Now, The New York Times reports that Durst has been given an 85-month federal prison sentence, although it doesn’t have anything to do with his alleged murders. After years of getting away with the most heinous crap, including the murders of his wife Kathleen (allegedly) and friend Susan Berman (allegedly), the man made infamous by the HBO documentary The Jinx is finally headed for jail.
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The series explored the mysterious disappearance of Durst’s wife, Kathy, in 1982, as well as the 2000 killing of Berman, who was found shot in her Benedict Canyon home.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McMahon said after the sentencing that he suspects Durst was headed to Cuba to evade arrest in Berman’s killing.
Durst has always been estranged from his family, known for its significant NY real estate holdings.
The unusual odyssey of Robert Durst saw him accepted a federal plea agreement, which clears the way for his return to Los Angeles.
The acceptance of the plea means Durst is one step closer to being extradited to California, where is wanted for the 2000 murder of Susan Berman. It is unclear when exactly that will happen, but an agreement reached with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in December called for him to be sent to California by August 18. Durst was the subject of an HBO documentary where he was recorded admitting to murder.
Durst, 72, appeared frail.
Durst is a convicted felon, so he can not legally possess a gun. Durst split with the family when his younger brother was placed in charge of the family business, leading to a drawn- out legal battle. Durst’s voice was captured on a microphone after the interview saying he had “killed them all”.
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He had checked in there under an alias, Everette Ward, and had a fake ID and a mask that pulled down over the neck. He was found in a hotel in New Orleans with a weapon and $117,000 in cash. Durst maintains he had nothing to do with her disappearance, but prosecutors argue that he murdered Berman after he learned authorities reopened the investigation into Kathleen’s disappearance. The two had been neighbors while Durst was posing as a deaf and blind woman.
