Durst faces day of reckoning in murder of best friend

3 years ago 274

LOS ANGELES – The bitterly fought execution proceedings of Robert Durst stretched implicit the amended portion of 2 years. His sentencing volition beryllium comparatively little and could deficiency the fireworks that erupted betwixt the pb authoritative and defence lawyer.

The eccentric New York existent property heir faces a mandatory word of beingness successful situation without parole Thursday for the first-degree execution of his champion friend, Susan Berman.

“Now that the assemblage has recovered whodunnit, the punishment is rather clear,” Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson said. “I'm not definite there’s a batch much near for (the prosecutor) to say."

Durst, 78, was convicted past period successful Los Angeles Superior Court of shooting Berman point-blank successful the backmost of the caput successful her Los Angeles location conscionable earlier Christmas 2000.

Durst, who has galore aesculapian issues, connected Thursday was rolled into the courtroom successful a wheelchair wearing brownish jailhouse scrubs. His eyes were wide unfastened and helium had a catatonic stare.

Several of the jurors returned to the courtroom to witnesser the sentencing and were seated successful the assemblage box.

The proceedings began successful March 2020 and was adjourned for 14 months arsenic the coronavirus pandemic swept the U.S. and courts were closed. It resumed successful May with the assemblage that reached its verdict Sept. 17.

Berman, the girl of a Las Vegas mobster, was Durst’s longtime confidante who was preparing to archer constabulary she provided a phony alibi for him aft his woman vanished successful New York successful 1982.

Kathie Durst has ne'er been found. Robert Durst has ne'er been charged with a transgression related to her disappearance.

But pursuing his condemnation successful Berman's death, which relied connected grounds that helium killed his wife, a New York authoritative is prepared present to question charges against him successful her death, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance told The Associated Press connected information of anonymity.

Durst testified successful the LA case, denying helium killed his woman oregon Berman, but helium said he'd prevarication if helium had done so.

Kathie McCormack Durst's household had hoped to contiguous statements to the tribunal Thursday astir their loss, but prosecutors denied the request, according to emails sent to their lawyer.

Attorney Robert Abrams said the McCormack household was disappointed, and helium was outraged. He said household members would not be the sentencing.

“The household is not going to spell question 3,000 miles to beryllium a prop successful immoderate Hollywood accumulation and beryllium determination and not beryllium capable to marque their unfortunate interaction statements," Abrams said. “This is not immoderate movie wherever it’s gross spectacle. This is their lives, and they’ve suffered for 40 years.”

A spokesperson for the territory attorney's bureau did not instrumentality a connection seeking comment.

Levenson said it was questionable whether Kathie Durst was a unfortunate successful the Los Angeles lawsuit due to the fact that Robert Durst wasn't charged with her killing. Allowing her siblings to talk astatine sentencing would make different contented for an appeal.

Defense lawyers argued successful tribunal papers that Durst deserved a caller trial, saying determination was insufficient grounds to beryllium the lawsuit and listing 15 ways the justice erred.

Judge Mark Windham rejected the question and said the prosecution had overwhelming grounds and proved Durst's guilt beyond a tenable uncertainty successful astatine slightest 5 ways, including respective admissions Durst made. He rejected each the arguments that helium had ruled incorrectly.

"You said the tribunal erred truthful galore times it made maine consciousness self-conscious,” Windham said.

The question was chiefly to sphere issues for entreaty and apt to fail, Levenson said, though immoderate of their arguments could get a higher court's attention.

The defence said Windham should person declared a mistrial erstwhile the assemblage was sent location and the lawsuit adjourned. They said the magnitude of the hold was unprecedented.

Many of the different issues revolve astir admittance of evidence, specified arsenic allowing prosecutors to contiguous grounds that Durst killed a neighbour successful Galveston, Texas, successful 2001 and chopped up his assemblage and tossed the parts retired to sea. Durst was acquitted of execution aft testifying that Morris Black pulled a weapon connected him and was killed successful a conflict for the weapon.

They besides objected to grounds and exhibits that showed erstwhile Durst was arrested successful New Orleans successful 2015, helium had a mask, fake identification, drugs, $40,000 and a loaded handgun successful his edifice room.

They besides objected to showing jurors a diagnostic film, “All Good Things" based connected Durst's beingness and starring Ryan Gosling arsenic him and Kirsten Dunst arsenic Kathie Durst.

They incorrectly said jurors were shown the six-part documentary, “The Jinx: The Life and Crimes of Robert Durst," though jurors were shown excerpts, including a information that galore took arsenic a confession.

In a infinitesimal disconnected camera but with a unrecorded microphone, Durst muttered, “Killed them all, of course.”

To bounds the fig of appellate issues, prosecutors whitethorn beryllium much restrained successful their sentencing presentation, Levenson said, peculiarly erstwhile the situation word is already set.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin was asked by a newsman aft the condemnation what helium had to accidental to Durst.

Lewin, who was assertive and often scrapped with defence lawyer Dick DeGuerin implicit the six years it took from apprehension to conviction, initially said helium didn't person thing to accidental to the antheral helium had pursued for years.

Then helium called Durst a “narcissistic psychopath” who “killed his woman and ... had to support sidesplitting to screen it up.”

“He’s 78 years old. He’s been walking astir for a agelong time," Lewin said. "He had a batch much of a life, you know, Kathie didn’t marque 30. On balance, considering what he’s done, helium got a batch much of a beingness than helium was entitled to.”

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Associated Press writers Christopher Weber successful Los Angeles and Michael R. Sisak successful New York contributed to this report.

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