‘20/20’ Reports on Robert Durst, the Fugitive Multimillionaire New York Real Estate Heir, and His Shocking Trial That Led to a Murder Conviction

Two months after his death, a new “20/20” reports on Robert Durst, the fugitive multimillionaire New York real estate heir, and his shocking trial that led to a murder conviction. Over the course of 40 years, authorities suspected Durst’s involvement in the deaths or disappearances of his first wife, Kathleen Durst; his long-time friend, Susan Berman; and his neighbor in Galveston, Texas, Morris Black. However, Durst eluded a murder conviction until his 2021 trial for Berman’s homicide. That conviction was vacated under California law due to his pending appeal at the time of his death. Now, “20/20” features an exclusive interview with Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, the lead prosecutor in that trial who successfully put Durst behind bars. Lewin discusses the overwhelming circumstantial evidence pointing to Durst’s guilt and his experience hearing the jury’s verdict after spending eight years building a case against him. The program also includes exclusive interviews with Nick Chavin, best friend to both Durst and Berman and a key witness in the trial, and three of the prosecuting attorneys in the Berman trial. “20/20” contains the first TV interviews with Marc Smerling, producer and cinematographer of HBO’s “The Jinx,” a documentary about Durst that features important evidence against Durst that producers uncovered during production, and LA jurors Carmen Kletecka and John Okanishi. The program also features an interview with Judge Susan Criss, who presided over Durst’s 2003 murder trial for Black’s death, in which the jury found Durst not guilty despite his admission to dismembering Black’s body. Additional interviews include friends and family of Berman and Kathleen Durst, a friend of Black, other investigators who worked the cases and journalists who followed the story closely for over four decades. “20/20” airs Friday, March 18 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, next day on Hulu.

 

ABC News’ “20/20” is an award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Amy Robach. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 40 years, “20/20” features unforgettable, character-driven true-crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high profile stories. The two-hour “20/20” events air Fridays from 9:01–11:00 p.m. EDT on ABC and are available to stream on ABC News digital platforms and Hulu. David Sloan is senior executive producer, and Janice Johnston is executive producer.

 

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Elizabeth Russo

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elizabeth.russo@abc.com

 

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