Berman was killed long after DNA was discovered so Durst probably would not have written a letter that might identify him . He may be a killer but he isn't dumb
1
It does not make sense that Durst would write a letter to the police to tell them there was a body at the house in benedict Canyon . If someone has killed someone why would they expose themselves to criminal prosecution for the crime by writing a letter that could identify him by handwriting analysis, finger prints, palm prints or some other method that might be developed in the future ?
Was he just being nice? Killers aren't nice
Was he just being nice? Killers aren't nice
In interviews , Durst has strange facial and eye twitches and strange facial expressions which are typical of people who have used antidepressants . Antidepressants also interfere with a person's ability to control their impulses and increase the chance that someone will commit a violent act or commit suicide.
Apparently according to Douglas Durst in the article published 1/1. Robert Durst owned a series of 7 Alaskan Mallamutes that all died under strange circumstances. His brother thinks he might of been practicing for the murder of Kathy. Another reason to keep a watchful eye out for animal abusers. We might be able to identify sociopathic behavior before that individual kills a human being.
20
For those interested. Douglas Durst recently commented for the first time on his brother in this article on 1/1/2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/02/nyregion/series-on-troubled-scion-of-d...
7
I'm not a psychiatrist but it appears to me that Bob Durst might be suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. From what I've read this is not uncommon among children who have suffered a trauma, as he did with his mother's suicide when he was seven (whether he really did witness her jumping or not). Durst frequently talks about himself in the third person and seems disconnected from his own self. He seems to want to be anything but a Durst - anything but the rich heir that he is. He lived as a deaf and mute woman in Texas. He wanted to be a hippie, back-to-the-land Vermonter. In this vein it is quite possible that he really does not believe that he killed anyone. That would explain why he is able to talk so matter of factly about chopping up his friend's body. There is him, and then there is the other him. Not to mention that he admits to doing lots of drugs and drinking, which can also bring on "out of body" perception and alter feelings about oneself.
16
Durst practices "truthiness". The truth is what he feels. I assumed he was guilty when he invented the story of having a drink with his neighbor & speaking to his wife when she got back to Manhattan. Imagine lying to the police & saying it was just so they would leave him alone. Classic sociopath.
17
Who conducted the initial investigation into Berman's murder?
The LAPD or Beverly Hills PD must have had access to this envelope, which shows Durst's name and return address in the upper left-hand corner, when they conducted the initial investigation. They must have had this in hand when they acted on the tip about the body, the note written in the same distinct handwriting!
The LAPD or Beverly Hills PD must have had access to this envelope, which shows Durst's name and return address in the upper left-hand corner, when they conducted the initial investigation. They must have had this in hand when they acted on the tip about the body, the note written in the same distinct handwriting!
3
In episode 5 is where the letter from Durst to Berman was found by her stepson Kaufman in some boxes of her stuff. He called the producer and they compared the address on that letter's envelope to the "cadaver" note (forget how they got a copy of that). The address was written in the same block letters and Beverly was misspelled in both cases as Beverley.
2
I wonder if the filmmakers have hired body guards. They're going to be at the top of Bobby's new kill list.
11
Sareb should have shown this letter to the police before he showed it to the filmmakers. Durst can easily defend this by saying that Sareb and the filmmakers doctored the envelope/letter to create a better story. "I never wrote that, that's not even my letter." I think it is a little suspicious that this letter was just now discovered while they're making this documentary.
7
This "case" is about the killing of three people. It seems curious, perhaps creepy, that this documentary film has elicited so many "amateur" detectives and television scenarios.
What's going on?
Revenge? Justice? Enquiries? Entertainment? Investigation Journalism?
How about the ever popular "closure"?
The whole matter seems somewhat amusing for Robert Durst.
What's going on?
Revenge? Justice? Enquiries? Entertainment? Investigation Journalism?
How about the ever popular "closure"?
The whole matter seems somewhat amusing for Robert Durst.
1
Shades of Drew Peterson, except Peterson is in prison. He was snagged when Illinois passed a special law just for him ("Drew's Law") allowing hearsay evidence into trial under special circumstances.
3
This case reminds me of the murderer T Cullen Davis in Fort Worth in the early 70's. Like Durst, Davis could afford the best attorney money could buy and was acquitted when it was well known he was a murderer. His lawyer was the famous Richard "Racehorse" Hanes.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/how-cullen-davis-beat-rap
You really can't make this stuff up.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/how-cullen-davis-beat-rap
You really can't make this stuff up.
7
In "Jinx" - Chapter Five, I couldn't tell if Sareb was crying because of the discovery that Durst was most likely the killer of his step-mother, or because he was scared he might be next. If Durst truely did murder all three of his victims because he felt trapped and paranoid by how they might hurt him, then he is a seriously scary dude.
3
This article about a new investigation could be bait to get Durst to attempt another murder.
I wonder if he and Kathy Durst had a prenuptial agreement?
And what's the deal with the last wife? She seems as strange as he is.
And what's the deal with the last wife? She seems as strange as he is.
15
There is definitely something strange about Debra. What is with that sinister smile?
6
Even without a prenup, Durst got his money from inheritance so Kathy would not have a claim to it
1
This reminds me of Robert H. Richards IV—heir to the du Pont family fortune—who was convicted of raping his three your old daughter and served no jail time for the crime. The judge said he wouldn't fare well in prison.
16
I have a vague memory of the original newspaper story of Susan Berman's death. She was the daughter of someone famous or infamous. Can anyone refresh my memory. So sad for her remaining family and friends.
She was the daughter of a famous (infamous?) Las Vegas mob boss. In the series, they refer to several books that tied him to Bugsy Siegel and other notorious crime bosses.
1
I believe her father was a notorious Las Vegas mobster. As I recall, she had no idea he was "connected" while she was growing up.
2
Am I the only one who thought it was weird when they asked Robert Durst at one point what he thought they were looking for when they sent divers into the lake off his house in Soug Salem and he replied "well I guess body parts or something like that".
"Body parts" plural?
I would think that anyone else would reply "a body?" A BODY. Who would say "body parts?"
Yet his dismemberment of Morris Black indicates, to me, that he dismembered Kathy Durst as well before getting rid of her. Seems like a pretty self-indicting slip of the tongue to me.
"Body parts" plural?
I would think that anyone else would reply "a body?" A BODY. Who would say "body parts?"
Yet his dismemberment of Morris Black indicates, to me, that he dismembered Kathy Durst as well before getting rid of her. Seems like a pretty self-indicting slip of the tongue to me.
33
What a dumb comment. Body parts: two hands, two feet, some arms, legs. You know: body parts.
2
If there is anything to body language, the top most photo speaks volumes.
22
If Lizzie Borden could hatchet her parents to death on a Sunday morning, and get away with it, why would anyone have faith in the police?
When the Green River killer picked up a prostitute near Sea-Tac airport, the woman's (Vietnamese) father, out looking for her, saw her get into the killer's pickup truck. He searched the area, saw the truck in a driveway, and returned with the police. The killer told the police he'd merely given her a ride somewhere, and they said, "Sorry to have bothered you." The woman, likely still alive, was right inside the house. He killed many more women in the years afterward.
It was the same with John Wayne Gacy. Des Plaines (IL) police being turned away with some feeble excuse from Gacy as the bodies piled up, and the house began to smell. Since he was a clown at neighborhood birthday parties, and had posed for a photo with First Lady Rosalyn Carter, he was above suspicion.
When Ed Kemper killed 2 female students at UC Santa Cruz, separately, on campus, the police waved him thru the roadblock because his mother's car had a "UC employee" sticker on its front bumper. The 2 dead girls were on the back floor of the car. He later beheaded his mother, and her best friend hours later. He then turned himself in while on the run in Utah. He began his serial killer career as a teen, when he killed both grandparents. You can't make this stuff up.
The FBI reports that there are way over 25 serial killers on the loose at any one time.
When the Green River killer picked up a prostitute near Sea-Tac airport, the woman's (Vietnamese) father, out looking for her, saw her get into the killer's pickup truck. He searched the area, saw the truck in a driveway, and returned with the police. The killer told the police he'd merely given her a ride somewhere, and they said, "Sorry to have bothered you." The woman, likely still alive, was right inside the house. He killed many more women in the years afterward.
It was the same with John Wayne Gacy. Des Plaines (IL) police being turned away with some feeble excuse from Gacy as the bodies piled up, and the house began to smell. Since he was a clown at neighborhood birthday parties, and had posed for a photo with First Lady Rosalyn Carter, he was above suspicion.
When Ed Kemper killed 2 female students at UC Santa Cruz, separately, on campus, the police waved him thru the roadblock because his mother's car had a "UC employee" sticker on its front bumper. The 2 dead girls were on the back floor of the car. He later beheaded his mother, and her best friend hours later. He then turned himself in while on the run in Utah. He began his serial killer career as a teen, when he killed both grandparents. You can't make this stuff up.
