Robert Durst, age 77, was charged with first-degree murder of his acquaintance, Susan Berman on December 23, 2000.
In March of 2015, Durst was finally arrested for the killing of Berman. What’s even more interesting is the fact that Durst was arrested while stealing from a supermarket dressed as a woman. According to the statement from the police, “Durst was apprehended while stealing a sandwich, a newspaper, and a Band-Aid from a Pennsylvania supermarket” (Calhoun).
During the trial, prosecutors allege that Durst has shot Berman in the head to prevent her from incriminating him for the disappearance of Kathleen McCormack, his first wife. Though Durst has pleaded not guilty to the killing of Berman, the police have found a ‘cadaver note’ that belonged to the body of Berman at her home. Durst claims that that the note could have only been written by Berman’s murderer, yet, his attorney later acknowledged that Durst had written the letter.
During the initial trial, the lead prosecutor, John Lewin, stated that Durst was “physically and verbally abusive and pushed Kathleen McCormack into having an abortion” (CNN).
Durst claims that he does not know anything about his wife’s whereabouts during the time of her disappearance and states that he had nothing to do with the incident. Reporters from CNN have revealed that though “McCormack was legally declared dead in 2017, Her body has not been found.” Although no one was charged for the disappearance of McCormack, the public suspects that Durst had something to do with it. The information has been released disclosing the fact that Durst did not file a police report for the disappearance of his wife for nearly four days, “and his accounts of the last time he saw his wife in their Westchester County home kept changing and did not hold up to scrutiny” (Calhoun). Due to the substantial amount of evidence, the police were unable to arrest Durst, ruling the case as a home burglary.
By digging through past arrest reports, police officers have found countless occasions for Durst involved in public urination. One example would be in July 2014, when Durst publically urinated on top of a candy aisle at a Texas convenience store.
Another crime Durst has committed was the murder of his neighbor in Texas. Although Durst has admitted that he had killed and disemboweled his neighbor's body, “he was acquitted of murder charges by a jury in 2003” (Calhoun).
Currently, Durst is in a protective medical unit at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility and has been scheduled for a long list of procedures, such as a skull and esophagus surgery (CNN). Durst’s lawyers have reiterated that although Durst’s mind is clear, his body is fragile and in weak health.
Durst’s trial is scheduled for May 14, 2021, where he would return to court for his hearing.
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