Robert Durst, Killer Who Helped Spark True Crime Obsession, Dead At 78

Robert Durst, New York real estate heir and convicted murderer, has passed away at age 78.

Durst first came to notoriety after the mysterious disappearance of his wife in 1982. While Kathleen McCormack Durst was never found, police and McCormack’s family suspected Durst played a role in her disappearance. That would be just the first of three murders/disappearances that Durst was connected to. 

He became a minor celebrity following the HBO documentary The Jinx, which examined the three cases and included a secretly recorded confession of Durst where he claimed he’d “kill them all of course.” 

I would highly recommend The Jinx. It is a lot better than most “True crime” shows out there because the suspect is front and center the whole time. 

The success of The Jinx led to Durst’s arrest and conviction for the murder of Susan Berman, a former friend of Durst’s who provided an alibi for his wife’s disappearance. Berman was found in 2000 murdered execution-style in her house. Durst was in the area and, in 2021, was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

Before his death, Durst’s lawyers had requested Durst be released on compassionate grounds, as he had developed bladder cancer. 

Twitter Reacts To Robert Durst’s Death

The man did not work well in the end.

Liza Minnelli outlives another!

Common misconception.

I can only hope my obituary is as spicy.

Comics weigh-in

Robert Durst’s True Crime legacy

In terms of true crime pioneers, it’s hard not to put Robert Durst up there.

The 2014 mini-series came right as “True crime” started to pop off as a popular documentary/podcast genre. His story was rare among true crime for its rather conclusive ending. Durst was arrested the day after the series finale of The Jinx.

Share your thoughts on true crime in the comments below.

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