GUILTY CA - Susan Berman, 55, fatally shot, Los Angeles, 23 Dec 2000

[Niner]

Thursday, August 26th:
*Trial continues (Day 50) (@ 9am PT) – CA – Susan Berman (55) (Dec. 24, 2000, Beverly Hills) – *Robert Alan Durst (57 @ time of crime/72/now 78) arrested (3/14/15) extradited (11/1/16 from Indiana prison to Calif.) & charged with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $4M Bond.
Was serving a 7 year federal prison term for illegal possession of a revolver at the time of his New Orleans’ arrest.
Trial began on 2/11/20 with pretrial motions & jury selection started on 2/19/20. Trial started on 3/4/20. Jury: 8 women & 4 men. 11 alternates. (1 alternate excused on 5/18/21) Now 10 alternates. (1 juror (#3) excused for medical reasons on 7/8/21). Now 9 alternates. Another juror excused (8/19/21) due to scheduling. Now 8 alternates. (Trial expected to last 5 months). Trial stopped 3/16/20 due COVID-19 & will restart on 7/27/20 & retrial was to restart on 4/12/21 continued to 5/17/21 continued to 5/18/21. No court on Fridays.
State rested their case on Tuesday (8/3/21). Defense has 2, possibly 3 witnesses (one is the defendant) & thinks 2 weeks for their case & will begin their case on 8/3/21 afternoon. Judge Windham denies the defense motion for mistrial based on their client's health & inability to testify on 8/2/21. Judge denies defense motion for judgment of acquittal.
Upcoming schedule: Thursday, 8/26 ending 4pm, Tuesday, 8/31 ending 2:45pm, Thurs. 9/2-DARK, 9/6-DARK/Labor Day, Tues, 9/7-DARK/ Jewish Holiday & Thurs, 9/16 (if still going) DARK/Yom Kippur.
Jury Selection from 2/19/20 thru 3/3/20 (Days 1-8) & Trial Days 1-6 (3/4/20 thru 3/12/20) & Court info from 3/16/20 thru 5/12/21 & Trial Days 1-48 (5/18/21 thru 8/24/21) reference post #602 here:
CA - Susan Berman, 55, fatally shot, Los Angeles, 23 Dec 2000 *Arrest*
8/25/21 Wednesday, Trial Day 49: Defense witness: Robert Durst still on cross-exam by John Lewin. Trial continues on 8/26/21.

 

[taylorss]

bet it will be the neighbor Mayer guy for the boat and truck vs. trunk rental and the Barry Oscar Myer Weiner story lol

that’s a good idea but both the Mayers already testified, so that would be a re-call rather than a new witness….

 

[Tortoise]

could be the person he said 'wrote' the BD story.

 

[Chelly]

I have been watching, but not posting. Durst makes me chuckle way too much, and I am embarrassed to admit that about a murderer.

ETA:
I do hope Prosecutor John Lewin does call "The Jinx" filmmaker Andrew Jarecki in rebuttal & possibly Douglas Durst.

 

[Niner]

for Thursday, August 26th:

Cathy Russon
@cathyrusson
·
14h
#RobertDurst - Judge Windham gives the jury the remaining schedule of the trial:
Both sides should rest on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Court dark Sept 2-7. Closing arguments begin Sept. 8. Jury should have case the week of Sept 13.



Lewin gets to motive. He asks Durst about Susan telling him that L.A./N.Y. authorities had contacted her & wanted to talk to her about Kathie's disappearance. Durst said, she said an investigator wanted to talk to her. Durst doesn't remember when she told him that

Durst says he thinks if Jeanine Pirro had an investigator interview Susan Berman that the investigator would conclude that "Susan Berman was full of ."

Durst cannot say where he got the envelope or the stamp to mail the "cadaver" note to the police.

Lewin shows Durst the stamp that was used on the cadaver note and stamps found in Susan Berman's home are identical.



Durst still maintains he doesn't remember where he got the stamp to mail the cadaver note even though it matches stamps found inside Berman's home.

Lewin moves past the stamp. He asks Durst about denying writing the cadaver note for 20 yrs. Durst agrees that he did deny writing the note for 20 yrs. Lewin plays The Jinx w/Durst saying "only the killer could have written" the cadaver note.



ONLY THE KILLER COULD HAVE WRITTEN THE CADAVER NOTE - Robert Durst on The Jinx. Durst now admits to writing the cadaver note.

