In this week's episode, Ashley Willcott reviews the case of Robert Durst, a scion of a wealthy New York real estate family, who became notorious for a series of mysterious disappearances and deaths linked to him over several decades. His first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, vanished in 1982, and while he was suspected, no charges were ever filed. Then, in 2000, his close friend Susan Berman was murdered in her Los Angeles home, shortly before she was scheduled to speak with investigators about Kathleen's disappearance.
The Durst case gained renewed attention with the 2015 HBO documentary "The Jinx," which chronicled his life and alleged crimes. During filming, Durst made several incriminating statements, including a seemingly accidental confession captured on a hot mic: "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course." This, combined with new evidence, led to his arrest in 2015 for Berman's murder.
In 2021, after a lengthy trial, Durst was convicted of first-degree murder in Berman's death and sentenced to life in prison. He died shortly after, while also under indictment for the murder of his first wife. His death brought a close to a decades-long saga that had captivated the public and raised questions about wealth, privilege, and the pursuit of justice.
In this week's breakdown segment, Ashley discusses the case with Philip Dubé.
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