5 chilling details about Robert Durst's extensive criminal history

The February 14 episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered shed light on the murders committed by Robert Durst, perhaps one of the most famous criminals of our time, who could not be implicated easily by authorities.

Robert Durst's decades-long crime spree claimed at least three victims. However, he still managed to evade authorities for most of his life before ultimately being sentenced only months before his death.

The episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, titled Robert Durst: The Lost Years, explores a yet unseen part of the infamous criminal's life. The synopsis of the episode reads,

"Friends of accused murderer Robert Durst talk about his arrest in New Orleans and his whereabouts over the past 30 years."

This episode is scheduled for February 14, 2024, at 8 pm EST. Ahead of the episode's release on Oxygen, readers may want to know five chilling facts about the murders committed by Durst.

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5 Details about Robert Durst's long-drawn criminal career

1) Durst's first murder was never officially proven, but it may have kickstarted a lifelong affinity for the same

Durst's first victim, in all likelihood, was his first wife, Kathie McCormack, with whom he was also physically violent. After erratically marrying her, their relationship soon met a dead end. According to the New York Times, everyone who knew Kathie already knew that Robert was the greatest threat to her.

On February 5, 1982, Robert reported Kathie missing, but she was last seen alive by others on January 31. Initially, Durst was not charged for her murder because her body was never found.

In 2021, he was finally charged for Kathie's murder after getting his life sentence, according to ABC7.

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2) Durst fatally shot Susan Berman, his unofficial spokesperson, at her home and even left a note to the LAPD

Susan Berman, a journalist and close aide to Durst, was gunned down at her LAPD home. She was shot in the head by Robert Durst, as per the verdict of the court in 2021. This crime took place in 2000, and Durst still managed to evade the authorities for decades.

Berman was allegedly murdered because the police wanted to talk to her about Kathie's disappearance, according to a timeline presented by Vulture.

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3) Durst killed and dismembered his elderly neighbor and got away with it

After moving to Galveston, Durst allegedly shot his neighbor in the face in an act of apparent self-defense. According to the LA Times, he went on to dismember the body and throw it in the lake.

Despite directly linking the crime to him, he was acquitted after he gave a detailed story of self-defense.

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4) Durst confessed on the mic while shooting for The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

Among the many films and TV show adaptations of Robert Durst's life, he actively participated in and answered interviews on HBO's The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

After a sure piece of evidence shown in the docu-series, Durst went to the bathroom and muttered to himself an alleged confession without realizing his mic was on.

"There it is. You’re caught. You’re right, of course. But, you can’t imagine. Arrest him. I don’t know what’s in the house. Oh, I want this. What a disaster. He was right. I was wrong. And the burping. I’m having difficulty with the question ‘What the hell did I do?’ Killed them all, of course."

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5) Durst ultimately spent only months in prison before dying of cardiac arrest

After a lengthy trial that was delayed by the pandemic and Durst's failing health, he was ultimately indicted on November 1, 2021. However, he ended up serving only months in prison as he passed away on January 10, 2022, due to cardiac arrest. He was 78 years old, according to NPR.

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The Robert Durst: The Lost Years episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will cover this in more detail.