Robert Durst
| Robert Durst | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Robert Alan Durst April 12, 1943 New York City, New York, United States |
| Other names | Bobby Durst |
| Education | Scarsdale High School |
| Alma mater | Lehigh University (B.A. Economics, 1965) |
| Spouse(s) |
Kathie Durst (Kathleen McCormack) (m. 1973–90) Debrah Lee Charatan (m. 2000) |
| Parent(s) |
Seymour Durst Bernice Herstein |
Robert Alan Durst (born April 12, 1943) is an American real estate heir, the son of New York City mogul Seymour Durst, and the elder brother of Douglas Durst, head of the Durst Organization. He has primarily been known for being the suspect in investigations by local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities for the disappearances and/or murders of three individuals in different states:
On March 14, 2015, Durst was arrested in New Orleans, Louisiana, on a first-degree murder warrant signed by a Los Angeles judge. If convicted in California for the murder of Susan Berman, Durst could face the death penalty with "special circumstances for the murder of a witness and for lying in wait". He was initially held in a mental-health unit outside of New Orleans before being transferred to the St. Charles Parish jail. Shortly following, Durst was indicted by the state of Louisiana for possession of a handgun by a felon and possession of a weapon while in the possession of an illegal substance, and then by the US Attorney's Office for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon; he pleaded not guilty to both the Louisiana and the federal weapons charges. Louisiana then dropped its charges, deferring to the federal charges, while reserving the right to recharge Durst at a later date.
Durst's lawyers early on spurned a 27-month plea deal because they were confident a federal judge would rule the search of his New Orleans hotel room was illegal. They were left with little room to negotiate when prosecutors raised the possibility that additional charges would be filed. Durst then changed his federal weapons plea to guilty on February 3, 2016, per a final agreement with the US Attorney's office, resulting in an 85-month federal prison sentence. He was scheduled to be transferred to a California federal prison by August 18, 2016, to await the Berman murder trial. In late August 2016, Durst's lawyer Dick DeGuerin told People Magazine that due to "serious surgery", the US Bureau of Prisons delayed the transfer of his client to California to stand trial for the murder of Susan Berman. DeGuerin also said he expects the trial will commence in late 2017. On Friday, November 4, 2016, Durst was transferred to California and on the following Monday, November 7, was arraigned in Los Angeles on charges of murdering Susan Berman in 2000. In a wheelchair with a neck brace, Durst pled not guilty and said, "I am not guilty. I did not kill Susan Berman." LA Deputy District Attorney John Lewin said the state would not seek the death penalty against Durst. Both sides agreed to convene again on February 15, 2017, to set the date for a preliminary hearing.
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