The FBI reports that there are way over 25 serial killers on the loose at any one time.
34
You left out Jeffrey Dahmer whose victim a young boy ran screaming out of his house only to be returned to him by the police after JD made up some story so he could then drill a hole in the young child's head and pour acid in it.
11
Unless Lizzie Borden had the best lawyers money can buy her case is not parallel to Durst's crime of dismembering Morris Black.
The police in Galveston did an excellent job making the case against Durst. But Durst was able to counter with the best, most expensive criminal defense lawyers available and they were able to bamboozle the jury.
It's the police work by both the NY and LA departments that were woefully inadequate, if not downright pathetic.
The police in Galveston did an excellent job making the case against Durst. But Durst was able to counter with the best, most expensive criminal defense lawyers available and they were able to bamboozle the jury.
It's the police work by both the NY and LA departments that were woefully inadequate, if not downright pathetic.
13
I think Lizzie Borden did have good lawyers, including a former Governor of Massachussetts. But the case against her was not very strong, and was badly handled by the police. She may or may not have been the killer. In any case, she was acquitted.
1
His family is terrified of him, anyone else close to him should be too.
24
His family seems complicit in their silence.
7
As "Law and Order: CI's" Deakins would say, playing chicken with a triple (?) murderer isn't exactly the smart play. :p Whatever he's got on his family must be an empire-killer.
5
The last time a Durst case was reopened the person with the most information was found dead. Investigators should compile a list of people who are thought to know information, (shared to the police all ready or not) and set up surveillance. If the accusations are true than Durst has a habit of killing those who hold his secrets and he will eventually show up.
22
Durst paid millions to Dick DeGuerin, Mike Ramsey and their associates during the Galveston trial. What ever happened to attorney/client privilege? None of these lawyers should have participated in the HBO production. In the alternative, they should have convinced Durst not to participate as well. They are all past their prime and should retire or better yet ... be disbarred. Thankfully, Durst has the money to sue all of them for breach of fiduciary duty, gross negligence, and the abandonment of attorney / client privilege.
4
He had the best defense money could buy, but the jokers on the jury are totally responsible for allowing this murderer go. I'm not sure his attorneys should retire- they still are out there defending those who can afford them. I'm sure Durst has given them all the right permissions to tell his story- and probably paid them to tell it. This man is totally in love with himself and seems gleefully happy to share his lies.
14
He's getting old and lonely maybe and needs some attention. yikes
5
Just because his lawyers were able to bamboozle a jury doesn't mean they are not morally culpable for their actions, which they are. And everyone knows that.
7
A girl I grew up with got married in the 70s and had a son. Her son turned out to be a pathological liar. They tried everything --- therapy, grounding him, taking away toys -- and nothing worked. He would lie when it was actually more convenient to tell the truth. He made up his lies on the spot and they were usually believable if you didn't know him. The therapists said there was nothing anyone could do. There is no cure. Douglas Durst has said that his brother is broken -- or that there is something broken inside of his brother that can't be fixed -- and he is right. Robert is like my neighbor's son, who grew up to be in trouble with the law because there are no more psychiatric hospitals.
I'll bet Bobby told the family a tall tale about Kathy, the same way he told a tall tale about Morris Black to the Texas jury. There was an argument, Kathy fell and hit her head, Bobby panicked and got rid of the body. The deed is done, please help me. I bet the family deeply regrets having believed him, because they have to live with the result -- a killer who can show up anywhere at anytime, and who knows them very well. He knows where they live; he knows where the children/grandchildren go to school. Someone helped him get away with his first crime and the whole family has been doomed to dread his presence for 40 years.
I'll bet Bobby told the family a tall tale about Kathy, the same way he told a tall tale about Morris Black to the Texas jury. There was an argument, Kathy fell and hit her head, Bobby panicked and got rid of the body. The deed is done, please help me. I bet the family deeply regrets having believed him, because they have to live with the result -- a killer who can show up anywhere at anytime, and who knows them very well. He knows where they live; he knows where the children/grandchildren go to school. Someone helped him get away with his first crime and the whole family has been doomed to dread his presence for 40 years.
57
".... there are no more psychiatric hospitals." ? The long-term psychiatric hospitals where people were warehoused for decades may have been emptied, but there were and still are short-term psychiatric hospitals. (Not enough but that's another story.) At any rate, long-term or short-term, I believe that just like the therapist of your friend's child, psychiatric hospitals would be equally at a loss at how to deal with a sociopath.
7
Are you even watching this show? The Jinx implies that Susan Berman was the one who helped "Bobby" with the cover up and that she had "helpful ties" to the mafia.
4
A long term facility could contain him. And his family could afford a private one. Had he ever been convicted of murder, it would have been an option.
2
Watching the documentary, the most astonishing part of this saga is the Durst family's sociopathic incommunicado treatment of Kathie's family.
42
Robert Durst approached me on the beach in Galveston presenting himself to be an escort named Rudy and offering his services-
He followed me to my B&B and then called. I reported this to the police and filed a report. I was told then that there a many missing women in Galveston but it is kept silent-
This was in 2001.
He followed me to my B&B and then called. I reported this to the police and filed a report. I was told then that there a many missing women in Galveston but it is kept silent-
This was in 2001.
35
It's well-known that a serial killer -- Interstate 35 I think -- has been dumping bodies for years in that section of Texas.
11
Those cases have absolutely nothing to do with Durst! He killed his wife in a fit of uncontrollable rage because she, a 4th yr med student, was trying to divorce. Kathy Durst was an abused wife who was killed for the same reason most abused wives are killed--Because she was trying to leave him! Then Durst went on to murder both Berman and Black because they were on the verge of exposing him. That's not the pattern or mindset of a serial killer.
13
She wanted a large divorce settlement
I have no idea what is true and what is not. I believe in people and I believe in my own abilities of discernment to determine whether or not I think someone has been broken or devastated, standing many layers removed. I don’t know the man or his siblings but do believe that hearsay keeps us further from the truth than any horrendously bold faced lie ever could.
How each child will experience the same tragedy’s occurrence or speaks of it is rarely the same. It’s all about survival. Some need safety in numbers to make it, others feel strong enough to stand alone, some need a perfect father figure to make it, some need a sinister father to blame. We see what we need in order to get through.
What I think I know is that they all went into survival mode especially the older kids.
I can imagine the oldest male of any family feeling as though, my father held me up and I saw my mommy plummet to her death because he could envision it, while the youngest would have felt more protected, unaware even and say, we went to our neighbors and had milk and cookies and...
I could be way off base. I don’t have a problem with that in this situation. What I do know, however, is that the more open I remain, the closer I will eventually come to the truth of the matter and in the meantime I have no choice but to wait and see.
How each child will experience the same tragedy’s occurrence or speaks of it is rarely the same. It’s all about survival. Some need safety in numbers to make it, others feel strong enough to stand alone, some need a perfect father figure to make it, some need a sinister father to blame. We see what we need in order to get through.
What I think I know is that they all went into survival mode especially the older kids.
I can imagine the oldest male of any family feeling as though, my father held me up and I saw my mommy plummet to her death because he could envision it, while the youngest would have felt more protected, unaware even and say, we went to our neighbors and had milk and cookies and...
I could be way off base. I don’t have a problem with that in this situation. What I do know, however, is that the more open I remain, the closer I will eventually come to the truth of the matter and in the meantime I have no choice but to wait and see.
3
The hope is they get him on the LA murder, and when he's in jail for life, he'll confess to the Kathy's murder. Perhaps this will give her friends and family closure.
What a monstrous human being.
What a monstrous human being.
25
His family doesn't sound particularly nice, either--they're enabling a monster.
11
Watching the series with my son, we both noticed the same thing: that Durst has black eyes, just like Charles Manson.
7
Timing of Berman murder in LA on 12/23 and Durst return flight from SF to NY on that same day makes for a busy day but leaves him enough time for the murder. Even if he did not do it himself, which I very much doubt, he certainly could have hired someone to do the deed. But that does not seem like his modus operandi -- he prefers to take care of business himself.
5
I seem to remember at the time of Kathie's disappearance pilot/aviation log books being found in Robert's apartment with a flight path over New Jersey. Am I correct? Any info about that? Also, a sighting the following week of her disappearance at a delicatessen in Manhattan.
1
That's another case, in which the murdering husband had a pilot's license, and his own plane.
2
You seem to be thinking of Manhattan plastic surgeon Robert Bierenbaum, who killed his wife and dumped her body out of his airplane into the Atlantic. He was convicted of her murder. In a Law & Order episode based on the case, the doctor had his girlfriend wear his wife's clothes and a wig and visit a deli to create the illusion that she was still alive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/25/nyregion/surgeon-convicted-of-murderin...