Durst has testified that he and Susan were going on a "staycation" for the 27th & 28th at Big Sur. Lewin shows him Susan's planner that she had plans on the 27th with her cousin and a hair appt on the 28th with David Izenman



Lewin shows Durst Susan's planner where she had plans to see her friend Susie Harmon on Christmas day



Lewin shows Durst Susan's planner that showed she had plans with Richard Markey on Dec. 22nd. We know from his testimony they went to dinner and movie that night. (She was killed sometime after arriving home).



No notation on Dec. 22 in Susan's planner that mentions Robert Durst coming to town, staying at Chateau Marmont, etc... as Durst says was going to happen that evening.



Susan's planner for Dec. 31st she's noted, "Call Bobby".



Susan's planner for Dec 23 & 24 when Durst says he and Susan had planned a staycation together in L.A. On the 23rd she has "glasses" "groc". 24th 11:30 Rae Kookoo...
Nothing about Durst, being w/him at staycation.



#RobertDurst suggests that Susan Berman could have had a separate planner for their "staycation".

Lunch break until 1:30pm PT/4:30pm ET.

#RobertDurst - Prosecutor John Lewin asks Durst specific questions about firearms/ammunition on day 7 of cross-examination.



Lewin has been walking Durst step-by-step through the Morris Black shooting.

Court adjourned until Mon. Durst will be on the stand Monday for day 12 & day 8 of cross-examination. Judge is planning a telephonic hearing with Andrew Jarecki's attorneys Tuesday afternoon as the jury is scheduled to leave by 2:45 PT (Prior appt)


link: https://twitter.com/cathyrusson

 

[katydid23]

Although it was such a simple line of questioning, I think those notations in her day planner were very damning to Durst. He had this tall tale about these plans for the Chateau Marmont and a drive to San Francisco, and then a return flight on Tuesday, but no plans for anyone to watch her 3 dogs...

And nothing in her day planner about being away for those days---but she did have a hair appt, a grocery note and other trivial errands listed. She even had a note reminding herself to call Bobby on that week.

I think that shows how full of BS he was.

 

[dizzychick]

he appears deflated today, I would love to have been a fly on the wall when his lawyers talk to him at the end of each day. They must have told him yesterday that he has dug his hole so deep he will never climb out even with a ladder lol

 

[Tortoise]

Lewin gets to motive. He asks Durst about Susan telling him that L.A./N.Y. authorities had contacted her & wanted to talk to her about Kathie's disappearance. Durst said, she said an investigator wanted to talk to her. Durst doesn't remember when she told him that

I'm beginning to think it was Durst who called her, pretending to be that investigator, to find out what her response would be and if she was at home.


“I remember the last night I talked to her,” Karr-Morse said of Berman. “She was very nervous. She said someone was coming to see her. She was going to talk to someone about this case and blow it wide open.”

Police found Berman, shot in the back of the head, on Dec. 24, 2000, but investigators believe she had been killed late on the 22nd. Karr-Morse said she last spoke with Berman by telephone that day or a day or two earlier.

https://www.courthousenews.com/longtime-friend-recounts-murder-victims-last-phone-call/

#RobertDurst suggests that Susan Berman could have had a separate planner for their "staycation".

This has well and truly sunk him.

I don't get why the planner was only just admitted into evidence and without any fanfare, like 'this seems like a good idea, shall we see if he agrees it was where Susan kept her stamps?'

 

[katydid23]

I'm beginning to think it was Durst who called her, pretending to be that investigator, to find out what her response would be and if she was at home.


“I remember the last night I talked to her,” Karr-Morse said of Berman. “She was very nervous. She said someone was coming to see her. She was going to talk to someone about this case and blow it wide open.”

Police found Berman, shot in the back of the head, on Dec. 24, 2000, but investigators believe she had been killed late on the 22nd. Karr-Morse said she last spoke with Berman by telephone that day or a day or two earlier.

https://www.courthousenews.com/longtime-friend-recounts-murder-victims-last-phone-call/



This has well and truly sunk him.

I don't get why the planner was only just admitted into evidence and without any fanfare, like 'this seems like a good idea, shall we see if he agrees it was where Susan kept her stamps?'

Wow, interesting thoughts about him pretending to be the detective. That makes so much sense.

Earlier, I was wondering why she would tell him that if it wasn't true. I could see maybe she was trying to get more money from him---but it seemed a dangerous tactic.

But him---I could easily see him try to test her and see how she would react to an investigator calling. What if she had shut down the caller and said she had nothing to say about Durst, didn't know anything about Kathy's disappearance and didnt want to come for an interview? Would Durst have postponed his home invasion ?

I am thinking, if your theory is correct, she probably failed his test. She may have been too polite and open to coming for an interview. And maybe that sealed her fate?

 

[katydid23]

One of the reasons I am soooooo interested in this case=== one of my closest friends was very briefly a suspect .

