A recent HBO mini series called, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, has discovered new evidence in the 2000 murder case of Susan Berman. The new evidence has led to the arrest of Durst, and charged for the crime.
The visually striking series uses a variety of footage to dig deep into the life of Durst, as well as the three deaths he has been linked to.
This is a rare occasion where a TV show has had immediate effect on the outside world.
It all started with the 1982 disappearance of Kathie Durst, Robert’s wife.
Conflicting statements and marital problems led to the husband becoming a prime suspect. However, he was never charged with her murder.
Eighteen years later on Christmas Eve in 2000, Robert Durst’s longtime friend Berman was found murdered in her Los Angeles home.
Durst became a suspect after it was revealed New York State Police were planning on questioning her about the 1982 disappearance of his wife.
A year later Durst was arrested and charged with the murder and dismemberment of his neighbor, Morris Black.
He was acquitted, claiming the murder was self-defense.
The evidence that led to Durst’s recent arrest was a letter he had written Berman.
The letter shared similar handwriting and spelling to one police received informing them of Berman’s murder.
The evidence was uncovered in the fifth episode of “The Jinx,” which aired March 8. Durst was arrested March 14, a day before the sixth and final episode aired on HBO.
In the final episode, Director Andrew Jarecki confronts Durst about the letter. Durst denies writing the letter, but admits to the similarities.
Shortly after, Jarecki ends the interview.
Durst then goes to the restroom with his microphone still on. While in the restroom he was recorded saying: “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.”
People have since questioned Jarecki about the timeline.
Most concerns are about when he shared his information with police and whether or not his decision was a ploy to get higher ratings.
Jarecki insisted he gave the police the information months before the airing of the show. He maintains he has been fully cooperative with investigators, and by the end of the series his only goal was to get justice.
Durst was in possession of a .38 revolver and five ounces of marijuana during his recent arrest.
He is currently being detained in Louisiana for gun and drug charges.
Now that he is 71 and has health issues, it seems time is running out for the alleged murderer.
If convicted, these charges alone can lead to him spending the rest of his life behind bars.
In California, prosecutors eagerly await the chance to convict him with the murder charges of Berman.
In a recent interview, Jarecki was asked if at any point he felt Durst was innocent.
“It was just that we didn’t know that he was guilty. The truth is, our opinion now is that he’s guilty,” he said.