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/25/nyregion/surgeon-convicted-of-murderin...
14
Thank you both, I was wondering why nothing was said about that.
2
I agree, Just because he wrote the note, doesn't mean he killed her. He could have discovered the body, He did say he was going to visit her over the holiday if I recall properly. She was his friend. He knew the police wanted to question her about his wife's disappearance and what Bob may have told her regarding such. it would look odd if "he" was the one to discover the body. But that newly discovered envelope with the handwriting extremely similar-misspelling and all- to that of the cadaver note must be explained. #ijs
4
As the hand-written list of her creditors showed, she'd already extorted $50,000 from Bobby. She got greedy, and had stopped paying her rent, and was living in squalor, with not even a rug to cover the cement floor. Connect the dots.
6
A woman called in sick to Kathie's medical school claiming to be her, but investigators have long believed that Kathie was already dead at the time the call was made. That phone call led police to incorrectly assume that Kathie had disappeared from the couple's NYC apartment rather than from their home in Westchester, misdirecting the investigation and giving Robert an alibi. Police believe that Durst's friend Berman was the woman who made that call. She obtained a lot of money from Durst afterwards. A failed would-be writer for years after publishing a memoir about her experiences as the daughter of a Las Vegas mobster, Berman had told people she was planning to write another nonfiction book. This would have been of concern to Durst and possibly a motive for him to murder her.
13
""Just because he wrote the note doesn't mean he killed her""
Oh yeah, that poor Bobby. He has such rotten luck. Everywhere he goes people wind up dead and he's afraid he'll get blamed for it. Happens to lots of people, right? Just because his wife wanted a divorce, went to a friend's house very upset and then disappeared forever after going home to Bob doesn't mean he killed her. Just because Bob dismembered and threw Morris Black into the bay doesn't mean he deliberately murdered him. Just because Susan Berman got $50,000 from Bobby and she wound up dead when Bobby was visiting California and just because Bobby "happened to discover the body" and wrote a letter to police telling them where to find her body doesn't mean he killed her.
Stuff like that happens to me all the time.
Oh yeah, that poor Bobby. He has such rotten luck. Everywhere he goes people wind up dead and he's afraid he'll get blamed for it. Happens to lots of people, right? Just because his wife wanted a divorce, went to a friend's house very upset and then disappeared forever after going home to Bob doesn't mean he killed her. Just because Bob dismembered and threw Morris Black into the bay doesn't mean he deliberately murdered him. Just because Susan Berman got $50,000 from Bobby and she wound up dead when Bobby was visiting California and just because Bobby "happened to discover the body" and wrote a letter to police telling them where to find her body doesn't mean he killed her.
Stuff like that happens to me all the time.
23
Mr. Durst is proof positive of our two types of justice - one for the very rich and a different one for the rest of us. I personally know the lawyers that Mr. Durst hired for the Galveston case (even was a juror in a case defended by Mr. Ramsey, one of the lawyers). They are some of the best that money can buy in these parts of the country and anyone who knows them was not surprised that the Galveston jury acquitted Mr. Durst. It was his word against Mr. Black's and the latter wasn't alive to tell his side. And so woodshedded by expensive trial experts and expensive lawyers, Mr. Durst could tell the jury whatever he needed to say to raise reasonable doubt. No doubt, his lawyers conducted mock trials and put him through many practices to sound convincing. Money can buy all that and more in the legal process. It's a fascinating story of a clearly damaged individual but what's more fascinating in my mind is Mr. Durst's enablers. The folks who have shielded and protected him and bailed him out his entire life so that he hasn't had to pay for any of his actions. His family and Ms. Berman herself. Seems they had and have not an ounce of compassion for Kathy Durst's family. Her brother's appearance on the documentary was really affecting but her mother's appearance was heartbreaking. I believe in karma and really hope that it comes back to hit Mr. Durst where it hurts. Even if in another life.
79
A not guilty man who supposedly killed in self-defense would't with the best.legal representatives of a guy (and where was the head?) Cuts someone up like Dester. This is a strange lunatic and death seems too close to him. It really soundls like he has gotten away from murder.
6
He's gotten away with 3 murders!
5
My wife & I met Durst at a small dinner party back in the late 80's.
He impressed us as a very creepy fellow indeed.
He verbally abused his date throughout the evening ( she didn't deserve it)
and insulted my grilled salmon, saying it was overcooked (it was).
After he left our hostess told us about the alleged wife murder thing.
We weren't surprised.
He impressed us as a very creepy fellow indeed.
He verbally abused his date throughout the evening ( she didn't deserve it)
and insulted my grilled salmon, saying it was overcooked (it was).
After he left our hostess told us about the alleged wife murder thing.
We weren't surprised.
22
So a rude, abrasive alleged murder seemed like a good dinner guest to this person?
15
..Your hostess must have been really hard up for dinner guests..I always invite suspected murderers to my dinner parties..doesn't everyone?
18
It's well-known that the most dangerous time for a live-in spouse, married or not, is when she lets the man know she is leaving him. Kathy was boozed up that night and likely humiliated timorous Bobby. The fatal mistake she made was to go to the vacation home with him 3 days AFTER her husband had rejected the divorce settlement from her divorce attorney. It was amazing that NYPD never joined Westchester Co. police in a full cadaver search of the house and lakeside woods once Kathy did not show up for med school class on Monday (cases older than "48 hours" are hardest to solve.)
The trip to Ship Bottom NJ, a flyspeck on Long Beach Island where I went surfing several times, was just a diversion, or he never would've made that collect call from there to the NYC Durst offices.
The trip to Ship Bottom NJ, a flyspeck on Long Beach Island where I went surfing several times, was just a diversion, or he never would've made that collect call from there to the NYC Durst offices.
17
Supposedly that area of NJ was an area where the mafia hid bodies. Berman, of course, had ties to the mob through her father. Which leads us to an obvious question: Did the Westchester or NY detectives involved in this investigation also have mafia connections? It makes perfect sense that they may have: Otherwise, how could they possibly have botched up this case so badly?
5
While I did not see the movie All Good Things. I am watching the documentary with utter fascination. If he did commit any or all three murders he is one lucky dude to get away with it (or them). The circumstantial evidence seems to point to him. And yes, I think he wants to get caught. I am intrigued by his eyes. I don't know if is the camera angle, the lighting or some other technical aspect, but his eyes are dull liquid pools of brown that almost look like the kind you see in monster or zombie movies.
27
I completely agree and so glad you mentioned it. The man is creepy. But creepiness does not mean you can convict someone. Do I think he did these murders? Yes. There are just too many conincidences for anyone not to think that is so.
9
not "lucky" - try "rich"
30
Great writing by Mr. Bagli, who has been a valuable contributor to the documentary so far. I'll agree with others who have said that last night's episode was just plain mesmerizing. They baited the hook with an earlier showing of the letter and plunged it into the audience's collective cheek last night. Terrific filmmaking.
But to me, the most electric moment thus far was in the "Galveston" episode showing the (filmed-in-real-time) trial where Durst stood to "take" the verdict. The jury's verdict was "Not Guilty". Durst was stunned. He looked wobbly, like he might faint. Then he turned to Dick DeGuerin, his phenomenal trial lawyer, and asked if the jury said "not" first before saying guilty. Wow, that's real drama.
But to me, the most electric moment thus far was in the "Galveston" episode showing the (filmed-in-real-time) trial where Durst stood to "take" the verdict. The jury's verdict was "Not Guilty". Durst was stunned. He looked wobbly, like he might faint. Then he turned to Dick DeGuerin, his phenomenal trial lawyer, and asked if the jury said "not" first before saying guilty. Wow, that's real drama.
19
Aside from the question of Mr. Durst's culpability, it does strike me that Jarecki and Smerling seem to be making a whole career around his story. It just goes to show that filmmakers really cannot do without murder.
2
Joe McGinnis (rest in peace) made a whole second career out of the hideous case of Dr. Jeffrey McDonald butchering his wife and two young daughters. Had he not, McDonald would never have been re-tried, and sentenced to life in Federal prison.
10
Except Jarecki was already a dot.com multi-millionaire before he got into film making. He didn't have to make movies, it is clearly his passion.
6
While MCDonald's guilt seems pretty clear cut to me, I don't think the McGinniss book, Fatal Vision, should be read in isolation. Janet Malcolm's The Journalist and the Murderer has a lot to say about the diciness of McGinniss's role in the story.
3
Let's not forget that Mr. Durst felt entitled to urinate all over the checkout counter at a CVS in Houston not long ago.
27
The things they have NOT mentioned in this documentary amaze me so far--though maybe they're saving them all for the end? The weird urination episodes, the even weirder and much more sinister story of the multiple dogs, all named Igor, that Durst owned and who all died under mysterious circumstances (this was mentioned in the earlier NYT story). He is beyond creepy and IMO a murderer without a doubt.