For real. .... He and my husband are both writers and friends for 30 years now...and I will call our friend A.C.

AC met Susan in the lobby at Wm Morris agency. He had a meeting there , and so did she and they began talking about their various projects. They made plans to meet later that week and AC pitched her his idea for a comedy about the making of Las Vegas, back in the 50's. She thought it was a funny concept and he asked if she wanted to be a consultant.

So this was in the summer of 2000, and they just emailed a bit and kept in contact. His show idea didn't get picked up but they became 'acquaintances' and hung out occasionally. Mostly she liked him to come over and bring her a bit of pot and they would just hang out and laugh and talk. So by the fall, he was more regularly hanging out at her place. Nothing romantic according to him, but they were getting to be good friends. He spoke to her a few times a week. They even had plans to hang out Christmas week sometime.


Anyway, having that weird situation happen made me very interested in this case. Our friend did get interviewed but luckily his parents had flown into town on the 21st and were staying with him. So he had a solid alibi.

 

[Chelly]

One of the reasons I am soooooo interested in this case=== one of my closest friends was very briefly a suspect .

For real. .... He and my husband are both writers and friends for 30 years now...and I will call our friend A.C.

AC met Susan in the lobby at Wm Morris agency. He had a meeting there , and so did she and they began talking about their various projects. They made plans to meet later that week and AC pitched her his idea for a comedy about the making of Las Vegas, back in the 50's. She thought it was a funny concept and he asked if she wanted to be a consultant.

So this was in the summer of 2000, and they just emailed a bit and kept in contact. His show idea didn't get picked up but they became 'acquaintances' and hung out occasionally. Mostly she liked him to come over and bring her a bit of pot and they would just hang out and laugh and talk. So by the fall, he was more regularly hanging out at her place. Nothing romantic according to him, but they were getting to be good friends. He spoke to her a few times a week. They even had plans to hang out Christmas week sometime.


Anyway, having that weird situation happen made me very interested in this case. Our friend did get interviewed but luckily his parents had flown into town on the 21st and were staying with him. So he had a solid alibi.

@katydid23 That's a fascinating look into a slice of Susan's life. Thanks for telling us. I'm wondering A.C.'s reaction to Susan's death...shocked? not surprised? figured RD did it? I understand if you prefer not to open that window any further.

 

[katydid23]

@katydid23 That's a fascinating look into a slice of Susan's life. Thanks for telling us. I'm wondering A.C.'s reaction to Susan's death...shocked? not surprised? figured RD did it? I understand if you prefer not to open that window any further.

He was totally shocked. He never saw it coming. Of course, he knew nothing about Durst and their shared secrets together. He had no idea about any of that stuff.

He knew a bit about her background and her father---so he thought maybe it was a 'hit' by mobsters, over something she knew about someone. Which tragically, was the truth. But he also thought it might have been a robbery ---he thought maybe she had money stashed somewhere.

He was in shock about the entire situation. He was relieved his parents came to visit so he was not around when all this happened. And he was relieved they alibied him because of his texts and calls to her about getting together. But he was also sad because he really liked her. Said she was very funny and highly intelligent, but seemed a little lost.

 

[taylorss]

Whewwww once again took a while to get caught up. Holy cow!!! I can see how the DA is getting on people’s nerves w the time he is taking & what seems like constantly haggling over the most minor of details ….

but if you pay v close attn (much easier on utube w rewinding whenever you want than for jury!!) what emerges with shocking clarity is the absolute fiction of everything we’ve all always heard & known about Durst. It’s all just random stuff that I’d sorta taken as truth cuz there was no competing story… but it’s all been highly complex fabrications telling a story of someone who doesn’t exist.

IIRC DA Lewin is a cold-case expert, and his ability to pick thru these mountains of details & put them together to add up to nothing shows exactly why.

That leaves the question of who Durst is, since the person he’s presented is a fabrication… and that’s when, if you’re curious, it becomes hard to ignore IMO the decades of circumstantial evidence that he is a legit serial killer….

AFAIK most people who’ve studied Durst over time believe this, so presumably there’s a good chance Lewin thinks so too. In fact there was a great moment in an early hearing, at a point when Lewin so far had only shown Durst his cheery aw-shucks demeanor. There was some defense gripe & Lewin responded by saying he was just trying to ensure a fair trial for “this serial killer” - Durst’s shocked reaction was truly hilarious.

