On October 22, 2021, authorities charged real estate heir Robert Durst with the murder of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack. However, that was not the first time Durst was tangled in a controversy and gained attention. He went on to become a notorious figure in the real estate world for committing heinous crimes.
According to Vulture, the Durst and Kathleen moved to New York in 1973. Later that year, the duo married each other. Seven years later, in 1980, their relationship became strained, and Kathleen allegedly told her friends that Durst had become abusive. The aforementioned outlet also reported that he forced her to have an abortion.
The alleged abuse continued, and on January 31, 1982, Kathleen received a call from angry Durst while attending a friend’s party. Vulture also revealed that Kathleen told one of her friends, Gilberte Najamy, that she was afraid of her husband. Unfortunately, Kathleen hasn’t been heard from since that incident.
Robert Durst filed a missing report on February 5, 1982. The investigations began, but the police couldn’t find her because there was no evidence of a crime. As time passed, Durst continued doing his business while the authorities found nothing in Kathleen’s disappearance. However, he allegedly killed anyone who posed a threat to him. Three decades later, in October 2021, the police charged Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen McCormack.
How was Robert Durst caught?
As mentioned above, the authorities charged him with the murder of Kathleen McCormack in 2021. However, a lot happened after Kathleen’s disappearance in 1982 that led to his conviction. According to Vulture, in 1982, Robert Durst stopped talking to the media and appointed Susan Berman as his unofficial spokesperson. Berman and Durst maintained a good relationship.
The outlet also mentioned that Berman sent him a letter and asked for money in the year 2000. A few months later, the real estate heir sent her two checks worth $25,000. However, in December 2000, Berman died because of a gunshot wound to her head. Although the police found no sign of forced entry, they did find an anonymous letter addressed to the “Beverley Hills” (correct spelling: Beverly Hills) police.
Meanwhile, in 2001, a family discovered the dismembered torso of a man named Morris Black, who was Durst’s neighbor. The police found the address of the boarding house during the investigation and found Durst’s name on a receipt.
In October 2001, the authorities arrested Durst, and in 2003, he went on trial. Despite being found not guilty in the Morris Black murder case, the accused pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and jumping bail the following year. As a result, the court sentenced him to five years in prison in 2004. Almost two years later, authorities released him from prison.
HBO’s documentary leads to Durst’s conviction
In 2015, HBO released a documentary titled The Jinx, which followed Robert Durst’s life. For years, the real estate heir evaded conviction, but a piece of evidence presented in the documentary series turned out to be his doom. The series came forward with the anonymous note that the police discovered in Berman’s house.
In the note, the writer misspelled the city’s name as “Beverley Hills,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The outlet also reported that the cinematographer of The Jinx received a letter with the same misspelling. This piece of evidence turned out to be crucial in Robert Durst’s conviction. In September 2021, the jury found him guilty in Susan Berman’s murder case and sentenced him to life in prison without parole. The same year, in October, the state police in New York charged him with the murder of Kathleen McCormack, but in January 2022, he died due to a heart attack in San Joaquin General Hospital, California.
The Jinx is currently streaming on Max.