Robert Durst is considered by many to be the black sheep among the brood of four of Seymour Durst, a real estate tycoon in New York, and Bernice Herstein.
Although he was linked to a few crimes, Durst never faced charges for the disappearance of his wife Kathleen in 1982 and for the murder of Susan Berman in California back in 2000. He was, however, acquitted in the killing of his Galveston, Texas neighbor Morris Black, who was found dismembered in 2001. Durst used self-defense as the reason for committing the act.
Now 71, Durst has been arrested on two murder charges and also for the disappearance of his wife. The arrest came prior to the airing of an HBO serial documentary on Sunday evening where evidence of his links to the crimes seems more solid than ever.
In the finale of the series, Durst was asked about a letter that showed his handwriting and how it looked similar to the handwriting in an anonymous letter that was in the possession of the police. Later, Durst went to the bathroom and began to mumble to himself, unaware of the microphone attached to his body.
"There it is. You're caught," mumbled Durst. "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."
When the show ended, there was no information on whether he was confronted by the producers on the recorded words and what he meant when he said them.
Durst was at the lobby of the JW Marriott in New Orleans when he was arrested. It was said that he registered at the hotel under a fake name and had shown them a fake ID. He paid for the room in cash.
"We are relieved and also grateful to everyone who assisted in the arrest of Robert Durst," said Douglas Durst, his brother and also a real estate developer.
Chip Lewis, Durst's lawyer, said that his client was held without bond and had to face hearing on Monday. Durst will also be taken to Los Angeles where he would be questioned further on a case of first-degree murder.
The documentary series, where Durst gave an extensive interview, was called The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. It was directed by Andrew Jarecki.
Lewis, however, maintains that his client is innocent even after he made such revelations on the program.
In 2010, Jarecki made the film All Good Things, a fictionalized version of the documentary. The film starred Ryan Gosling where he played the role of a killer but in a more emphatic way. Durst was said to have cried three times when he saw the film.
"The story is so operatic," said Jarecki as he talked about the six-part documentary. "That's what's so fascinating to me - seeing someone who is born to such privilege and years later is living in a $300-a-month rooming house in Galveston, Texas, disguised as a mute woman."
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