Robert Durst indicted for killing his wife in 1982, NY prosecutors announce

Robert Durst has been indicted in connection to the murder of his first wife and an arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Durst, who is currently in prison in California on a different murder case, now faces a second-degree murder indictment in New York. The Westchester County Office of the District Attorney announced the new indictment on Nov. 1.

Durst was previously charged by criminal complaint in connection to the murder of Kathleen Durst. The indictment is now a formal charge.

Kathleen Durst was killed around Jan. 31, 1982.

Durst was recently convicted of killing his friend Susan Berman in Los Angeles in 2000. He was sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors alleged that murder happened because Durst was afraid Berman would reveal information about the 1982 disappearance of Durst’s first wife.

Robert Durst is also accused of killing a neighbor in Texas. Authorities say Durst fled to Texas to avoid prosecution in New York. He lived under a false name and when the neighbor found out who he was, she was killed.

In California, Durst was only on trial for killing Berman, but prosecutors during the trial argued he killed three people in different states over four decades. During the trial, Durst appeared as a frail man often listening to the proceedings from a wheelchair.

It was recently revealed that while in prison, Durst contracted COVID-19

Durst was also featured in the HBO documentary called “The Jinx” where he was caught on microphone talking about the killings.

“When Kathleen Durst disappeared on January 31, 1982, her family and friends were left with pain, anguish and questions that have contributed to their unfaltering pursuit of justice for the last 39 years,” Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said. “The District Attorney’s Office reinvigorated its investigation into Robert Durst just 10 months ago when I took Office, launched the Cold Case Bureau, and dedicated the resources and skill that I thought this case deserved. Thanks to the incredible hard work of our Assistant District Attorneys, the District Attorney’s Criminal Investigators and the New York State Police, we have taken a huge step forward in the pursuit of justice for Kathie Durst, her family and victims of domestic violence everywhere.”