Robert Durst

[NolaNole9]

Arrested in New Orleans and faces extradition back to California for the murder of Susan Berman, all because of The Jinx Documentary. Anyone watch the 6 part series that concluded tonight?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[montconole]

Great ending to the series. I would like to know the date of the final interview. They have a three-time murderer admitting to the killings. Did they notify the cops right away or hold off.

In a weird way, I found myself liking the bluntness and matter of fact attitude and felt sympathetic to him and then reality snaps back.

Fascinating person.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[squiffynole]

Too weird, this takes reality tv to a whole new level.

 

[dmm5157]

Originally posted by montconole:
Great ending to the series. I would like to know the date of the final interview. They have a three-time murderer admitting to the killings. Did they notify the cops right away or hold off.

That audio will never be allowed to be used in court. Lawyers will argue he didn't know he was being recorded, and the validity of the recording will be put into question, as will the circumstance of the tapes. That doesn't prove anything, although it does seem incriminating. If he got off in Texas for a much more damning situation, this is like a walk in the park.My wife and I watched this together. Her immediate response to him talking in the bathroom at the end of the episode is, "Sounds like he's having a conversation with himself as multiple personalities. He would probably claim insanity." I didn't take it as him admitting to the killings, sounded more like a response to internal dialogue. The sound clip didn't sound completely unmodified, could have been shortened to sound a certain way or close silence to make it sound like he was grouping the words a certain way.

Couple things jumped out at me, based on his recent arrest.

How inept is the Beverly Hills PD that they didn't check the handwriting already? Without a murder weapon, eye witness testimony, or being able to place Durst at the scene of the crime, what are they going to accomplish now? The police in Texas had a much better case and blew it. The BHPD seem to have very little to go on, not sure how they will build a case so many years later.

 

[Zeek99]

Originally posted by montconole:
Great ending to the series. I would like to know the date of the final interview. They have a three-time murderer admitting to the killings. Did they notify the cops right away or hold off.

In a weird way, I found myself liking the bluntness and matter of fact attitude and felt sympathetic to him and then reality snaps back.

Fascinating person.

Posted from Rivals Mobile

I saw in an article that it wsa recorded 3 years ago and only "discovered" in the past year. The director/producers struggled with how to approach Law Enforcement with it and whether it could be used in a courtroom. I'd like to see how this plays out because how can someone just sit on that evidence and allow a murderer to possibly get away.

 

[NolaNole9]

I'm not saying he is innocent by any means. But...couldn't he just argue that someone was trying to frame him with the handwriting? The original letter from him was obviously in her house where she was killed. Couldn't he say someone traced/mimicked his handwriting from the envelope?
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[Fijimn]

For the Galveston trial, I know the judge (Susan Criss) very well and knew two jury members. The Galveston ADA really messed up the case and was lazy in preparation. The defense lawyer, Dick Deguerin, is an excellent lawyer. He learned under Percy Foreman (the guy that represented, for a while, Jack Ruby) and it'll cost a lot of money but Deguerin will probably sow reasonable doubt

 

[Noleguy06]

Originally posted by NolaNole9:
I'm not saying he is innocent by any means. But...couldn't he just argue that someone was trying to frame him with the handwriting? The original letter from him was obviously in her house where she was killed. Couldn't he say someone traced/mimicked his handwriting from the envelope?

Posted from Rivals Mobile

He could but that's a hell of a reach.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Originally posted by NolaNole9:
I'm not saying he is innocent by any means. But...couldn't he just argue that someone was trying to frame him with the handwriting? The original letter from him was obviously in her house where she was killed. Couldn't he say someone traced/mimicked his handwriting from the envelope?

