Ok, I admit it. Who is Robert Durst?

[bluestateguy]

Why is he famous?

Never heard of him.

Any particular reason why this is national news?

If he's just some Hollywood Establishment guy who is famous for being famous, I think I'll be sick.

[Cleita]

1. Seems to be a murderer to begin with, but

also seems to be a trust fund multi-millionaire, which is why this is news I guess, kind of like when one of the Kennedy trust fund kids gest into trouble. I guess privilege still does have a downside.

[sabrina 1]

14. There was no downside for HIM for several decades. But thanks to people who refused to accept a

triple murderer getting off with his crimes, living his life for decades after the commission of those crimes, one of which he admitted to but got off with a slap on the wrist, he is finally, a bit too late for the family of his innocent wife, in custody where he belongs.

[Cleita]

18. You are right.

By downside, I meant the publicity because he's rich, not that he was literally getting away with murder because he could afford all the fancy lawyers. Many middle class and poor have committed heinous crimes and there was only a blip on the news because they were so banal and frankly, routinely boring. I know. I have a serial killer in my family serving life and he was never even covered in the news because he was a nobody. No one would have made a TV series about him either.

[blogslut]

2. Son of a NYC real estate magnate...

Married a lady who disappeared.

Later his friend was found dead from a gunshot to the head.

He ran off to Florida Texas and lived there disguised as a mute/deaf woman.

His neighbor was murdered and dismembered and Durst was tried for it and got off scott-free.

Other high weirdness happened.

And now he's finally arrested for that first friend's murder.

[m-lekktor]

6. No it was Galveston, TX, not Florida

where he moved to and disguised himself as a mute woman! sorry to be nitpicky. lol. I am just finishing up the sixth episode of the documentary as I type this.

[blogslut]

7. Haha! I beat you to it!

I already amended my post.

[m-lekktor]

8. HAHA. I do that all the time.

write something wrong then realize it immediately and hope to change it before somebody notices!

[blogslut]

12. I'm debating whether or not to buy the documentary.

I like a good doc but is it worth 12 bucks?

I've already read a bunch and even saw "All Good Things" the movie based on the case. But I've heard this doc is super compelling. I just don't know.

[bettyellen]

15. The Jinx is 12 bucks for the whole series? Worth it'll!

[blogslut]

16. I'm rounding up.

It's $10.99 for the SD version on Vudu. But they always add a tax so, roughly 12 bucks.

[Paladin]

17. We thought it was terrific.

Definitely worth the $12---particularly in light of how things are evolving, right now.

[blogslut]

19. I may buy it.

Still debating. I'm a poor old lady on a fixed income and I totally have a Netflix account. But, man I do love a good doc.

[bettyellen]

23. Have you seen "Dear Zachery"

It's incredible. Probably as compelling as The Jinx, but so much more emotional.

[blogslut]

27. It's on my list but...

the subject matter, I'm not sure I want to see it. Know what I mean?

[bettyellen]

33. It's a roller coaster, sad and at times shocking but ultimately the footage of his

Life well lived, and his amazing parents is pretty inspiring. It's probably better if you don't know most of the story, but still an incredible tribute to the man.

[Jamastiene]

30. It may end up on Netflix in time.

That is one good thing about Netflix. They do have lots of documentaries.

[blogslut]

32. Those and the British tv shows...

keep me very happy.

[Jamastiene]

34. I discovered Z Nation on there and even though

it was a SyFy series, I watched it. I'm madly in love with that show now. Orange Is The New Black is great too. I see Netflix like that cutout bin at record stores back in the day. If you dig around a while, you can find some real gems.

[blogslut]

38. Aaargh!

So I bought it. Only problem - it's not going to be released until late April!

This sucker better be worth it!

Damn you, crazy killer rich guy!

[True_Blue]

40. Absolutely Captivating!

I could hardly wait for the week to pass so I could see the next episode.

[liberal N proud]

3. He is famous because the media wants him to be famous

They need a sensational court story, the others have all played out.

Think diversions!

[sabrina 1]

13. I don't agree. The man was a triple murderer who got away with it due to his vast fortune and it

appears that for decades, the miscarriage of justice in his case, haunted many people who knew about it. I, eg, just a few months ago, saw the case on as true crime program and was appalled that this man was still free and a definite threat to society.

It took the HBO special to finally get him into custody. I am no fan of the MSM, but in this case, having seen the story not so long ago, wondering 'is there ANY justice in this country when it comes to the rich and famous', I am very happy to see, I was not the only who was outraged that a triple murderer got away with his crimes, mainly because of his vast fortune.

His wife and her family, a working class family who did not deserve what happened to them, probably had given up on ever seeing justice done for their loved one. She had planned to leave him, as he was increasingly abusive to her, but she never made it, sadly. She seemed like a truly nice person who had no idea when she married him, that he was a real dangerous human being.