15
How come there is no mention of the Berman familie's connection to the mafia? She wrote a book about it.
We're the Dursts also conncected to the mob? Why is this question not posed?
We're the Dursts also conncected to the mob? Why is this question not posed?
7
Did you watch? There was quite a lot about the connection, including the mug shot photo of her father in NYC from decades ago.
5
Well no, I only considered the article and I have never watched the program. Mr. Seigel is local legend and there are still remnants of his associates is the area. Some have been quite successful at legitimate businesses.
1
Here's a man who is entitled by family wealth just wants to be understood. He's reaching out to his family and to the families that he's hurt. He lives with the burden of social isolation, guilt and shame.
He had a bad day and "things happened". Folks that are inconvenient just disappear. Money doesn't buy happiness, the justice system…
Merriliy we follow along, and life goes on…
He had a bad day and "things happened". Folks that are inconvenient just disappear. Money doesn't buy happiness, the justice system…
Merriliy we follow along, and life goes on…
6
Serial killers love to take a trophy to later reminisce with. The HBO show is crazy Bobby's trophy, that's why he made the initial contact with the producer, Jarecki. It's also why he took the stand in Texas, and sent the note to Beverley [sic] Hills P.D. -- he loves the attention.
18
Life must be different in Texas. I can understand accidentally killing someone while grappling over a gun. But how do you accidentally chop them into pieces and throw them into the bay? Oops.
31
He never said he accidentally chopped him into pieces. He said he accidentally killed the guy while struggling with the gun. Then, once he was already dead, deliberately chopped him up to hide the body because, he said, he thought nobody would believe that it was self-defense.
4
Durst confessed to intentionally dismembering and disposing of Morris Black's body, but the state of Texas did not even bother to charge him with a crime based on that act.
12
i know, i hate when that happens
13
I had never heard of him before the HBO series, but my wife and I are completely engrossed in it.
6
Next you should check out Capturing the Friedmans, an amazing documentary by the same filmmaker. It's available on DVD.
4
I think this reporter has done a fantastic job of summarizing the HBO series. I know the reporter is interviewed several times in the documentary -- perhaps he knows even more than the film makers at this point. His coverage of Robert Durst over the years has been outstanding. Kudos.
14
Watching it has already brought my wife and I closer together, here in our first year of retirement.
4
Pardon moi, Les, comment was intended for Joe one flight up from you.
1
Hi Charles - same for us as I watch much less TV than my wife. In fact, we were on a free trial of HBO which was set to expire last Saturday. I did not cancel simply because I wanted to see the last two episodes. We talk about it almost every day. Robert Durst is a fascinating character study. The way he talks and explains things, it is almost like he is admitting it yet somehow comes off as believable in his denials. I can't explain it. And if the story about his mother is true, it is hard not to have some sympathy for him and one cannot underestimate the effects of losing a mother at such an age. The comment he made that will always stay with me, to paraphrase, is: I always had more money than I could ever spend, and it never made me happy.
7
they mess you up, your mum and dad
they may not mean to but they do
they fill you with the faults they had
and add some new ones just for you.
man hands on misery to man
it deepens like a coastal shelf
get out as quickly as you can
and don't have any kids yourself
Philip Larkin (amended for NYT sensibilities)
they may not mean to but they do
they fill you with the faults they had
and add some new ones just for you.
man hands on misery to man
it deepens like a coastal shelf
get out as quickly as you can
and don't have any kids yourself
Philip Larkin (amended for NYT sensibilities)
18
At least Durst did not have any children himself.
5
One of my favorite poem! But you forgot the middle stanza, "but they were messed up in their turn, by men in old style hats and coats..." God only knows how far back the messed-upness of that family goes - on both sides. Suicide often runs in families (mom's side), and Seymour does not seem so normal. It would be interesting to probe into past generations.
5
Ask yourself about the "justice" system and bias. If this man had been poor or black, how would he have fared compared to what has happened to date.
28
well, there would be no TV for one thing, or NY article, or 131 comments and counting. and oh yeah, he'd be on death row.
21
Seriously. The guy was stopped in Texas with $38k in cash and marijuana and some guns--even before the whole chopped up body thing. If he were black and poor he'd still be in jail.
16
This is why there are many thousands of cold cases across the 50 states. Feeble investigators and D.A.'s who do not want to test rape kits, who do not want to follow leads, who only work within their own jurisdictions, who insist (as Det. Struk did) that "bickering" is typical of many marriages, such that flighty women often flee to some other Lothario's arms and are never ever heard from again, etc. "Hands Up! Don't confess!", and you'll be scot-free, murderers.
23
Det. Struk's negligence in investigating leads was outrageous and blatantly sexist. He should have been fired.
10
I thought the same thing about Det. Struk but then I realized it was hindsight being 20/20. As he said, spouses run away all the time, and with no crime scene or body why not think it was just another case of an unhappy spouse leaving? Yes they made mistakes like not double checking the doorman's story but I don't see negligence.
I found Durst's use of the word 'it' when talking about disposing of Morris' body, instead of 'him,' to be particularly disturbing.
23
How about his repeatedly referring to himself in the third person - also disturbing!
11
Last night's episode was one of the most chilling things I've ever watched.
10
I completely agree with you - chilling is exactly what I thought. The way he blinks his eyes when you know he is lying - those black cold eyes and the way he talks in the 3rd person. CHILLING.
8
I don't think the letter would be admissible in court. There is not way to verify that the letter is genuine.
1
It's genuine. Connecting it to Durst is just the application of forensics.
5
I thought the series was over last week. Then I saw my DVR was recording it again and noticed a 5th episode. Now I know there are at least six, because the 5th one ended before the filmmaker could ask Robert Durst about the "new evidence" that seems incredibly damning. If anyone could ever be convicted of murder based on a writing sample, it's Robert Durst.
To me the greater issue is why would Robert Durst do all the things he did - like steal a sandwich from a grocery store, write the letter to the police, agree to be interviewed for the film, if he didn't want to be caught? Im no expert on this, but don't Serial Killers ultimately WANT to get caught so they can gain celebrity?
Robert Durst's history suggests someone who wants to be known for something of his own, not his father's, but he also probably doesn't like the idea of going to prison just yet. My guess is at some point, Robert Durst will either confess to murdering at least three people or there will be some letter or video in a safe deposit box found and opened after his death, confessing to his murders.
To me the greater issue is why would Robert Durst do all the things he did - like steal a sandwich from a grocery store, write the letter to the police, agree to be interviewed for the film, if he didn't want to be caught? Im no expert on this, but don't Serial Killers ultimately WANT to get caught so they can gain celebrity?
Robert Durst's history suggests someone who wants to be known for something of his own, not his father's, but he also probably doesn't like the idea of going to prison just yet. My guess is at some point, Robert Durst will either confess to murdering at least three people or there will be some letter or video in a safe deposit box found and opened after his death, confessing to his murders.
18
Almost as scary that the "official" investigators let so much fall between the cracks. Definitely scary that the jury in Galveston let him off after he claimed self-defense despite chopping up his friend's body, disposing of the body parts in the bay -- except for the head which likely contained solid evidence of homicide. Wouldn't a 911 call have been easier and far less messy?!!
22
Having watched the first five parts of the documentary, I've been appalled by the careless, inept investigations done by the NYPD and the LAPD. I guess that's what happens when the subject is a rich white guy who they figure isn't very dangerous. The work in NYC by Detective Struk on the disappearance of Durst's first wife was particularly sloppy. He barely checked out Durst's alibi, incorrectly established her last known whereabouts, and didn't even bother to check with Durst's family. Terrible police work.
50
All of which make it abundantly clear that this was a cover-up of immense proportions. The NYPD, under normal circumstances, would never let a case like that of Kathie Durst slip through the cracks. However this was not normal circumstances. It's pretty obvious that the powers-that-be at the time were paid off to look the other way. There's no other explanation for the way in which it was handled. I'm convinced that is what happened here.
29
we ask you to absolve our cause
from strict compliance with your laws
his sangfroid, so adored!
our kinder instincts floored
what others? that might give us pause.
from strict compliance with your laws
his sangfroid, so adored!
our kinder instincts floored
what others? that might give us pause.
6
I really do believe that the man - who is as guilty as sin of all three murders - is now motivated by the idea of taking down his family as he himself goes down in flames. At first I assumed, while watching the HBO program, that he was simply a deranged individual seeking the spotlight in an attempt to clear his name. That is now the farthest thing form the truth; he wants to be caught and his hatred and contempt of his brother and the rest of the Durst clan, who so conspicuously abandoned their own kin after his wife's disappearance, is now his sole motivation in this mea cupla.
