Durst admitted to dismembering Morris Black after Black was shot and killed during a struggle with Durst. 

A movie called “All Good Things” starring Ryan Gosling is released and is essentially a rendition of the crimes by Durst. After seeing the movie, Durst reaches out to the makers of the film and sings them praise, saying it’s essentially accurate. The makers of that film make The Jinx: The LIfe and Deaths of Robert Durst in 2015, where Durst sits down for an interview that lasted 20 hours over the course of several years. During the filming of The Jinx, the makers confront Durst with the writing of “Beverley” on the cadaver note and comparing it to a letter that Durst himself wrote to Susan Berman in the past (known as the "Sareb letter" after her son Sareb found the letter). It’s written the same way and Beverley is misspelled the same way. At the end of the documentary, Durst is caught on a hot mic and says “There it is. You’re caught. What did you do? Killed them all of course.”

On March 14, 2015, Durst is arrested in New Orleans and had a loaded .38 caliber revolver with one spent shell casing, 5 ounces of marijuana, $42K in cash, his passport, maps of Louisiana, Florida, and Cuba, and a flesh toned latex map. Police later discovered an additional $117K in cash sent by a friend. Durst eventually pled guilty to a federal firearm charge and then was extradited to California to face charges of the murder of Susan Berman.

Laws on the Books:

Each episode we look at the laws on the books. 3 are real, 1 is fake. Can you guess which one is the fake?

A. In New York, it is illegal to commit adultery.

B. In Galveston, Texas, it is illegal to bury a body except in a cemetery.

C. In Beverly Hills, it is illegal for a person to discover a body or acquire the first knowledge of the death of a person and fail to report it.

D. In Louisiana, it’s illegal to wear a facial disguise calculated to conceal one’s identity (except during specified activities such as Halloween, Mardi Gras, etc.). 

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys John Lewin, Habib Balian, Ethan Milius, Euguene Miyata, and Rob Britton join the podcast and discuss the prosecution of Robert Durst. In this episode, the prosecutors discuss investigating the case, interviewing Durst, preparing for trial, and catching a fabrication by Durst while he was on the witness stand.  (Spoiler alert: there is a reference to the movie The Usual Suspects.)

The trial of Susan Berman's murder lasted over 4 months, had over 100 witness, had over 180,000 pages of discovery, and over 1,000 clips from interviews and trial footage that were presented to the jury in an organized and seamless way. Durst was tried and convicted of 1st degree murder on September 17, 2021 for the murder of Susan Berman, and the jury agreed Durst killed her because she was a witness in the disappearance of Kathie Durst who Durst allegedly killed in 1982. Durst was sentenced to life without parole on October 14, 2021. 

Facts:

Kathie Durst mysteriously disappears on January 31, 1982. One of the last people to hear from her was the dean of Albert Einstein Medical School, where Kathie allegedly called in sick and said she wasn’t going to be able to attend her rotation. In November 2000, it becomes public that the police reopened the investigation into Kathie Durst’s disappearance. On December 24, 2000, a woman named Susan Berman is found murdered execution style in her home in Los Angeles. Who was Susan Berman? A close friend of Robert Durst and the daughter of a mobster. She was also someone who told others that she in fact placed the call to the dean of the med school and pretended to be Kathie, thus creating an alibi for Robert Durst. The police later receive a note postmarked December 23, 2000, saying there was a “cadaver” at Susan’s address in Beverly Hills, except “Beverly” is misspelled as “Beverley.” 

On October 9, 2001, body parts of a person named Morris Black are found floating in Galveston Bay, Texas. Durst is arrested that day but posts bail and skips his hearing, only to be arrested a month later for shoplifting a sandwich. Durst is acquitted of murder on a claim of self-defense, even though Durst admitted to dismembering Morris Black after Black was shot and killed during a struggle with Durst. 

A movie called “All Good Things” starring Ryan Gosling is released and is essentially a rendition of the crimes by Durst. After seeing the movie, Durst reaches out to the makers of the film and sings them praise, saying it’s essentially accurate. The makers of that film make The Jinx: The LIfe and Deaths of Robert Durst in 2015, where Durst sits down for an interview that lasted 20 hours over the course of several years. During the filming of The Jinx, the makers confront Durst with the writing of “Beverley” on the cadaver note and comparing it to a letter that Durst himself wrote to Susan Berman in the past (known as the "Sareb letter" after her son Sareb found the letter). It’s written the same way and Beverley is misspelled the same way. At the end of the documentary, Durst is caught on a hot mic and says “There it is. You’re caught. What did you do? Killed them all of course.”

On March 14, 2015, Durst is arrested in New Orleans and had a loaded .38 caliber revolver with one spent shell casing, 5 ounces of marijuana, $42K in cash, his passport, maps of Louisiana, Florida, and Cuba, and a flesh toned latex map. Police later discovered an additional $117K in cash sent by a friend. Durst eventually pled guilty to a federal firearm charge and then was extradited to California to face charges of the murder of Susan Berman.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney. 

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 10 Criminal Law Podcasts!

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are solely of the speakers and do not reflect the views of the Deputy DA's Association nor the District Attorney.

Questions and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

Featured in the Top 100 San Diego Podcasts

Featured in the Top 20 Criminal Law Podcasts

Website: https://sdddaa.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoDDAs/

Twitter: @CrimeNewsInsidr, @SanDiegoDDAs

Instagram: @sandiegoddas

Music by: The Only Ocean - "Snake"

Image by: Pixabay user Michael Gaida.