New Durst book “He Killed Them All” could aid defense: critics

Former prosecutor Jeannine Pirro's take on case is challenged

Jeanine Pirro He Killed them All
From left: Jeanine Pirro and the cover of her book "He Killed Them All"

Robert Durst’s former prosecutor Jeanine Pirro detailed her quest to bring the accused killer to justice in a new book. But critics say her attacks on key prosecution witnesses including Douglas Durst could help the alleged murder’s case.

Pirro’s new book “He Killed Them All” recounts Durst’s alleged crimes and tells of her efforts as Westchester County District Attorney from 1999 to 2005 to prosecute him in the disappearance of his ex-wife Kathleen in 1982.

The book also attacks the motives and credibility of a number of people connected to the case, including former colleagues like State Police investigator Joseph Becerra and fellow Westchester County prosecutor Kevin Hynes, the New York Times reported.

Critics say the attacks are unfounded.

“It sure sounds like payback time,” Gerald Shargel, a criminal defense lawyer, said. “In my opinion, she’s giving the defense team more ammunition for cross-examination.”

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Pirro also lashes out at Douglas Durst, head of the Durst Organization, writing that his lawyers warned her not repeat “factual errors” about the family.

Robert Durst, the subject of the HBO documentary series “The Jinx,” is also accused of murdering a close friend, Susan Berman, in 2000. He was also found not guilty in the murder of his Galveston, Texas neighbor in 2003, despite having admitted that he dismembered the man.

He’s currently being held in Louisiana on illegal gun possession charges.

Kathleen Durst’s family recently filed a wrongful death suit against the real estate scion. [NYT]Ariel Stulberg