14
Abandoned? I don't think they completely abandoned him- he was "heir apparent" until the early 1990s. Peeing in waste-baskets simply was the one weird thing the family mentioned. methinks that there were many more examples of bizarre, infatile & contemptious behavior beginning in childhood. My hunch is that his father loved him and cleaned up his messes, thereby enabling him. As one of the most eligible NY bachelors in the '60s, he didn't seem to have many girlfriends. In society, the word may have been: stay far away from Robert Durst.
7
The lesson here is: If you want to kill people, choose rich parents.
89
Another lesson: ladies it's not worth it to target marriageable rich men for the money - too many of them are sociopathic about it. And a few are psychopathic and will kill to enforce their entitled will. It's just not worth it. Get educated and make your own money.
10
Yes, and don't talk to filmmakers about it afterwards.
10
or join a police force in the South
10
It has been fascinating to watch Durst confront the interviewer's questions with a mixture of seeming frankness and practiced deceit. He acknowledges and dismisses past lies with ease, making them seem like nothing, apparently convincing some people, like the jury in Texas, that they WERE nothing. That and his deep pockets have carried him a long way.
84
The impunity of the "ruling" class.
19
I'm not up to date, but this documentary is incredible.
4
Perfectly said, Janeygirl.
Seeming frankness and practiced deceit. Skills, I think he learned well working in the family business, and used also by his equally successful and skilled TX attorneys who won his acquittal, masterfully steering the jury by.... seeming frankness and practiced deceit.
Seeming frankness and practiced deceit. Skills, I think he learned well working in the family business, and used also by his equally successful and skilled TX attorneys who won his acquittal, masterfully steering the jury by.... seeming frankness and practiced deceit.
9
Mr. Durst was told from his birth that he was "chosen" and therefore special, so he feels he is above the law and never has to pay for his crimes!
7
When you read the details of his wife's "disappearance", it's sickeningly obvious this guy got away with murder.
21
Now multiply that by two, for every other "incident" in which he just happened to be involved.
4
Same with this story http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/two-gunshots/ I hope some good filmmaker or podcaster or whoever chooses this story next because it's also sadly obvious he is guilty and it was a botched investigation/good ol boy police cover up. Sad/infuriating.
2
It is time for the Durst family members to reveal what they know about Kathy's disappearance. The prosecutors will probably have to immunize them to get them to talk, but it is worth it. The manner in which they closed ranks immediately after Kathy's disappearance, combined with Bob's attempts to reach them from the Pine Barrens, strongly suggests that they have material information. Even with the revelation that Bob sent the cadaver letter, the case against him with respect to Kathy is still the stronger one: he deliberately sent the police on a fool's errand so that they would not look for his wife where she was actually last seen, Westchester County. Plenty of murderers have been convicted for less.
22
What I find most remarkable about this story is the aspect of our culture that creates the media darling of the week, the desire to be in front of the camera.
It remains to be seen if the man is guilty, but his craving for attention and yet another 15 minutes of fame certainly seems to be self incriminating.
If he just kept his mouth shut and didn't resurface, would the LA D.A.'s office have him on their radar ?
The whole thing is bizarre; where there is smoke .....
It remains to be seen if the man is guilty, but his craving for attention and yet another 15 minutes of fame certainly seems to be self incriminating.
If he just kept his mouth shut and didn't resurface, would the LA D.A.'s office have him on their radar ?
The whole thing is bizarre; where there is smoke .....
12
I suspect we get the impression from television drama that the people who investigate murders are competent and thorough and infallible, when its probably more likely the opposite.
23
my quick guess - Ms. Berman knew he had murdered Kathie Durst. She blackmailed him for $50K. He paid (once) and then killed her, too. Should be a lesson to would-be blackmailers lol!
15
Lol?
That's a very callous comment about someone you don't know. Susan Berman was a very dear friend of my step mother's and her death was and continues to be mourned. To imply that Ms. Berman was responsible for her murder is gross. This is the comments section of NYT, not some gossip blog.
That's a very callous comment about someone you don't know. Susan Berman was a very dear friend of my step mother's and her death was and continues to be mourned. To imply that Ms. Berman was responsible for her murder is gross. This is the comments section of NYT, not some gossip blog.
17
Barbara, I agree. It's not a callous observation but an obvious one. Berman seems like a slimeball who protected Durst for years, then when she wanted money, he killed her.
8
Fine, Ninabean78! But you gotta admit Barbara has a point. $50K was paid for silence....
6
Mr. Durst said:“If somebody liked her, why kill her? And now you’ve taken this big risk. You’re writing a note to the police that only a killer could have written.”
A classic line of reasoning from sociopaths: They're just too smart to leave evidence behind.
Jodi Arias told the detectives she would have used gloves if she murdered someone: "I would use gloves. I have plenty of them".
A classic line of reasoning from sociopaths: They're just too smart to leave evidence behind.
Jodi Arias told the detectives she would have used gloves if she murdered someone: "I would use gloves. I have plenty of them".
17
The photo screams: get this woman away from me!
11
Jinx was a bit like Serial, circling for several episodes while trying to maintain some distance, but in this episode it moved squarely into investigative journalism territory. Nice get, that letter, and good news that it might stimulate some new efforts towards justice in these horrible deaths. In this, Jinx has become what everyone hoped Serial would be—a story with some real closure.
13
In your post I learned something about the documentary. Did not get that from the so-called "review," which seems to me to just be about what happened.
1
Obviously Durst has psychological issues-why else would he have even allowed this series to be done?
The "discovery" of the envelope, and then having the 'episode" break makes me question how damning this evidence is. And as others have pointed out in 15 years-especially given the suspicions about Durst at the time-it had never turned up, and the step son had never gone through the material, or the police had never investigated is hard to believe. And all it "proves' is that he may have stopped there and found the body. And what are these strange mob connections with Berman?
I think there is some deeper involvement with the Durst family-some real questions about his mother's "suicide"-and very peculiar behavior with the wife's disappearance. Maybe the greedy Dursts were worried about their fortune if Bob's wife filed for divorce? Obviously he killed Black,and his behavior afterwards is disturbing, but many would have not been convicted under those circumstances. And nothing has ever been proved about the other two.
An odd family to say the least-and he did get dumped by his father, and when the family family paid him off with $60 million, which seems beyond imagination for most of us-remember that the Durst holdings are over $ 4.5 billion, generating close to $300 million a year!!
The "discovery" of the envelope, and then having the 'episode" break makes me question how damning this evidence is. And as others have pointed out in 15 years-especially given the suspicions about Durst at the time-it had never turned up, and the step son had never gone through the material, or the police had never investigated is hard to believe. And all it "proves' is that he may have stopped there and found the body. And what are these strange mob connections with Berman?
I think there is some deeper involvement with the Durst family-some real questions about his mother's "suicide"-and very peculiar behavior with the wife's disappearance. Maybe the greedy Dursts were worried about their fortune if Bob's wife filed for divorce? Obviously he killed Black,and his behavior afterwards is disturbing, but many would have not been convicted under those circumstances. And nothing has ever been proved about the other two.
An odd family to say the least-and he did get dumped by his father, and when the family family paid him off with $60 million, which seems beyond imagination for most of us-remember that the Durst holdings are over $ 4.5 billion, generating close to $300 million a year!!
10
If all the earlier letter "proves" is that Durst may have only found Susan Berman's letter, why did he say during an interview with Jarecki that only the killer could have sent the original letter to the police? Wouldn't he have said the letter only proves that the sender knew a dead body was at the house?
5
That's a good point about Durst's mother and their being something deeper this family is trying to keep buried. Why would the Dursts let this guy not only run amok and cause constant scandal, but be an ongoing threat to family members as well? The moment he started showing up on their property with weapons should have been when they (finally) lowered the boom, but they haven't. They act like he's got something on them, and it's a good bet it has roots in the mother's death.
11
This is an interesting and fascinating story and Rorschach test for all viewers. My take is his wife died due to some accident while they were having an argument. He felt he was responsible in some way. His friend Susan Berman knew the whole story, and from the background I don't think she would be complicit in it if it was a murder. He probably felt justified in killing Morris and does not show remorse. His married his present wife for spousal privilege and I accept the view she thinks he's innocent and not for his money. As for Susan Berman I have to watch next week's conclusion, but I doubt he murdered her after all this time.
3
Since Mr. Durst seems to enjoy dismembering bodies, there is no doubt in my mind that Kathy Durst was murdered and dismembered on the South Salem property. Her remains were probably disposed of in the lake adjacent to the house.
30
A safe bet. And thanks to the slow reaction of investigators up there, never to be found. How interesting would it be that the murder he goes down for is the one in which he did not dispose of the body?
