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- Millionaire Robert Durst has been found guilty of murdering his friend Susan Berman.
- Prosecutors said Durst killed her because she had information about his wife's disappearance.
- Durst was the subject of "The Jinx" docuseries, in which he seemed to confess to the murders on a hot-mic.
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Millionaire real estate heir Robert Durst, the subject of HBO's "The Jinx," was found guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman by a Los Angeles court on Friday.
Prosecutors said that Durst, 78, shot and killed Berman, then 55, in her Beverly Hills home in 2000, Reuters said. "narcissistic psychopath."
They said that Berman, who was Durst's close friend, had helped cover up his wife Kathie McCormack's disappearance and death in 1982 and that he killed her because he feared she would give police information.
At his sentencing in October, Durst faces a life sentence with no option for parole, The New York Times said.
In 2015, HBO aired "The Jinx," a documentary series that delved into the unsolved disappearance of Durst's wife and the subsequent murders of his neighbor Morris Black and friend Susan Berman.
In one now-infamous scene, Durst went to the bathroom and, unaware his mic was still recording, said, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."
Durst was arrested hours before the final episode aired, and jurors were played the clip during the trial.
Although Durst was only on trial for Berman's murder, prosecutors allege he was responsible for all three murders, which spanned 39 years, Reuters said.
In 2003, Durst was acquitted of the murder and dismemberment of his elderly neighbor Morris Black.
At the time, Durst was hiding from the authorities in Galveston, Texas, while posing as a mute woman.
Prosecutors said that Durst killed Black after he discovered his identity. Durst's lawyers argued that the killing was in self-defense.
Durst went on trial for Berman's murder in March 2020. It was adjourned for 14 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When it resumed earlier this year, the frail Durst, who has bladder cancer, often appeared in court in a wheelchair.
During the trial, Durst took to the stand, and at one point, said that he would never confess to Berman's murder.
"I did not kill Susan Berman. But if I had, I would lie about it," Durst said.
Although prosecutors had no forensic evidence linking Durst to Berman's murder, they pointed to Durst's testimony and other circumstantial evidence, The New York Times reported.
Key evidence was a note sent to the police, which informed them of a "cadaver" at Berman's home.
On the eve of the trial, Durst's lawyers admitted that he was the author of the note.
Durst's longtime friend Nick Chavin also testified against the millionaire, stating that Durst said about Berman: "It was her or me. I had no choice."
Durst's lawyers David Chesnoff and Dick DeGuerin said they would appeal the decision, The New York Times said.
According to Reuters, the defense argued Durst was a "sick old man" who was the victim of ambitious prosecutors and deceptive filmmakers.
The real estate heir was not in court when the guilty verdict was returned as he was isolating due to possible COVID-19 exposure, The New York Times reported.