Accused murderer Robert Durst denied he killed his longtime confidante Susan Berman and detailed his multiple health problems on Monday as the multimillionaire real estate scion testified in his own defense at Los Angeles Superior Court.
Sitting in a wheelchair wearing an L.A. County jail uniform, Durst, 78, spoke in a voice weakened from surgery for esophageal cancer and sounded much differentlyfrom how he did in 2015 in his apparent confession to multiple killings in the HBO television documentary series "The Jinx.""No," Durst responded.Defendants rarely testify as it exposes them to cross-examination by prosecutors.
Durst, the grandson of a Manhattan real estate magnate, is charged with the December 2000 murder of Berman, a writer he is accused of fatally shooting because of what she might have known about the unsolved disappearance and presumed killing of his wife two decades earlier.
The circumstances surrounding both cases, and Durst's 2003 acquittal in the killing and dismemberment of a neighbor in Texas, gained wide attention in "The Jinx." After Durst was confronted with a key piece of evidence, he was captured on a microphone muttering to himself: "There it is, you're caught," and, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."On the witness stand, Durst listed his many health problems including surgeries for esophageal and bladder cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, neuropathy, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. A shunt relieves pressure on his brain.
DeGuerin then directed Durst through biographical details, such as how he met Berman, a platonic friend, and the early days of his marriage to Kathleen, before court was adjourned until Wednesday.More from ReutersSubscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.
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