There’s always been this Q why he killed Morris Black… tho his explanation was obvious BS, I at least assumed the truth of the surrounding circumstances as described - eg they enjoyed target shooting together, Durst bought the murder weapon for Black to use cuz Black couldn’t handle a bigger gun etc. Lewin has zeroed in on those collapsing stories now & it’s looking like Black’s murder was actually carefully premeditated. I didn’t expect there’d be much new info to learn on Black’s murder, so this has been fascinating…

 

[katydid23]

Whewwww once again took a while to get caught up. Holy cow!!! I can see how the DA is getting on people’s nerves w the time he is taking & what seems like constantly haggling over the most minor of details ….

but if you pay v close attn (much easier on utube w rewinding whenever you want than for jury!!) what emerges with shocking clarity is the absolute fiction of everything we’ve all always heard & known about Durst. It’s all just random stuff that I’d sorta taken as truth cuz there was no competing story… but it’s all been highly complex fabrications telling a story of someone who doesn’t exist.

IIRC DA Lewin is a cold-case expert, and his ability to pick thru these mountains of details & put them together to add up to nothing shows exactly why.

That leaves the question of who Durst is, since the person he’s presented is a fabrication… and that’s when, if you’re curious, it becomes hard to ignore IMO the decades of circumstantial evidence that he is a legit serial killer….

AFAIK most people who’ve studied Durst over time believe this, so presumably there’s a good chance Lewin thinks so too. In fact there was a great moment in an early hearing, at a point when Lewin so far had only shown Durst his cheery aw-shucks demeanor. There was some defense gripe & Lewin responded by saying he was just trying to ensure a fair trial for “this serial killer” - Durst’s shocked reaction was truly hilarious.

There’s always been this Q why he killed Morris Black… tho his explanation was obvious BS, I at least assumed the truth of the surrounding circumstances as described - eg they enjoyed target shooting together, Durst bought the murder weapon for Black to use cuz Black couldn’t handle a bigger gun etc. Lewin has zeroed in on those collapsing stories now & it’s looking like Black’s murder was actually carefully premeditated. I didn’t expect there’d be much new info to learn on Black’s murder, so this has been fascinating…

I agree with you. I have gotten annoyed a few times with Lewin, thinking he was just being nit-picky. And then by the end of his trip, taking us all through a rabbit hole in the weeds, I realise he was right, and he just really wanted to show us how phony the entire narrative was.

 

[taylorss]

I'm beginning to think it was Durst who called her, pretending to be that investigator, to find out what her response would be and if she was at home.


“I remember the last night I talked to her,” Karr-Morse said of Berman. “She was very nervous. She said someone was coming to see her. She was going to talk to someone about this case and blow it wide open.”

Police found Berman, shot in the back of the head, on Dec. 24, 2000, but investigators believe she had been killed late on the 22nd. Karr-Morse said she last spoke with Berman by telephone that day or a day or two earlier.

https://www.courthousenews.com/longtime-friend-recounts-murder-victims-last-phone-call/



This has well and truly sunk him.

I don't get why the planner was only just admitted into evidence and without any fanfare, like 'this seems like a good idea, shall we see if he agrees it was where Susan kept her stamps?'

Now this is fascinating!!
Cannot imagine that old toad could possibly have disguised his voice in convo w Susan … but maybe he got Morris Black to call her??

On the Q of why he killed Morris, DA Lewin is partway thru making case that there was no single person who could connect him to the Galveston address but Morris, and that seems good enough to explain the carefully premeditated murder plot.

But IIRC I heard that in “All Good Things” (didn’t see it) Morris Black is shown killing Susan on Durst’s behalf. The director Jarecki sure knows a thing or two about Durst… we know that Durst killed her, not Morris, but maybe Morris did have some role in it that made his murder a reqt for old Killin’ Bobby?

Contra this line of thought, Durst did seem truly surprised when Lewin told him in 2015 that no one from LE had contacted Susan.

also as to Susan’s nervousness & involvement in a big story, it’s been written that she’d lined up witnesses who were going to reveal inner workings of the Vegas mob - that could’ve been her big, nerve-wracking story

 

[Tortoise]

Contra this line of thought, Durst did seem truly surprised when Lewin told him in 2015 that no one from LE had contacted Susan.

rsbm

I know Lewin told Durst that he seemed surprised but I didn't think Durst sounded surprised or unsurprised. All he said was "no, I did not know that they had not contacted her". I think that's Lewin's confirmation bias at work, in this instance.

They play it back in this segment here at timestamp 12mins:

 

[taylorss]

rsbm

I know Lewin told Durst that he seemed surprised but I didn't think Durst sounded surprised or unsurprised. All he said was "no, I did not know that they had not contacted her". I think that's Lewin's confirmation bias at work, in this instance.

