New York real estate heir Robert Durst goes on trial for the murder of Susan Berman Wednesday in Los Angeles.
The 76-year-old has been accused of murdering his friend Berman in 2000. He has also been accused of murdering his first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, in 1982, as well as his elderly neighbor in 2001 (for which he was acquitted).
True-crime fans will recognize Durst from the 2015 HBO miniseries "The Jinx," in which he seemingly confessed in a hot-mic moment.
Officials believe that Durst killed Berman because she could implicate him in the disappearance and suspected murder of McCormack Durst.
Real estate heir and accused killer Robert Durst is set to begin trial for the unsolved 2000 murder of Susan Berman in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Durst, who's been a suspect in two additional murder cases, was profiled in the 2015 HBO miniseries "The Jinx." The docuseries focused on the disappearance of Durst's first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, and the death of his elderly neighbor, Morris Black.
Durst was acquitted in the murder of Morris Black and was never charged in the disappearance of his first wife. However, prosecutors in the 2020 Berman case hope to revisit McCormack's suspected murder since they believe Durst killed Berman to stop her from sharing information about McCormack's disappearance.
Here's a refresher of the case against Robert Durst and his involvement in the HBO miniseries "The Jinx."
Who is Robert Durst, and what's he on trial for?
The son of New York real estate mogul Seymour Durst, Robert Durst initially studied economics before joining his father's real estate business in the late 1960s. However, Durst's younger brother Douglas was selected to manage the company — something that reportedly caused a rift between the two siblings.
Durst married Kathleen "Kathie" McCormack in 1973, but she disappeared in 1982. Friends and family of McCormack say they have long suspected Durst of abducting and murdering her, but he was never charged in her disappearance.
Now, Durst is on trial for the 2000 unsolved murder of his friend Susan Berman, whom he met in college, and who prosecutors say may have known about the circumstances surrounding McCormack's disappearance and suspected murder.
Berman was an author and journalist who met Durst while they were both studying at UCLA in the 1960s. The two grew close, and Berman even provided an alibi for Durst when he was questioned in the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen "Kathie" McCormack Durst.
The 2015 HBO miniseries "The Jinx" investigated McCormack's 1982 disappearance and the murders of Berman and Black in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Featuring re-enactments, archival footage, and interviews with Durst himself, the docuseries was a hit when it was released, and put Durst under increased scrutiny.
The most controversial moment from "The Jinx" came during the last episode when Durst left his final interview to use the bathroom. Unaware that his mic was still recording, he continued to talk to himself and the documentary aired footage of him appearing to say, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."
Many took this statement to be an acknowledgment of his guilt in the murders of Berman, Black, and McCormack.
While the audio in "The Jinx" at first glance appears damning, the New York Times subsequently revealed that filmmakers edited the dialogue to reverse the order of Durst's comments. According to the transcript, "Killed them all, of course" was said before "What the hell did I do?" along with numerous other remarks.
Durst's lawyers have since argued that the series was not a true documentary, and the validity of his taped "confession" remains under scrutiny.