Who would think that after decades of running from the law and mounds of circumstantial evidence, a docu-series of all things – HBO’s The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst – may be what finally puts real estate heir Robert A. Durst away?
Durst has been under suspicions for at least three murders since the ‘80s, the first of which was his wife, Kathleen Durst. Over the years, Durst has fled, lived in disguise, and been picked up for petty crimes like stealing a sandwich, reports The New York Times. Law enforcement has never been able to prove that, over a period of three decades, he (allegedly) killed his late wife, a friend, and a man who lived across the hall from him. But a quiet mutter from Durst while on a bathroom break during the filming of the HBO series, which aired in the final part of the series last night, may have put the nail in his coffin. He was caught saying to himself: “what the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.”
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Producers for the HBO documentary series, which is based on Durst’s life story, have been studying the man, who comes from a wealthy New York City real estate family, for the past decade. They reportedly did not come across the muttered statement – clearly uttered when Durst thought his microphone was off – until a few years ago when going through footage.
The evidence may not be admissible in court, however. Since Durst was in the bathroom at the time, there’s an expectation of privacy, which means the supposed confession may not hold up in court. Still, it’s quite revealing.
Regardless, Durst was arrested at a hotel in New Orleans on Saturday night on a warrant related to the charge of murdering his friend Susan Berman back in 2000, before the final episode with this damning statement even aired.
One might wonder why an innocent man would agree to working with producers on a story about his life that may dredge up details and stories that could put him away. Indeed, the investigation into the three murders was only reopened after Durst agreed to talk with Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling, producers of The Jinx. But sociopaths have been known to feed on attention and the stroking of an ego, often feeling invincible.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens in official court proceedings, but the recorded inadvertent confession seems pretty damning in the court of public opinion.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, is a six-party HBO documentary. The final part, which contained that dreaded bathroom confession, aired last night.