They play it back in this segment here at timestamp 12mins:

Thank you, it is so awesome to have all this available! I will agree that in isolation like here it doesn’t sound like much! But I’ve watched the whole ~2 hr 2015 interview a bunch of times (heh heh embarrassing but hey you all understand right Durst’s response to this Q has always stood out from almost everything else he says - tone sharpens & it’s like the only time he actually sounds “interested.”

But even if so, he still could have faked a call to her. Maybe EG he had Morris or Susie G iordano call her & during that call was led to believe LE had already contacted her … leading to surprise that they had not etc

 

[dizzychick]

his goose is cooked, I think he knows this, so why he is making a giant fool of himself, I have no idea? Just to get out of his hospital room bed? I wonder what type of facility will he be housed in when he is sent to the big house? Does anyone know? Will he just go to a regular cell till he keels over? He most likely will be a target for his millions, ppl will hit him up for money on their books, wonder how he will react to that?

 

[Niner]

Monday, August 30th:
*Trial continues (Day 51) (@ 9am PT) – CA – Susan Berman (55) (Dec. 24, 2000, Beverly Hills) – *Robert Alan Durst (57 @ time of crime/72/now 78) arrested (3/14/15) extradited (11/1/16 from Indiana prison to Calif.) & charged with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $4M Bond.
Was serving a 7 year federal prison term for illegal possession of a revolver at the time of his New Orleans’ arrest.
Trial began on 2/11/20 with pretrial motions & jury selection started on 2/19/20. Trial started on 3/4/20. Jury: 8 women & 4 men. 11 alternates. (1 alternate excused on 5/18/21) Now 10 alternates. (1 juror (#3) excused for medical reasons on 7/8/21). Now 9 alternates. Another juror excused (8/19/21) due to scheduling. Now 8 alternates. (Trial expected to last 5 months). Trial stopped 3/16/20 due COVID-19 & will restart on 7/27/20 & retrial was to restart on 4/12/21 continued to 5/17/21 continued to 5/18/21. No court on Fridays.
State rested their case on Tuesday (8/3/21). Defense has 2, possibly 3 witnesses (one is the defendant) & thinks 2 weeks for their case & will begin their case on 8/3/21 afternoon. Judge Windham denies the defense motion for mistrial based on their client's health & inability to testify on 8/2/21. Judge denies defense motion for judgment of acquittal.
Upcoming schedule: Thursday, 8/26 ending 4pm, Tuesday, 8/31 ending 2:45pm, Thurs. 9/2-DARK, 9/6-DARK/Labor Day, Tues, 9/7-DARK/ Jewish Holiday & Thurs, 9/16 (if still going) DARK/Yom Kippur. Closing arguments begin 9/8 & jury should have case the week of 9/13/21.
Jury Selection from 2/19/20 thru 3/3/20 (Days 1-8) & Trial Days 1-6 (3/4/20 thru 3/12/20) & Court info from 3/16/20 thru 5/12/21 & Trial Days 1-49 (5/18/21 thru 8/25/21) reference post #621 here:
CA - Susan Berman, 55, fatally shot, Los Angeles, 23 Dec 2000 *Arrest*
8/26/21 Thursday, Trial Day 50: Defense witness: Robert Durst still on cross-exam by John Lewin. Trial continues on Monday, 8/30/21.
Judge Windham gives the jury the remaining schedule of the trial: Both sides should rest on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Court dark Sept 2-7. Closing arguments begin Sept. 8. Jury should have case the week of Sept 13.

 

[taylorss]

his goose is cooked, I think he knows this, so why he is making a giant fool of himself, I have no idea? Just to get out of his hospital room bed? I wonder what type of facility will he be housed in when he is sent to the big house? Does anyone know? Will he just go to a regular cell till he keels over? He most likely will be a target for his millions, ppl will hit him up for money on their books, wonder how he will react to that?

I bet he’ll make sure his health needs, real or fake, keep him in the cushiest hospital environment possible until he finally croaks.

And / or he’ll take advantage of CA’s new “gender self ID” policies & falsely proclaim himself transgender, so get to serve out the rest of his cretinous days in a women’s prison.

BTW for anyone who was wondering, Lewin mentioned who his other witnesses were going to be, tho it sounds like now he’ll only be given time to call Jarecki. But yeah he was planning to re-call Bill Mayer (Durst neighbor in S Salem). And sounds like the surprise witness wouldve been someone from Lenox Hill Hospital in NY - where Durst has insisted despite all evidence that Kathie was in out-patient drug treatment at the time she “disappeared” (even tho the hours-long daytime sessions he made up wouldn’t have fit in with her work) … and which she listed as her first choice for a post-grad placement, to Durst’s surprise, making the idea that she was also a drug-rehab patient there at the same time even more absurd