[cwydro]

20. Good post! nt

[malaise]

4. He's been on every murder show for decades

Dominick Dunne introduced me to the rich real estate billionaire whose first wife disappeared, then his good friend (who knew his secrets was murdered) and then he chopped up his neighbor and threw his parts in the sea in Texas and walked out of the court free - self defense they said - after the lawyers were paid two million -

Look for the episode here
http://www.moviefone.com/tv/dominick-dunne-power-privilege-justice/91688/main


He's a typical 1% sociopath.

[GusBob]

5. I think he is the lead singer in a band

Radiohead.

[marym625]

9. When someone gets away with murder, they're usually well known.

When a mega wealthy person gets away with 3 murders, and also hides in plain sight by pretending to be a deaf, mute woman, chops a body up and that's called "self defense" they're going to be pretty infamous

[sabrina 1]

10. He is an heir to one of the richest family fortunes in the US. I believe the business was

Real Estate.

In a true crime episode that I saw a few months ago, he was implicated in 3 murders. The first was his wife. He married her several decades ago. She was from a regular working class family. Seemed like a fairy tale marriage. Probably made the news at the time at least in the social news due to the Social Status of his family.

But it wasn't long before he began abusing her. Eventually she realized she needed to get out of the marriage. Before that happened, she disappeared.

Afaik, her body was never found.

Two more murders occurred which were eventually traced back to him. One, a man who turned out to have been a contractor, I believe, to the Durst family, the other a longtime female friend and confidante of Durst himself. Her murder occurred right before she was to be interviewed wrt the disappearance of Durst's wife. That interview never occurred.

He WAS charged in and admitted to, the killing of the contractor and the dismemberment of the body.

He claimed it was 'self defense'. The prosecutors believed he killed the man because he had helped him dispose of his wife's body and was about to talk when the case was revived 15 years after her disappearance.

He was tried for that murder, but the jury refused to convict him on murder charges. He was convicted of tampering with the body and received a 5 year sentence.

Like you when I saw the crime program, I knew nothing about the Durst family. But I was appalled that someone could escape justice so easily when he was definitely linked to 3 murders.

Apparently a lot of people found this appalling, including the producers of the recent HBO special on the crimes.

Money talks it seems. We'll never know how a jury could have bought his claim of self defense in the murder of the contractor but I am glad that there were people who refused to allow this case to be forgotten.

He clearly was a murderer and most likely suffered from mental illness.

It's probably way too late for the family of his wife, some of whom are probably dead by now. Better late than never I suppose.

It is a case that showed how money can protect even a triple murderer and it haunted me for a while when I realized he was free to live his life despite the crimes he most likely committed. So I am glad he is finally where he cannot harm anyone else and hope he remains there.

His family have stated they too are glad he is in custody as his brother was in fear of his own life.

[Jamastiene]

31. That reminds me of a real life case here in NC from a few years ago,

but I think this one murdered one woman, iirc. It was still a major story, because they really played up a lot of aspects of the case that had not much to do with the actual crime. I wish I could remember the name of that one.

[bigwillq]

11. Fred's father?

[Starry Messenger]

21. Someone who won the lucky sperm club.

If he'd been non-white and non-wealthy, he'd have been buried under the jail by now.

[Panich52]

22. Nice to know I'm not only one wondering why the fuss over a nobody ;)

[bettyellen]

24. Because it's a twisted and compelling story- with the best twist ever?

[Major Hogwash]

25. This guy!!!

[img]http://static2.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1876024.1406053481!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/article-durst2-0722.jpg
[/img]

[wheniwasincongress]

26. Can't wait for the thread

admitting you don't have a search engine

[ND-Dem]

28. 3rd-generation NYC real estate wealth. And apparently a murderer.

The patriarch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Durst

The father (inventor of the National Debt Clock, which tells you something about his headspace):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Durst

The grandson and apparent murderer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Durst

His brother (also NYC real estate):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Durst


The Durst family's real estate holdings are worth more than $4 billion dollars...

[Jamastiene]

29. My first thought was that Limp Bizkit guy, but

the guy in the picture doesn't look like him. He didn't have a baseball hat on sideways or backwards. I have no clue either. He's apparently a murdering fuckhead, whoever he is.

[Inkfreak]

35. lol, couple of guys & I were just saying the same thing earlier.

We were all taking wild guesses. My favorite was brother of Fred Durst & self made porn mogul.

[jwirr]

36. Some guy we are going to have to listen to every news program on MSNBC talk about for weeks to

come.

[Justitia]

37. Seriously batshit multiple murderer - in my city!

This guy is unbelievably insane & quite scary. Only surpassed in insanity by the jury that acquitted him.
I almost moved into a neighborhood where he was rumored to live, I was like, No Fucking Way.
The CVS where he flipped out & pissed all over the candy aisle is only a mile from me.
I will never go in there

[True_Blue]

39. He's the oldest son of the Durst family

Which pretty much owns most of Manhattan. Durst Enterprises also built the One World Trade Center, which replaced the Twin Towers. The documentary is absolutely riveting!

[lovemydog]

41. Subject of an HBO documentary

that aired in parts, the last one shown last night.

That's why it's in the news, or why people are posting here about him.