NEW YORK (The Hill): New York real estate heir Robert Durst was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday for the murder of Susan Berman in 2000.
Durst was found guilty of first-degree murder in September. During the months-long trial, prosecutors alleged that Durst killed Berman because she planned on going to the police to speak about the phony alibi she had provided for him when his wife Kathie Durst disappeared.
Lawyers representing Durst, 78, told the court that they planned on appealing the sentence.
Superior Court Judge Mark Windham pronounced the sentence and praised the jurors and attorneys for participating in the “extraordinary case.”
“It’s a rare occasion for a judge to hear such an extraordinary case, extraordinary presentation by counsel. You, each in your own way, impressed me with phenomenal, unbelievably wonderful work,” said Windham.
The case against Durst was laid out in the 2015 HBO series “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.”
During the filming of the series, Durst was caught on a live mic speaking to himself in the bathroom.
He could be heard saying, “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.”
Durst later expressed regret over appearing on the series and claimed that his words were taken out of context.
Durst was arrested in 2015, before the final episode of the series aired.
Earlier this month, it was reported that New York prosecutors would be seeking an indictment against Durst for the murder of his wife Kathie. Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah is reportedly planning to take the case against Durst to a grand jury some time this month.
