What Happened to Robert Durst After “The Jinx”? Revisiting His Confession and Conviction Ahead of Part 2
Robert Durst confessed to murder during an infamous hot mic moment at the end of 2015's 'The Jinx.' Here's everything to know about the late convicted murderer ahead of 'The Jinx Part Two'
Robert Durst was accused of multiple murders when HBO profiled him for the 2015 docuseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. However, what filmmakers didn't expect to capture on camera was a shocking confession by Durst himself, leading to his arrest and eventual murder conviction.
The son of a prominent real estate tycoon in New York City, Durst graduated from Lehigh University in 1965 and went on to attend UCLA. It was there that he met Susan Berman, the daughter of a Las Vegas mob boss, who would change his life forever.
He returned to New York in the early 1970s after spending some time at UCLA and married Kathleen Durst (née McCormack). However, after Kathleen disappeared in 1982, Durst was the prime suspect — and Berman was his unofficial spokesperson during the investigation.
But 18 years later, Berman would be found dead too, shot execution-style in her Los Angeles home. Durst was also a suspect in the case, but it wouldn't be until after The Jinx premiered in 2015 that he would be brought to justice.
Related: Robert Durst's Story, Explained: From Real Estate Millionaire to Murderer
In HBO's groundbreaking documentary series, The Jinx, Durst's involvement in these crimes was explored and he eventually made a shocking confession that led to his arrest. He was later convicted for the 2000 murder of Berman and sentenced to life in prison. Durst died in prison in January 2022.
Now, The Jinx Part 2, which premieres on Max on April 21, will explore his trial and ultimate conviction. Here is everything to know about Robert Durst and the crimes he committed.
Who was Robert Durst?
Durst was the son of a wealthy real estate tycoon. When he was 7 years old, he claimed to witness his mother's death when she fell from the roof of his childhood home. In the first season of The Jinx, he shared how this event impacted his life.
After graduating from Lehigh University in the 1960s, he attended UCLA for a doctoral program, where he met Berman. He later returned to New York and continued working for his father's real estate business.
Durst was a developer for the family business, but in the 1990s, his father passed on him as head of the company and instead enlisted his younger brother, Douglas Durst, in the role. Durst went on to live in various states across the country, including California and Texas.
Who did Robert Durst kill?
Durst was connected to the deaths of three people. The first was his wife, Kathleen, who went missing in 1982. She had shown up at a friend's home in Connecticut but left abruptly following a call from Durst to return home to their South Salem, N.Y. house. Robert claimed that he last saw her when he dropped her off at the train station to stay at their Manhattan apartment that night, as she had class for her final year of medical school the following morning. However, Durst did not report her missing for weeks. Kathleen's body was never found.
Nearly two decades later, Durst's best friend, Berman, was shot dead in her home on Dec. 24, 2000. Durst was a suspect at the time, but there was no motive or evidence to formally connect him to the crime. However, following his confession in The Jinx, he was tried and found guilty of murder.
The third death Durst was linked to was his 71-year-old neighbor Morris Black, whose dismembered body was found floating in Galveston Bay, Texas, in September 2001. Durst was arrested on Oct. 9, but released on a $250,000 bond the following day. After failing to appear at a bond hearing, Durst was indicted on charges of bail jumping and the murder of Black, according to The New York Times. In 2003, a Texas jury acquitted Durst of murdering Black, though the disgraced businessman admitted to chopping up Black’s body and dumping the remains into Galveston Bay.
What did Robert Durst confess to in The Jinx?
HBO's 2015 documentary series The Jinx was created to try to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of Kathleen, but the network got more than they expected. In an infamous hot mic moment, Durst seemingly confessed to his involvement in the murders he was connected to.
Following his final interview for the documentary, Durst went to the bathroom while still miked. “You’re caught,” he said to himself, seemingly unaware he was still being recorded. "You’re right, of course. But you can't imagine. Arrest him.”
“What the hell did I do?” he continued. “Killed them all, of course.”
He was arrested in New Orleans following this confession, though it was on unrelated weapons charges.
And while Durst's confession came at the end of the 2015 series, the filmmakers revealed that they didn't discover the shocking audio until two years after it was recorded.
“When he said, ‘Killed them all of course,’ I mean, again we screamed,” editor Shelby Siegel said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Like it was, it was incredible. It felt like it was impossible that that’s what he was saying.”
What happened to Robert Durst?
The night before the finale of The Jinx premiered on March 15, 2015, Durst was arrested and charged with the 2000 murder of Berman.
On Sept. 17, 2021, Durst was convicted of murdering Berman. More than 100 people testified during the trial — including The Jinx filmmakers — with prosecutors alleging Durst killed Berman for knowing too much about his wife's disappearance in 1982.
The following month, New York authorities charged Durst with second-degree murder in connection with the supposed death of his wife Kathleen, whose remains have never been found.
What will The Jinx Part 2 be about?
The Jinx Part 2 will pick up where the first season left off in 2015, according to Rolling Stone. The series will cover the fallout from Durst's hot mic confession, his trial and his conviction.
The six-episode series will also include Durst's prison calls, interviews with new witnesses and more.
When did Robert Durst die?
Durst was sentenced to life in prison in October 2021 for murder, and died in a state prison hospital facility in Stockton, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2022. He was 78 years old.
"Mr. Durst passed away early this morning while in the custody of California's Department of Corrections," one of Durst's attorneys, Chip Lewis, told PEOPLE in a statement. "We understand that his death was due to natural causes associated with a litany of medical issues we had repeatedly reported to the court over the last couple of years."
Following Durst's death, an attorney for Kathleen's family told PEOPLE in a statement, "Although Robert Durst has died, the ongoing investigation into those who helped him coverup her murder continues. On January 31, 2022, the 40th anniversary of Kathie's murder, we will provide a further update. In the interim, please say a prayer for Kathie and his other victims."
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