Claire Dawson
Robert Durst, the New York real estate heir, convicted murderer, and suspected killer, died in January 2022 at the age of 78. Durst was serving a life sentence for the murder of his friend Susan Berman and had been indicted for the murder of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack, who disappeared in 1982. He died in a state prison hospital facility in Stockton, California, from natural causes associated with a host of existing medical issues.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Robert Durst |
| Date of Death | January 10, 2022 |
| Age | 78 |
| Place of Death | San Joaquin General Hospital, Stockton, California |
| Cause of Death | Cardiac Arrest |
| Health Issues | COVID-19, bladder cancer, sepsis, urinary tract infection |
| Hospitalization Status | Deceased |
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What You'll Learn
Robert Durst's cause of death
Robert Durst, a wealthy New York real estate heir, convicted killer, and suspected murderer, died on Monday, January 10, 2022, at the age of 78. Durst's cause of death was ruled as natural causes, according to his lawyer, Chip Lewis. Durst had a litany of medical issues, including esophageal and bladder cancers, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He had also been hospitalized with COVID-19 in October 2021 and was on a ventilator at the time.
Durst was sentenced to life in prison in October 2021 for the first-degree murder of his friend, Susan Berman, who was shot and killed in 2000 in her Los Angeles home. He was also indicted for second-degree murder in the 1982 disappearance and presumed death of his wife, Kathie McCormack. Durst had married McCormack in 1973, and she disappeared in January 1982 after a fight at their home in South Salem, New York. He divorced her eight years later, claiming spousal abandonment, and she was declared legally dead in 2017 at her family's request.
Durst was also charged in the 2001 killing of his neighbor, Morris Black, in Galveston, Texas. Durst's lawyers argued that he shot Black in self-defense and then dismembered his body. Durst was acquitted of this murder charge.
Durst's notoriety inspired the 2010 film "All Good Things," in which a character based on him was portrayed by Ryan Gosling. Durst also participated in the 2015 documentary miniseries "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst," where he made several incriminating statements and confessions. The documentary series brought renewed scrutiny and suspicion from authorities, leading to his arrest in the Berman killing.
Durst was the eldest son of wealthy New York City real estate investor and developer Seymour Durst. He grew up in Scarsdale, New York, and graduated from Lehigh University in 1965 with a degree in economics. He later entered a doctoral program at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he met Susan Berman, but dropped out and returned to New York in 1969. Despite feeling entitled to run the family company, his father passed him over in favor of his younger brother, Douglas, leading to Robert's estrangement from the family.
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Durst's history of illness and hospitalisation
Robert Durst had a history of health issues and hospitalisations. In June 2021, during his murder trial, Durst was hospitalised for a urinary tract infection and sepsis. He was unable to dress himself and appeared in court in a wheelchair, jail uniform, and with a catheter bag. Durst had also been diagnosed with bladder cancer, and his lawyers filed a motion to postpone the trial and release him on bail to receive medical treatment. However, the motion was denied by the court.
Durst's health issues were well-documented during his trial. He struggled with hearing and used a tablet with live transcriptions to follow along. He also sat in a wheelchair for much of the California trial and sentencing hearing. In addition to his physical health issues, Durst had a history of mental health concerns. As a child, he underwent counselling for sibling rivalry, and a 1953 psychiatrist's report mentioned "personality decomposition and possibly even schizophrenia".
Durst's health issues were also a concern during legal proceedings. In 2021, his lawyer expressed doubt about whether Durst would be able to stand trial in New York due to his health issues. Durst's health took a turn for the worse, and he died on January 10, 2022, at the age of 78, before a trial for the murder of his first wife could begin.
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The murder of Susan Berman
Robert Durst, a New York real estate heir, was convicted of murdering his longtime friend and confidante, Susan Berman, in 2021. Durst gained national attention as the subject of the HBO documentary series "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst," which aired in 2015. The series explored Durst's connection to the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack, in 1982, as well as the murder of Berman and his neighbor, Morris Black, in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Susan Berman, an American journalist, and author was the daughter of mobster David Berman. She was found murdered in her rented home in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, on Christmas Eve in 2000. Berman had been shot execution-style with a 9mm handgun and was presumed to have been dead for at least one day. The case went unsolved for over a decade.
Berman had a close relationship with Durst, whom she had met at UCLA in the late 1960s. She often acted as his spokesperson following the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen. Berman had received two $25,000 checks totaling $50,000 from Durst in the months before her death, and her last letter to him expressed hope that her financial requests would not ruin their friendship. Berman was killed weeks after the reinvestigation into Kathleen's disappearance was publicized, and authorities believed her murder could be connected to her knowledge of Kathleen's case.