6
Since he was dumb enough in the Galveston case to think garbage bags with body parts in them would sink in the Bay, I really don't think he could have pulled off a successful dumping of parts in a lake in 1982. Especially a lake that was likely frozen. No, Cathie Durst's remains were disposed of elsewhere. But I got nuthin' in terms of an alternative place/method of disposal. Im just fascinated with how he could have been that dumb in Galveston.
8
Well, the third episode brought up New Jersey as a prime place for dumping the body. Connected him with there by collect calls.
4
Lets just hope that he doesn't get word of an impeding indictment (if there is one), because if he knows that he is going down, he will disappear and someone (or perhaps more than one person) will turn up dead before they find him and arrest him.
30
How to get away with murder 101: be the son of a billionaire. Thank you HBO for a great documentary series.
64
An episode during the first season of "Law & Order Criminal Intent" called "Maledictus" was loosely based on the Susan Berman murder. The Robert Durst character is played by an excellent actor named David Thornton.
5
The perverse quality of Durst's mentality is similar to OJ in that both seemed able to dissociate from the reality of their homicide(s). Durst has the added quality of a rather impaired emotional range, a kind of concreteness--like a young boy. Perhaps he suffered a traumatic arrest and actually thinks like a 7 year old. This immature & primitive sensibility is linked to latency age boys' sadism & nonchalant ruthlessness....torturing animals etc.
12
Something traumatic like watching his mother jump (or be thrown) off the roof at age 7? I Think you may be right about that, because isn't one of the hallmarks of a true sociopath that they can accurately mimic the feelings they know they're supposed to be having, rather than displaying Durst's totally flat affect?
5
Concerning Bobby's mentality, his photo as it appears in this article indicates severe trauma to his head, via surgery or something else. Any explanation?
2
We have been watching this series, last night's episode was like something out of a movie- it is incredibly mesmerizing and the subject himself is.... well you just have to watch this.
Spoiler Alert-
I think this latest evidence reveals a proof beyond any reasonable doubt, no matter what he says.
Spoiler Alert-
I think this latest evidence reveals a proof beyond any reasonable doubt, no matter what he says.
12
Fifty thousand dollars was a lot in 2000. Berman calls Durst ups and asks for some money and this is what she gets. Maybe she was trying to blackmail Durst about his wife's disappearance.
23
yeah but $50,000 is nothing to a guy like Durst, who is a millionaire many times over.
7
And, no, $50K was NOT a lot in 2000. Not even close to a lot.
6
Hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, a book, a movie, an HBO series, this New York Times story: Why do we give evil so much attention? And despite all the attention we still let it get away with murder.
I think we admire it.
I think we admire it.
18
The documentary has brought attention back to the crimes, not the man.
6
I have never believed there wasn’t something intentional and sinister about Durst’s father showing him his mother on top of the roof. Something's not right about that. No child could survive seeing their mother plunge to her death or lowered into the ground without becoming emotionally and mentally ill. Not possible. Of course he murdered all three of them but I cannot not look at him without seeing him as the traumatized seven year old little boy.
All growth stopped right then and there and if anything non-manmade remains stuck and stagnant, just like a piece of fruit left untouched, it will decay and decompose. How could it not?
It’s unfortunate that all stories could not be told as his is. If they were, we would potentially have a much more compassionate society. It doesn’t mean we are unaccountable it does mean however that rehabilitation would be more accurately channeled and people helped.
I do not believe he was born a killer. He certainly was groomed to become one. All of the lives lost are tragic, including his.
All growth stopped right then and there and if anything non-manmade remains stuck and stagnant, just like a piece of fruit left untouched, it will decay and decompose. How could it not?
It’s unfortunate that all stories could not be told as his is. If they were, we would potentially have a much more compassionate society. It doesn’t mean we are unaccountable it does mean however that rehabilitation would be more accurately channeled and people helped.
I do not believe he was born a killer. He certainly was groomed to become one. All of the lives lost are tragic, including his.
52
All true except he made that up. The brother Douglas gave an interview to the NY Times back in January, before this series even premiered, and said both of them and their other siblings were not at the house on the night their mother died, they were at a neighbor's house.
17
Seriously? You have watched this series and yet you believe something Robert Durst told the camera? Seymour Durst never awakened Robert and told him to look out the window. Seymour had four children - why would he awaken only one of them and tell him to look out the window? It's sheer nonsense. Douglas Durst has said (google it) that all of the children were awakened and immediately taken to a neighbor's house and didn't know what happened, Robert among them. I'm not the sharpest knife in the block but even I knew Bob's story about his father waking him was senseless.
21
You are assuming his story is true. Since he is a proven liar, I make no such assumptions.
16
Spoilers, New York Times, c'mon, geez! The episode where they confront him with the new evidence was just last night and we have to wait til next week to see what happens!
4
I know!!! And I haven't even watched last night's ep yet!!! If there had been a spoiler alert I could have saved the article to read after I watched it. Sheesh, NYT. Very poor modern etiquette.
1
I don't think Bob Durst's family is so innocent either. Was his mother's death *definitely* a suicide? Might Seymour have been involved? I can't understand Seymour summoning little Bob that night, and saying "come watch, your mother's on the roof about to jump off". I mean, that's not normal.
82
The only thing that makes sense is if his father thought his wife would not jump if her son was there.
7
Good series on HBO, well written however strange and horrible the material. Quick question - seeing as people who have been capable of revealing Robert Durst's secrets have either disappeared with no trace (one person) or been murdered (two people), have the producers of the series thought about their own safety at this point? Just wondering if they are seeking extra security, like Robert Durst's brother has.
23
Did Sareb get money from the filmmakers for his participation in the documentary? How much? Was it commensurate with his level of participation? Was there a carrot dangled whereby more info/access/dirt made for a bigger check?
Where was the box of papers belonging to Ms. Berman for the past 15 years? Who had access to it? Why was it never scrutinized before? Do we know for sure that it wasn't?
All in all, how do we know the envelope is real? There are potential motives from more than a few people for it's uncannily timely discovery, right as a documentary is being made.
Where was the box of papers belonging to Ms. Berman for the past 15 years? Who had access to it? Why was it never scrutinized before? Do we know for sure that it wasn't?
All in all, how do we know the envelope is real? There are potential motives from more than a few people for it's uncannily timely discovery, right as a documentary is being made.
13
It has been a truly fascinating and frustrating series on HBO. I have not spoken to one person that doubts his guilt in all three of the cases he is suspected in (he actually was placed on trial for one already). However, what this series has further illuminated, is the importance of money in the criminal justice system. His legal team absolutely bamboozled a fairly simplistic jury in Texas, and his connections in NYC planted a series of alibis that helped to deflect attention from him in the initial crime. As to Durst, he is your classic sociopath, not an ounce of humanity to be found. Those types do not tend to break under questioning. Here is hoping that something breaks, because this is one bad and dangerous man.
71
He won't break. It's a matter of finding some evidence--some piece of reality--that contradicts the alternate reality he has constructed and wants outsiders to believe.
6
Yes, but the Texas case was a slam dunk. It was just unfortunate that it happened in Galveston and not Houston. The DA's office in Galveston was Andy and Barney from Mayberry. They had no clue on how to go up against that legal dream team Durst assembled. That will be the problem again in the future, if he is ever placed on trial again, having a DA that can refocus the jury away from the smoke and mirrors put up by the defense.
4
Investigators in all three deaths failed, as did the prosecution in the Morris Black trial. Durst himself knows that he does not function well in society, and subconsciously wants to be sent to prison, where he belongs. A couple of thoughts:
1. Seymour Durst seems to lack something, as displayed by his non-effort to use his resources to find his daughter-in-law and unwillingness to help police. I think there may be more to the story of the "suicide" of his mother. I do not think Robert witnessed it. Asked by his father to corroborate it? Maybe. Perhaps the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree? Either way, this family has some dark secrets.
2. Although Durst may have wrote the "Cadaver" letter, that alone does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he killed Berman. It only proves that he knew she was dead.
3. As for the investigation into his first wife's murder, they should look hard at the property in South Salem. Durst returned there in 200. It is not uncommon for a killer to return to the scene of a crime.
1. Seymour Durst seems to lack something, as displayed by his non-effort to use his resources to find his daughter-in-law and unwillingness to help police. I think there may be more to the story of the "suicide" of his mother. I do not think Robert witnessed it. Asked by his father to corroborate it? Maybe. Perhaps the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree? Either way, this family has some dark secrets.
2. Although Durst may have wrote the "Cadaver" letter, that alone does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he killed Berman. It only proves that he knew she was dead.
3. As for the investigation into his first wife's murder, they should look hard at the property in South Salem. Durst returned there in 200. It is not uncommon for a killer to return to the scene of a crime.
14
Your last sentence has a dime novel anchronistic theme in it. A look at the South Salem house may yield some hard evidence unless it has not done so due to the crime scene being elsewhere. Unknown unknowns that wait for Durst to explain or are never to be revealed.
