Robert Alan Durst (April 12, 1943 – January 10, 2022) was an American real-estate heir whose life became infamous due to his connections to multiple criminal cases, including murder. Born into a prominent New York City real-estate family as the son of Seymour Durst, Robert was the elder sibling of Douglas Durst, who leads the Durst Organization. His notoriety began with the mysterious disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen "Kathie" McCormack Durst, in 1982, a case that remained unresolved for decades.
Durst's criminal saga continued with the murder of his close friend Susan Berman in 2000, for which he was ultimately convicted in September 2021. In addition, he faced charges related to the death of his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas, in 2001. Although acquitted of murder in that case in 2003, he was found guilty of evidence tampering for dismembering Black’s body and disposing of the remains in Galveston Bay.
At the time of his passing on January 10, 2022, at the age of 78, Durst was awaiting trial for the murder of Kathie McCormack Durst, nearly four decades after her initial disappearance. His life and crimes have been the subject of extensive media coverage, including the HBO documentary series "The Jinx," which further cemented his legacy as a figure of intrigue and controversy.
