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Robert Durst murder trial suspended as courts shutter

Real estate scion has been charged with murdering his friend Susan Berman 20 years ago

Robert Durst appears in court for during opening statements in his murder trial on March 4, 2020 in Los Angeles (Photo by Etienne Laurent -Pool/Getty Images)
Robert Durst appears in court for during opening statements in his murder trial on March 4, 2020 in Los Angeles (Photo by Etienne Laurent -Pool/Getty Images)

UPDATED, 8:26 A.M. Pacific Time: Real estate scion Robert Durst’s Los Angeles murder case has been suspended, as courts prepare to shutter in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.

An internal police memo obtained by CNN said that all jury trials in L.A. would be suspended as of Monday, whether they are ongoing or have yet to start. The report said the trial would resume after April 6; a suspension had already been scheduled starting March 29.

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The long-awaited trial — which began two weeks ago with lengthy opening statements — is taking place in L.A. County Superior Court. It was expected to take five months, and among the witnesses scheduled to testify is Durst’s brother, Douglas, who is chairman of Durst Organization.

Robert Durst has been charged with fatally shooting Susan Berman, his good friend, almost 20 years ago at her home in Beverly Hills. Prosecutors say Robert Durst killed Berman to keep her from cooperating with authorities from Westchester, N.Y., in a renewed probe into the disappearance of Kathleen Durst, his first wife. Durst has pleaded not guilty. [CNN] — Eddie Small

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CoronavirusDurst OrganizationReal Estate CrimesRobert Durst