There is no particular reason to believe any of it is accurate. The filmmakers present re-creations in the same way they present what seems to be actual documentary footage. So many of the scenes are basically fiction---including the death of Mr. Durst's mother, all the back and forth to the train station in Westchester, and the cheesy scenes of what we are expected to believe are family members in some imaginary boardroom.
Robert Durst is dangerous and he lies. Viewers of the show beware.
Robert Durst is dangerous and he lies. Viewers of the show beware.
1
Scary. Somehow reminds me of Phil Spector. Don't know if I am the only one who feels that way.
23
Most of the comments here say he got off because of his money. That had nothing to do with it, no one else was present during Morris Black's murder so how could the police prove he murdered him? The burden of proof is on them.
Durst wasn't charged with dismembering and the illegal disposing of a body, maybe he should have? He admitted to that on camera.
Durst wasn't charged with dismembering and the illegal disposing of a body, maybe he should have? He admitted to that on camera.
6
What I am getting from the HBO series is, if you are super rich, like a Durst or a DuPonte, you are entitled to murder whomever you please and get away with a wink or a slap on the wrist. Nothing new there. Like Abraham Lincoln said "A jury consists of 12 men who decides which party has the best lawyer."
55
Begging your pardon, John duPont died in prison after committing murder. He got away with nothing. It might be appropriate to check the facts before doing the class-envy thing.
5
He's deranged, disconnected from his humanity and lucky so far. Somewhere along the way he's made a mistake that will convict him. Hopefully his arrogance in participating in the documentary will lead to the evidence needed.
29
He looks older than 72.
4
I agree. Malevolence makes people older.
7
I am amazed that the New York Times neglects to address the question of mental illness in this article, and in so many stories like this one.
23
Was Robert Durst "medicated" for the series? He appeared through facial ticks, dry mouth and slurred speech to be affected by an anti-psychotic medication while being interviewed. While this may be a humane device when a mentally ill client faces public scrutiny, his performance here felt like a deceit. If this was the case it would seem that the "real" Robert Durst, who terrifies his family, is deeply hidden beneath the patina of seemingly rational behavior.
2
This man is not mentally incompetent: He's just a common criminal!
5
The US has a poor mental health care system which leaves too many, untreated, and roaming our streets. On the surface, Mr. Durst seems to have full blown Narcissistic and Sociopathic Personality Disorders, common among serial killers.
5
Some thoughts. At the end of the day, I think he wants to be caught. Why would he be so cooperative with the documentary? And admit that he lied to police on several occasions? Why would he shop lift a sandwich, when he had $500 in his pocket? On the one hand, he's a recluse. On the other, he needs to be noticed. Speaking of looking like a fool in front of millions, why would that retired NYC detective basically admit his incompetence in the Kathie D investigation after all these years?
21
I'd do a forensic financial investigation of all the cops involved in that case.
7
Interesting to see how he evades the law by simply being quiet. Criminals usually contribute to their own demise by tripping themselves up. However, if you speak very few words, and there are no eye-witnesses, you are difficult to convict.
What may finally occur is what has tripped-up mobsters and alike. He will be found guilty of a lesser charge, and receive a long sentence out of proportion to the crime (ala OJ Simpson). Once you are considered to be guilty in the court of public opinion, the rules of evidence that protect you start to disappear.
What may finally occur is what has tripped-up mobsters and alike. He will be found guilty of a lesser charge, and receive a long sentence out of proportion to the crime (ala OJ Simpson). Once you are considered to be guilty in the court of public opinion, the rules of evidence that protect you start to disappear.
9
Quiet? He's doing interviews on HBO.
42
Why, after getting away with a murder (maybe 3), would anyone ever step out of their house, not to mention, do television interviews? He's definitely not doing it for the money. This should interest a host of academic disciplines.
30
Just shows how sick a man he is that he puts himself so close the the answers of these crimes. I bet he wants to get caught, it would give him more attention and maybe finally end his pain and suffering from this crazy life he has led.
9
Now I can see why people are so into money: you can see from the smile on this man's face that he is so very happy. I bet if one asked him, he would say he was smiling.
2
The man is no "jinx." He's a murderer.
90
One can make a good case he's bad luck to anyone in his orbit...
3
And as we read...he's not planning on disappearing, again?
5
The jury in Texas were fools, they wnated to show up Jeanine Pirro. How could any civilised person who saw the evidence believe Durt's position that the murder in Texas was self defense? Unbelievable.
123
They don't necessarily have to believe it's self-defense, just that there's not enough evidence to convict.
5
the prosecution was also guilty of some hubris, in not including "lesser included" offenses such as second degree murder and manslaughter - they were so *sure* of their ability to get a conviction for first degree murder (premeditated murder) that they didn't want to give the jury the option of convicting of a lesser crime. And then when Durst managed to spin a story that amounted to "I did something, but it was self-defense/heat of passion/not-premeditated/etc.", the prosecution was hoisted on its own petard.
9
Just remember that in Texas the accused does not have to prove self defense, rather the prosecution must prove it was not self defense.
8
A gross and ugly story--------------the two legged repre4sentatioon of money, access, and justice purchased, exactly what the poor and downtrodden believe, and frequently factual.
64
Over the years I have read about these cases and, given what's been presented, thought Robert Durst has in some way been complicit. But the questions raised in last night's episode regarding what his father (and family) knew and when they knew it were something I had never considered. Yes, I think he murdered his wife but now I think his family further enabled him in the Berman and Black incidents because they sat by doing and saying nothing when Kathie disappeared.
130
I believe, also, that the Durst " family further enabled him in the Berman and Black incidents " since the brother of Robert Durst said "The conversation ends now," when the parents Robert's dead wife asked father Seymour Durst to help in finding their daughter (as I recall from the HBO series).
5
This series has been magnificent. I was unaware of Bob Durst and this story until this documentary series, but boy, what a fascinating tale. I recommend it highly to anyone who hasn't seen it. And if you haven't, SPOLIER ALERTS.
There is little if no doubt that Bob Durst killed his wife and friend. He was sly enough and had good enough lawyers to get him off on the murder of his neighbor, but I think he faces a new challenge with the murder of his life long friend Susan Berman. Teflon Bob might be in a sticky situation.
The writing on the letter recently discovered matches the cadaver letter perfectly. Every stroke of the pen is identical and the misspelling of "Beverley" seals it. Bob Durst wrote a letter to his friend before her death. Bob Durst wrote the cadaver letter after he killed her. That's as close to a "smoking gun" as you're going to get. It will take very skilled lawyers to explain that away. If I'm a juror, I'm convicting him on that evidence alone!
I'm pleased that LA County has chosen to reopen the Berman case. They now have some very compelling evidence at hand, and I'd think it just might be enough to indict him. He got away with one murder already. The murder of his wife Kathy will tragically never be solved. But maybe justice can be won if he's convicted for murdering Susan Berman.
If you've ever looked at a person straight in the eye and have seen evil, this is what one sees when you look at Bob Durst. His eyes are pitch black and soulless. Scary!
There is little if no doubt that Bob Durst killed his wife and friend. He was sly enough and had good enough lawyers to get him off on the murder of his neighbor, but I think he faces a new challenge with the murder of his life long friend Susan Berman. Teflon Bob might be in a sticky situation.
The writing on the letter recently discovered matches the cadaver letter perfectly. Every stroke of the pen is identical and the misspelling of "Beverley" seals it. Bob Durst wrote a letter to his friend before her death. Bob Durst wrote the cadaver letter after he killed her. That's as close to a "smoking gun" as you're going to get. It will take very skilled lawyers to explain that away. If I'm a juror, I'm convicting him on that evidence alone!
I'm pleased that LA County has chosen to reopen the Berman case. They now have some very compelling evidence at hand, and I'd think it just might be enough to indict him. He got away with one murder already. The murder of his wife Kathy will tragically never be solved. But maybe justice can be won if he's convicted for murdering Susan Berman.
If you've ever looked at a person straight in the eye and have seen evil, this is what one sees when you look at Bob Durst. His eyes are pitch black and soulless. Scary!
112
George: what about "I went by her house, saw her dead, knew I would be suspected, so got out of town, but sent the note so she'd be found." I hope you're not the kind of person who would convict on evidence as flimsy as this. I haven't seen anything in this series that's even close to conclusive evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, even though he probably did all three.
25
My thoughts exactly. If it was as easy as that to convict, everyone would be. They need proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
It is absolutely fascinating-
I was thinking about it if I were a juror, with the totality of the evidence, I think this is now evidence beyond a 'reasonable doubt' that he was there (because he has then already admitted lying about circumstances of two murders) AND that he did it.
I was thinking about it if I were a juror, with the totality of the evidence, I think this is now evidence beyond a 'reasonable doubt' that he was there (because he has then already admitted lying about circumstances of two murders) AND that he did it.