Posted from Rivals Mobile

I don't know if the last interview for the movie will be admissable, but after the interview he doesn't realize he's still miked up and goes to the bathroom where he's muttering to himself how stupid he was for doing the documentary, having the letter with the same writing and says "of course, I killed them all" as the movie ends.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[NolaNole9]

Originally posted by PoopandBoogers:

Originally posted by NolaNole9:
I'm not saying he is innocent by any means. But...couldn't he just argue that someone was trying to frame him with the handwriting? The original letter from him was obviously in her house where she was killed. Couldn't he say someone traced/mimicked his handwriting from the envelope?

Posted from Rivals Mobile

I don't know if the last interview for the movie will be admissable, but after the interview he doesn't realize he's still miked up and goes to the bathroom where he's muttering to himself how stupid he was for doing the documentary, having the letter with the same writing and says "of course, I killed them all" as the movie ends.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Right, I watched the documentary. But it's highly likely that scene won't be allowed in court. I was speaking hypothetically about a defense that could possibly be used by his lawyers. How the hell could anyone prove that he actually wrote that cadaver note? Especially 15 years after the fact. Id say someone was trying to frame me and copied my handwriting from a letter in the house. Prove to me that they didn't.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Yeah, any halfway decent defense lawyer, especially one he could afford, could poke holes in all of that. The only way he could majorly slip up is if the police question him again and he cracks, which would be highly unlikely since his lawyer wouldn't let him say a word...maybe a grand jury, but then again, does the prosecution have enough to even bring that? Crazy he will probably walk for this after watching the doc.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[2noles1cup]

Where can I watch this documentary?

 

[NolaNole9]

Originally posted by 2noles1cup:
Where can I watch this documentary?

HBO
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[1batman]

If only they had found the head.....

 

[noleville]

Originally posted by NolaNole9:

Originally posted by PoopandBoogers:

Originally posted by NolaNole9:
I'm not saying he is innocent by any means. But...couldn't he just argue that someone was trying to frame him with the handwriting? The original letter from him was obviously in her house where she was killed. Couldn't he say someone traced/mimicked his handwriting from the envelope?

Posted from Rivals Mobile

I don't know if the last interview for the movie will be admissable, but after the interview he doesn't realize he's still miked up and goes to the bathroom where he's muttering to himself how stupid he was for doing the documentary, having the letter with the same writing and says "of course, I killed them all" as the movie ends.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Right, I watched the documentary. But it's highly likely that scene won't be allowed in court. I was speaking hypothetically about a defense that could possibly be used by his lawyers. How the hell could anyone prove that he actually wrote that cadaver note? Especially 15 years after the fact. Id say someone was trying to frame me and copied my handwriting from a letter in the house. Prove to me that they didn't.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

I saw a defense lawyer and prosecutor on TV today talking about both the letter and the recording in the bathroom. Basically they said the recording is worthless, it was him mumbling to himself and anyone can take it anyway, like him talking to himselof about what people think of him, etc..
As for the letter, both seemed to think this was also a shot in the dark basically because of one misspelled word in both. Well, as both pointed out, if someone was trying to frame him they would have known about the first letter and the misspelled word.
Finally, he has GREAT lawyers. These are the guys that got him off with an argument of "self defense" after he killed, dismembered and threw his neighbors body in the river. This guy's a violent time bomb that has already gone off a few times, he'll walk..

 

[Nole Lou]

I think there is a good chance he walks...but if the jury believes he wrote that letter, it's not going to be easy. It's more than the misspelling...the handwriting matches.

I think it is too close a match to argue that it's simply coincidentally similar handwriting. Basically, you have to convince the jury that someone framed him by copying his handwriting...but did nothing else to frame him. Didn't call in a tip, didn't draw attention to it, just simply wrote the letter in his handwriting, and then waited for the wheels of justice to grind.

It comes down to, if he wrote the letter, he's a murderer. He's got no alibi, he has motive, means and opportunity, he was in California. If he wrote the letter, he did it. If you can't convince the jury that it's reasonable to believe that the killer framed him...it's still going to be tough.

