Robert Durst, the infamous black sheep of the Durst family, has been arrested in New Orleans on murder charges related to the death of his close friend Susan Berman.
Durst, 71, was arrested Saturday night on a warrant issued by Los Angeles County, according to NBC News. He is being held without bond.
The investigation into Berman’s death was reopened last week after new evidence was revealed in the fifth episode of the six-part HBO documentary series, “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.”
Robert Durst (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office)
On the day of Berman’s death in 2000, Los Angeles police received a letter with Berman’s address and the word “cadaver.” “The Jinx” revealed another letter that Durst sent to Berman years before her death with the same handwriting. On both notes, Beverly Hills was misspelled as “Beverley Hills.”
Los Angeles investigators are hoping to find some link between the disappearance of Durst’s first wife Kathleen and the execution-style murder of Berman in her Los Angeles home.
A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told the New York Times that FBI agents participated in the arrest. Chip Lewis, Durst’s attorney, told the newspaper that “we’re waiving extradition so that we can get back to Los Angeles so that we can get back and fight the charges.”
Durst was acquitted of murder charges involving his elderly neighbor in Galveston, Tex., in 2003.
Douglas Durst, chairman of the Durst Organization and brother to Robert, said in a statement that the Durst family was “relieved and also grateful to everyone who assisted in the arrest of Robert Durst. We hope he will finally be held accountable for all he has done.”
The sixth and final episode of “The Jinx” is set to air on HBO tonight.
[NBC News | New York Times] – Christopher Cameron