The Jinx subject Robert Durst's murder trial set to begin with jury selection
Almost five years after the jaw-dropping final episode of HBO's The Jinx, its subject Robert Durst's murder trial is almost underway. Jury selection is set to begin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, with opening statements expected to be delivered during the week of March 2.
The real estate tycoon has been charged with the murder of his friend Susan Berman, who was found shot in her Beverly Hills home in 2000. HBO's true-crime documentary series The Jinx drew attention to Durst's case in 2015. In its final episode, Durst is confronted over the similarities between his handwriting and the handwriting on a note delivered to police with the location of Berman's body and the word "cadaver." After the interview, Durst leaves his microphone on and is heard muttering to himself in the bathroom, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."
Durst was arrested the day before the final episode of The Jinx aired on HBO. Last year, however, it was revealed that the jaw-dropping scene was misleadingly edited, as Durst actually said "killed them all, of course" before he said "what the hell did I do?" In the lead-up to the trial, Durst's lawyers have admitted that he did write the "cadaver" note with the location of Berman's body after denying it and saying"only the killer could have written" it in The Jinx.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Durst still denies killing Berman and has pleaded not guilty. He is accused of killing Berman to prevent her from speaking with police about the disappearance of his wife, in whose disappearance he has also denied involvement. Durst was previously acquitted in the killing of his neighbor Morris Black; Durst claimed Black shot himself accidentally, but he admitted to dismembering his body.
The trial is expected to last several months.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Political cartoons for January 18Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include cost of living, endless supply of greed, and more
-
Exploring ancient forests on three continentsThe Week Recommends Reconnecting with historic nature across the world
-
The rise of the spymaster: a ‘tectonic shift’ in Ukraine’s politicsIn the Spotlight President Zelenskyy’s new chief of staff, former head of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, is widely viewed as a potential successor
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