The case has been open in California all along...it's possible they've got additional evidence as well, and knew about the handwriting (they must have) for some time.

 

[DanC78]

The Jinx

Anyone else watch this? It first time I heard of Robert Durst and his story. Pretty amazing the amount of crap this guy has gotten away with, especially the Texas murder.

If they can't put him away now, it's going to be really hard to have faith in the legal system. And I'm assuming it will go back to trial.

Anyways, great documentary.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[noleville]

Re: The Jinx

Originally posted by DanC78:
Anyone else watch this? It first time I heard of Robert Durst and his story. Pretty amazing the amount of crap this guy has gotten away with, especially the Texas murder.

If they can't put him away now, it's going to be really hard to have faith in the legal system. And I'm assuming it will go back to trial.

Anyways, great documentary.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

As bad as the OJ Simpson verdict was NOTHING compared to the "NOT GUILTY" verdict of Robert Blake, the Hollywood "D" list celebrity. If that guy can skate then anyone with money or/and fame can...

 

[HerndonNole]

Originally posted by noleville:

Originally posted by NolaNole9:

Originally posted by PoopandBoogers:

Originally posted by NolaNole9:
I'm not saying he is innocent by any means. But...couldn't he just argue that someone was trying to frame him with the handwriting? The original letter from him was obviously in her house where she was killed. Couldn't he say someone traced/mimicked his handwriting from the envelope?

Posted from Rivals Mobile

I don't know if the last interview for the movie will be admissable, but after the interview he doesn't realize he's still miked up and goes to the bathroom where he's muttering to himself how stupid he was for doing the documentary, having the letter with the same writing and says "of course, I killed them all" as the movie ends.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Right, I watched the documentary. But it's highly likely that scene won't be allowed in court. I was speaking hypothetically about a defense that could possibly be used by his lawyers. How the hell could anyone prove that he actually wrote that cadaver note? Especially 15 years after the fact. Id say someone was trying to frame me and copied my handwriting from a letter in the house. Prove to me that they didn't.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

I saw a defense lawyer and prosecutor on TV today talking about both the letter and the recording in the bathroom. Basically they said the recording is worthless, it was him mumbling to himself and anyone can take it anyway, like him talking to himselof about what people think of him, etc..
As for the letter, both seemed to think this was also a shot in the dark basically because of one misspelled word in both. Well, as both pointed out, if someone was trying to frame him they would have known about the first letter and the misspelled word.
Finally, he has GREAT lawyers. These are the guys that got him off with an argument of "self defense" after he killed, dismembered and threw his neighbors body in the river. This guy's a violent time bomb that has already gone off a few times, he'll walk..

The forensic handwriting expert analysed a lot more then just one word. He looked at 40 different documents and compared the handwriting on both letters and said they were a match.

 

[Manch.]

Re: The Jinx

Originally posted by DanC78:
Anyone else watch this? It first time I heard of Robert Durst and his story. Pretty amazing the amount of crap this guy has gotten away with, especially the Texas murder.

If they can't put him away now, it's going to be really hard to have faith in the legal system. And I'm assuming it will go back to trial.

Anyways, great documentary.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Dan, same here, I had no idea who this guy is until HBO aired the documentary. Since his arrest, 48 Hours replayed an episode about him on Saturaday Night and Vanity Fair also just aired an episode surrounding Durst over the weekend.

 

[Seminiferous]

Re: The Jinx

The Texas DA screwed up royally by undercharging Durst. The simpleton DA went for one simple, clean charge, and when he was outlawyered on that single charge, all was lost. This reminds me of the LA DA choosing to try OJ in LA rather than Orange County; the OJ case was doomed by that stupid decision, just as the Texas DA lost the case with his decision to proceed on one count only.

I believe that the scion Durst paid $1.5M total for his Texas lawyers. Who would've believed that Durst would be acquitted after admitting that he shot the victim, dismembered him, and attempted to stealthily dispose of the body parts at night?