4
He'd have been on death row for years by now if he hadn't been a zillionaire.
244
Yep, this serial killer remains free because of his wealth and connections. Hopefully, this HBO documentary will give justice to the victims by finally putting him behind bars...
18
It certainly makes for a great HBO documentary! There will have to be a sequal.
15
The texas jury was crazy. Durst is not. And he's gotten away with more than that murder in Texas. Money does talk, and loudly.
192
If he was black, that Texas jury would have put him on death row no matter how good the lawyers were.
31
Had he been Black, the execution would have happened already.
20
Amen!
He's a very scary man. And unbalanced, too. It wasn't enough for him to murder his elderly neighbor in Texas, he dismembered him, too. Which is what he likely did to his wife. The documentary shows him a few years after her murder standing at lakeside near their former house, staring at the water. When a woman resident approached him, he quickly went to his car and drove away without acknowledging her. When he got caught shoplifting in PA, he had thousands of $$$, but still shoplifted a.... sandwich. (Birds must fly.) When he jumped bail in Texas his own brother in NYC hired armed security guards. No doubt he killed Berman, who surely knew he'd murdered his wife years before. He contacted the documentary maker, who recorded their chat. He craved another chance to be in the spotlight, and is seen on camera getting into a car and driving away. It's clearly a case in which, like OJ Simpson, karma is nipping at his heels and he will soon take a fall, by his own doing. As usual, law enforcement has let another murderer escape justice, as they so often do for killers who wear a badge and hide behind the blue wall of silence. And the jury in Texas did its part to let him off, too.
97
They jury was bamboozled by Durst's high priced criminal defense attorney who has reputation for getting his clients off murder raps. But at least the homicide detectives in Galveston (a poor town w/ a fairly high crime rate) did their job by conducting a thorough investigation, unlike their better funded counterparts in NY and Beverly Hills who completely and inexcusably dropped the ball!
71
Unfortunately the evidence so far seems to be circumstantial even though it is plain as day he is responsible for these murders.These investigators will hopefully turn over some hard evidence against him and bring closure to the families. Keep digging. There has to be something more there.
18
The investigators in NY and CA certainly didn't dig very deep when it mattered--right after the crimes occurred! I'd like to see someone dig into that and see if they come up with any Mafia ties, which seems likely, considering Berman's connections.
9
Circumstantial evidence is evidence that can, by well reasoned inference, convict. Good circumstantial evidence, well presented, is often stronger than direct evidence. Durst should have been removed from society long ago.
44
I watch a lot of true crime shows, but when they showed the two envelopes in Episode 5, that affected me more than perhaps any program I've ever watched. Quite a moment and I immediately rethought Mr. Durst and the entire series.
29
Looks like his luck finally ran out. Amazing, that Texas jury acquitting him.
48
You don't think he would stoop so low as to pay off a jury do you?
2
Not as amazing as how shoddy and indifferent the NY investigators were about looking into Kathy Durst's disappearance.
29
I don't think he paid them off, rather the Texas jury wanted to show up Jeanine Pirro, a woman and an Italian one at that but more importantly she's from New York. They wouldn't have convicted him if the prosecutors had pictures to prove he did.
33
Following the Durst story through the Jarecki documentary, it seems clear that Durst is connected to the disappearances of three people. The problem is their is no overwhelming concrete physical evidence connecting Durst to these murders. Having a good amount of money, Durst hired top tier legal counsel and was able to walk.
Now, if the L.A. District Attorney seeks an indictment against Robert Durst, one has to ask: will the third time be the hook that will finally catch Mr. Durst?
Now, if the L.A. District Attorney seeks an indictment against Robert Durst, one has to ask: will the third time be the hook that will finally catch Mr. Durst?
9
The filmmakers, Mr. Smerling and Mr. Jarecki, are tending toward tabloid-style exploitation of Mr. Durst's life, and he has been only too willing to comply. It is up to them to realize their reputations are also at stake in the artistic choices they make.
We have to be careful not to convict Mr. Durst in the court of public opinion. He has acted guilty in the past, and has been the perpetrator of at least one grisly death, but this doesn't automatically mean he killed either his wife in 1982, or his girlfriend/spokesperson in 2000. Unless hard evidence is produced and substantiated, we have to presume his innocence in these deaths. The Big Media bonfire burning as a result of his life and its many unseemly stories is still just smoke, and not the fire of hard evidence.
4
They're playing up the drama no doubt (it is on HBO after all), and if Mr. Durst had followed his lawyers' advice, it wouldn't exist. But in the end it doesn't appear that his words will be his downfall, but rather his handwriting. Come to think of it though, Mr. Durst did say himself, "You're writing a note to the police that only the killer could have written."
So his words and his handwriting may be his downfall. That's some hard evidence. And I wouldn't worry about his presumed innocence too much; he will have the best possible lawyers to give him every chance there is of walking away.
So his words and his handwriting may be his downfall. That's some hard evidence. And I wouldn't worry about his presumed innocence too much; he will have the best possible lawyers to give him every chance there is of walking away.
17
@Jake Jenkins in Seattle, WA: let's see how it plays out. The authorities have looked at his handwriting before. Also, just because he wrote a note saying to look for a body doesn't mean he killed the person, although it shows knowledge of the event. He might get hit with accessory after the fact charges. The man seems to have some death-charges Teflon on his person, not entirely due to being well-off.
I grew up with the TV show The Fugitive being quite popular. It was a modern-day redo of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Just because the authorities think you are guilty, it doesn't mean that you are.
5
The documentary is very well done. I hope for the families of these two women, that they will learn truth about what happened to them so that they may have some closure.
It seems to me that there may be some in the Durst organization that know something, but have not come forward or cooperated with the investigation.
It seems to me that there may be some in the Durst organization that know something, but have not come forward or cooperated with the investigation.
44
I've read that the Westchester DA told Douglas Durst in 2004 she thought he had helped his brother Robert Durst cover up his sister in law's death. He told her there's nothing more he would like than to see his brother locked up. I believe HIM. They have been estranged forever.
3
As compelling as the Durst story is in terms of human behavior and the triumph of personal and family dysfunction over financial success, the fact that - at best - Mr. Durst will spend the waning years of his life in prison detracts from its power as thriller. There can be no "happy" or satisfying ending wherein the killer is sentenced to spend 50-60 miserable years in a cell.
Your phrasing seems a bit twisted. Why would you speak of personal and family dysfunction as TRIUMPHING over financial success"?
And when a killer is sentenced to spend "50-60 miserable" years behind bars, why can't that be a "satisfying" ending? First of all Durst is 70 so he won't spend anywhere near that many years behind bars. And who cares if he's miserable? What about the pain Kathy Durst's Susan Berman's family has already endured for over 30 years and 15 years, respectively?
And when a killer is sentenced to spend "50-60 miserable" years behind bars, why can't that be a "satisfying" ending? First of all Durst is 70 so he won't spend anywhere near that many years behind bars. And who cares if he's miserable? What about the pain Kathy Durst's Susan Berman's family has already endured for over 30 years and 15 years, respectively?
18
Wessexmom - First, my statement about dysfunction "triumphing" over financial success was meant to be sarcastic and sardonic. Next, there can be no 50-60 years behind bars - which would have been a satisfying end to the story - because Durst in now 71 years old. So even if convicted he will only spend a few years behind bars and then pass away in prison.
Two cliches are in evidence here; the very rich play on an extremely crooked playing field and, for those who want to get too close to the flame, you might get burned (or dismembered, executed or simply erased). Justice is said to be the handmaiden of the law. That is certainly the case for the accused if they are poor; but for a guy like Durst, no way.
74
Poor people get away with murder all the time too. The only difference is that you aren't paying attention.
14
Wow. My only question would be: Why didn't the investigators search of Ms Berman's home in 2000 turn up this letter? Meanhile, great show.
26
The La investigators must have been trained in the Marsha Clark School of Investigation and, just as she, they neglected to go over everything carefully. IMHO Durst is playing with everyone and delighting in the fact that he has outsmarted them to date. We may get a death bed confession from him, when he finally is dying, and he will see that as his final triumph over the stupidity he believes he has encountered in all these investigations. He believes he is extremely clever--if he did the crimes and we don't know that, nor can it be proven at this time.
8
It is a great show, isn't it? I got the chills when that letter turned up with Beverley on it like in the cadaver note.
I don't think we'll get a deathbed confession. I think Durst has a disassociative disorder of some sort and honestly doesn't think he did anything. Notice how he talks about himself in the third person?
I don't think we'll get a deathbed confession. I think Durst has a disassociative disorder of some sort and honestly doesn't think he did anything. Notice how he talks about himself in the third person?
9
There are people who have been convicted on less evidence...it just depends on who you are whether or not you pay for your crimes...
3