In Los Angeles, the jury found that Robert Durst has been guilty of the murder of his best friend, Susan Berman, for more than 20 years. This man has become known for the famous HBO series “The Jinx.”
Durst was charged with Berman’s 2000 first-degree murder at his Beverly Hills home, a few hours before he set out to speak to detectives about the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, whom they saw for last time in 1982.
Officially, MacCormack was pronounced dead in 2017, but a body or any trace was never found, and no one has been charged in the case.
Each of the jurors agreed that this case met special circumstances in California law, allowing Durst to be sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of a witness to a crime and the use of a firearm.
California has a very clear law on the death penalty. Similarly, Durst’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 18.
District Attorney George Gascón said: “The jury’s decision demonstrates how our legal system can work to hold people accountable regardless of their wealth and status in life. I want to congratulate our prosecution team and investigators for their diligent work. to ultimately do justice to those who have been waiting more than 20 years. “
Durst is currently 78 years old and took the stand in his defense during a truly exciting trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Predictably, he denied killing Berman and said he found her on her bedroom floor, fatally shot in the back of the head.
Dick DeGuerin, the defense attorney, said he was very disappointed by the jury’s verdict. “We fought hard, but we were second,” he said.
Additionally, DeGuerin said Durst was not there to hear the verdict in court due to his recent exposure to COVID-19 due to contagion from his driver. Hence, he is kept in quarantine in the meantime. In addition to this, he reported that he was unable to reach Durst to render the verdict.
The main prosecutor. John Lewin said: “We are very satisfied and grateful for the verdict that the jury reached in this case.” Additionally, he called Durst a “narcissistic psychopath” and added: “He got a much better life than he was entitled to.”
Read More: Nona Gaprindashvili Sues Netflix For Her Portrayal of ‘Queen’s Gambit.’
Final words
The judge who handled the case requested that all personally identifiable information of the jurors be sealed in full for security and privacy reasons. Additionally, it is up to the members to discuss the deliberations or the final verdict.
Durst’s testimony lasted 3 weeks, and most of the interrogation was a contentious confrontation with the prosecutor Lewin. Prosecutors say Durst shot Berman in the head and further alleged that Durst confided in her that he had tied up Kathleen, and she helped him cover her tracks.
Read More: Jane Powell, The Star of Hollywood’s Golden Age Musicals, Dies At 92
Leave a Reply