Robert Durst Charged With 1982 Murder of Wife Kathie Durst

UPDATE: Robert Durst has charged in the death of his former wife Kathleen McCormack Durst, a.k.a. Kathie, who went missing in 1982, following decades of speculation. A New York state police investigator filed the second-degree murder complaint in Lewisboro, N.Y. days after the 78-year-old real estate heir was sentenced to life in prison for the 2000 murder of journalist Susan Berman, according to multiple reports.

The Westchester County District Attorney's Office confirmed in a statement to E! News on Friday, Oct. 22, that the filing was made three days prior. The office recently convened a grand jury to hear witness testimony and consider charges against Durst over the death of his former wife, the reports said.

An attorney for Kathleen's family said in a separate statement about the criminal complaint, "We are very happy with this development. At this time, however, we will not be making any further comments until the Grand Jury process is completed."

Durst's lawyers have filed notice that they intend to appeal the Los Angeles conviction, The New York Times reported.

He has been in prison for the past five years and was recently put on a ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19, the outlet said.

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Robert Durst has been convicted of killing Susan Berman in 2000.

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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that a jury found the 78-year-old real estate heir guilty of the first-degree murder of Berman, his former longtime friend and confidante.

"The jury's decision demonstrates how our legal system can work to hold accountable people regardless of their wealth and status in life," Gascón said. "I want to commend our prosecution team and investigators for their diligent work to ultimately bring justice for those who have been waiting more than 20 years."

During the trial, prosecutors said Durst shot Berman in her Los Angeles home on the night of Dec. 23, 2000.

Prior to her death, Berman reportedly intended to speak with New York investigators about the disappearance of Durst's wife, Kathie, who went missing in 1982 and has yet to be found. According to prosecutors, she wanted to confess to giving Durst a false alibi.

Durst first went on trial in March 2020, but proceedings were brought to a grinding halt when the coronavirus pandemic began. After a 14-month break, the jury returned to the Los Angeles courthouse in May to resume proceedings.

The 2015 HBO docuseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst brought renewed attention to Berman's death and Kathie's disappearance. Friends and family of the deceased spoke to the filmmakers about their loved ones, as well as their suspicions of the New York real estate heir.

Additionally, Durst himself participated in an interview with the documentarians, before seemingly admitting to killing Berman and his missing wife. In the season finale, Durst forgot his microphone was on and went to the bathroom, where the series showed him angrily whispering to himself, "You're caught! What the hell did I do? Killed 'em all, of course." Durst later claimed the scene had been edited in a misleading way.

Durst was arrested in New Orleans on March 14, 2015, a day before the bombshell finale aired. Since then, his legal team has claimed that prosecutors had no "physical evidence," and were basing their case on "speculation and hearsay."

The 78-year-old previously went on trial for the 2001 death of Morris Black, one of Durst's neighbors in Galveston, Tex. who was found deceased in a local bay. He claimed that he shot black in self-defense after attempting to wrangle a gun out of Black's hand.

To learn more about the disappearance of Kathie and the deaths of Black and Berman, read on here.

(This story was originally published on Sept. 17 at 4:59 p.m. PT.)

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