Robert Durst, the subject of the documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst on HBO, has been arrested in connection to a murder in Los Angeles from 15 years ago. According to the New York Times, Durst was arrested in New Orleans and arraigned on Sunday morning in connection to a warrant issues by law enforcement officials in California.
The arrest warrant stems from the death of Susan Berman in 2000, but it seems that officials in Los Angeles are attempting to tie more together:
Last week, Mr. Durst said in a telephone interview that he did not have the “faintest idea” who killed Ms. Berman, nor did he know what happened to his first wife, who has been declared legally dead. Speaking in a gravelly monotone, he did say that he felt “complicit” in the disintegration of their marriage and the violent episodes that accompanied it.
The Los Angeles district attorney recently reopened an investigation into Ms. Berman’s death, and is tying it to the case of Mr. Durst’s missing wife in New York. Mr. Durst went on trial in 2001 for the murder of the Texas neighbor, Morris Black. A jury found him not guilty, though Mr. Durst admitted having dismembered Mr. Black’s body. (via)
Thanks a lot, Robert Durst. #SpoilerAlert
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) March 15, 2015
Durst’s lawyers vowed to fight the charges during his appearance in court this morning, but the details of the warrant, apart from charges of first degree murder, remain closed for the time being.
What isn’t closed is The Jinx on HBO, set to air it’s final episode tonight and possibly shedding light on this entire situation. It isn’t clear how much influence the documentary has had on the investigation, but it isn’t hard to really connect the two. The program has introduced new evidence and ignited interest in the case over the course of it’s airing.
I doubt there would be a better bit of promotion than a high profile arrest, especially given the circumstances behind the program. We’ll just have to wait and see how much is revealed tonight. Check back for updates and more information as it becomes available. Until then, we have this:
https://twitter.com/ditzkoff/status/577133623595413505
(Via New York Times / LA Times )