The subject of hit docu-series 'The Jinx' passed away two months after a grand jury in New York indicted him for murder in the death of his wife Kathleen Durst.
- Jan 11, 2022
AceShowbiz - Robert Durst has passed away. The subject of "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" died in prison hospital nearly three months after he was handed a life sentence for the execution-style killing of his longtime confidant Susan Berman and soon after he was indicted for the 1982 murder of his wife, Kathleen Durst.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the star of HBO's documentary series died of natural causes at the age of 78 on Monday, January 10 at 06:44 A.M. The San Joaquin County coroner will determine the exact cause of his death.
Under California law, the state's Courts of Appeal can dismiss the appeal and order the trial court to set aside his conviction, according to Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "The whole world knows the jury found Durst guilty," Laurie, who is also the author of a treatise on the state's criminal laws, said. "But that's not what the legal record will show. He didn't finish his appeal."
John Lewin, the deputy district attorney in Los Angeles and the lead prosecutor of the case that led to Robert's conviction on charges of killing his close friend Susan in 2000, echoed Laurie's view of what the public will remember. "Bob Durst was convicted by a jury who came to the conclusion that he was responsible for the deaths of three people," said John.
John, who sought during the trial to tie Robert, also known as Bobby, to the killings of Kathleen, Susan and a third victim, added, "His death in no way changes what happened." He stressed, "Bob Durst is a murderer and he died a murderer no matter what the status of his legal position."
Robert had been housed at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in October. At the time, the real estate heir, who also suffered from bladder cancer, was placed on a ventilator.
On November 1, a grand jury in New York indicted him for murder in the death of his wife Kathleen, who vanished from the couple's Westchester County home on February 1, 1982. Her body was never found and Robert divorced her in 1990, claiming abandonment. In 2017, she was declared legally dead.
"After 40 years spent seeking justice for her death, I know how upsetting this news must be for Kathleen Durst's family," Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Roach reacted to the news. "We had hoped to allow them the opportunity to see Mr. Durst finally face charges for Kathleen's murder because we know that all families never stop wanting closure, justice and accountability."
Then in October, Robert was sentenced to life behind bars for murdering Susan. The judge dropped his jail sentence after he was found guilty of murdering Susan as she knew too much about the disappearance of his wife Kathleen following his five-month trial.
"When Bob Durst killed Kathie, he killed Susan and Morris as well because once that happened, once he did that, there was no turning back," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin told jurors during the first week of trial. "Bob Durst is a person who is going to protect and take care of Bob Durst."
