Durst pleads in Louisiana case
The subject of ‘The Jinx’ reaches a deal on gun charges, allowing his extradition to L.A. in woman’s slaying.
New York real estate heir Robert Durst has pleaded guilty to a gun charge in Louisiana, clearing the way for his transfer to Los Angeles to face a murder charge in connection with the death of his writer friend Susan Berman.
Durst, 72, entered his plea Wednesday in a New Orleans federal court as part of a deal, his attorney’s office confirmed. Durst was facing a federal gun charge related to the discovery of a loaded revolver by FBI agents in his New Orleans hotel room.
The agreement seals Durst’s extradition from New Orleans to Los Angeles. He is expected to return to California by Aug. 18 for his arraignment on the murder charge, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
“We anticipated this,” she said.
Durst’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said that by pleading guilty, his client was able to “clear the decks” for his extradition to L.A.
“Bob Durst did not kill Susan Berman and doesn’t know who did,” DeGuerin said in a prepared statement. “Bob Durst has one goal and that is to get to Los Angeles and prove his innocence.”
Durst drew national attention this year as the subject of the HBO docudrama “The Jinx.”
The series explored the mysterious 1982 disappearance of Durst’s wife, Kathy, as well as the 2000 killing of Berman, who was found shot to death in her Benedict Canyon home. In the final episode, Durst is caught muttering what sounded like a confession to the killings into a microphone offcamera.
He left his final interview to use the bathroom, appearing not to notice that his microphone was still recording as he said to himself, “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.”
“There it is, you’re caught,” he said at another moment. “What a disaster.”
Before the series ended last spring, Durst disappeared from his Houston condo, a manhunt ensued and he was caught in New Orleans on March 14.
Los Angeles County officials charged him with murder in connection with Berman’s death and then moved to extradite him to California.
veronica.rocha @latimes.com Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA Staff writer Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed to this report.