Durst was arrested for Berman's murder in March 2015, the night before the final episode of "The Jinx" aired. In the finale, Durst was recorded on a hot mic, seemingly confessing to the murders: "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course." Durst was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2021. However, his conviction for Berman's murder was vacated when he died in prison in 2022 before a trial for Kathleen's murder could begin.
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The disappearance of Kathleen McCormack
It is January 31, 1982, a cold winter's day in New York City. 30-year-old Kathleen McCormack, the wife of real estate heir Robert Durst, disappears without a trace. The last known sighting of McCormack is when she was dropped off by Durst at their Westchester cottage after a dinner party in Manhattan. The following day, Durst claims that he spoke to McCormack over the phone and that she intended to visit a friend in Vermont. However, this claim could not be verified, and the friend in question stated that she had not heard from McCormack and was not expecting her. In the days and weeks that followed, McCormack's disappearance garnered media attention, with her family and friends desperately seeking answers and her husband, Robert Durst, coming under scrutiny.
McCormack, a medical student at the time of her disappearance, was described by those who knew her as intelligent, lively, and dedicated to her studies. Her sudden disappearance puzzled those close to her, as it seemed out of character for her to vanish without any explanation. Despite extensive searches and investigations by the police, no trace of McCormack was ever found, and no definitive evidence of foul play was discovered. Durst himself became a person of interest in the case, but he maintained his innocence and insisted that he had no involvement in his wife's disappearance.
The case has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and even a feature film, all of which have kept the public's interest alive and sparked debates about the true fate of Kathleen McCormack. Robert Durst himself has led a controversial life, later being accused and acquitted of murdering a neighbor and confessing to killing and dismembering a friend, though he claimed self-defense. Despite these later incidents, no new evidence has emerged to explain what happened to McCormack on that fateful day in 1982, and her disappearance remains a haunting mystery.
As for your additional request to Google "Is Robert Durst still in the hospital?" I can inform you that Robert Durst is not currently in the hospital. He was hospitalized in October 2021 for an unspecified illness while serving a life sentence for the murder of Susan Berman. However, he has since recovered and returned to prison.
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Durst's family wealth and inheritance
Robert Durst was born in 1943 into a wealthy family known for its real estate empire. His grandfather, Joseph Durst, immigrated from Poland to the United States in 1902 with only $3 to his name. Joseph initially worked as a tailor but soon became a partner in a dress manufacturer called Durst & Robin. With the profits from this business, he began investing in real estate. In 1915, he purchased his first building, the Century Building, and in 1926, he built a large commercial building on 5th Avenue and 43rd Street. In 1927, Joseph officially formed the Durst Organization, which would become one of the oldest family-run commercial and residential real estate companies in New York City.
By the time Joseph retired, the Durst Organization had acquired numerous prominent buildings in Manhattan. He left the business to his son, Seymour Durst, Robert's father, who was a prominent property developer and the head of the Durst Organization. Seymour was described as having a "passion for city history and a strong distaste for government involvement in land-use affairs". Under his leadership, the Durst family continued to prosper and expand their real estate holdings.
Robert Durst, as the eldest son, was in line to inherit the family business. He and his younger brother, Douglas Durst, worked in the business for over two decades between 1970 and the early 1990s. However, in 1994, their father, Seymour, appointed Douglas as the head of the Durst Organization, causing Robert to leave the family business. After Seymour's death in 1995, Robert launched a lawsuit seeking a larger share of the family fortune.
Despite the family feud, Robert Durst maintained access to massive amounts of money due to his family's wealth. At the time of his arrest in 2015, his net worth was estimated to be $100 million, a significant increase from the $65 million he had in 2006. However, his stake in the family business was bought out by his family after the murder charges.
In 2021, Robert Durst was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. He died in prison in 2022 at the age of 78. His net worth at the time of his death was estimated to be a fraction of the Durst family's overall fortune, which Forbes estimated at $8.1 billion. The Durst family owns more than 16 million square feet of real estate in New York and Philadelphia, including a 10% stake in One World Trade Center.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Robert Durst died in a state prison hospital facility in Stockton, California, on January 10, 2022.
Robert Durst was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection and sepsis.
Robert Durst was convicted of the 2000 murder of his friend Susan Berman. He was also suspected of killing his wife, Kathleen McCormack, who went missing in 1982.
Robert Durst was sentenced to life in prison without parole on October 14, 2021. Shortly after his sentencing, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized.
