Robert Durst Is JINXED: HBO Documentary Leads To Arrest For Murder Of Friend Susan Berman, Possible Ties To Other Cases
Image Courtesy Gerald Herbert/ AP
If Robert Durst was a fictional protagonist featured in Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling’s HBO’s docuseries The Jinx, he would be my favorite villain on cable right now. He is not. Durst is a slight man whose wallet is bigger than he is. Because he ignored the advice of the $2million dollar defense team that won him an acquittal on murder charges of his neighbor Morris Black in Galvaston- he is now facing a first degree murder charge in Los Angeles.
Durst is accused of killing his long-time friend turned publicist Susan Berman in 2000 after she informed him police from Westchester County, NY sought an interview with her about Kathie Durst’s disappearance in 1982. This was also immediately after Berman cashed a check from Durst for $50,000. Berman’s killer sent a note to LAPD indicating there was a cadaver at her residence the day Durst boarded a plane from San Francisco to New York. When Durst was confronted with this information his response was, “California is a big state.” It is believed that Durst may have used Berman’s mob boss Father’s contacts to dispose of his wife’s remains in “The Pines” of New Jersey.* During filming, Susan Berman’s son located a letter to Susan from Bobby Durst which he provided to Jarecki. The nearly identical block print style is further complimented by the exact same misspelled word- BEVERLEY.
HBO
Neither Jarecki nor Smerling have commented directly on the authenticity of the chronology of the series after editing of The Jinx. In other words, it is unclear when Jarecki formed the opinion he was interviewing the man responsible for the murder of his best friend and confidant- and likely at least two others. It IS clear that the title, The Jinx, reflects Durst’s self-assessment.
Durst was arrested in New Orleans on Saturday evening; the night before the series finale aired on HBO.
Kathleen Durst, Robert Durst’s first wife, disappeared following what Durst described as a “pushing and shoving” kind of argument at their West Salem, NY home. Durst states in The Jinx that he is complicit in her disappearance because his behavior drove her to leave him and her fourth year of medical school- but that’s all. At the time, Ms. Durst had recently proposed a divorce settlement through her lawyer which Mr. Durst declined. Kathie Durst has never been located and was declared legally dead in 2001. The couple was the basis for the loosely fictionalized film, All Good Things, which was Jarecki’s first crack at Durst and the impetus for Durst to contact Jarecki after seeing it. Durst audaciously proposes and agrees to participate in ‘Jinx’.
“… Is he crazy enough to participate?…” - Andrew Jarecki
” The downside to me about giving an interview is that the interviewer will take what I have said to make me look as bad as possible.” – Robert Durst
“… The upside is that there will be something out there from me, I mean this whole time since I have gotten out of prison, I’ve said nothing to nobody about anything… I will be able to tell it my way and if somebody is reasonably open to a different story or a different situation than what has been put in the media, they’ll have an opportunity to believe it…” – Robert Durst
“… Look, I know you want to tell your story it’s important to you, and that’s fine by me but I want you to remember one thing. You run the risk of pissing people off and people that have intentions contrary to your liberty, don’t forget that.” – Chip Lewis, Durst Atty
Bob Durst, the eldest son of Seymour and Bernice Durst was still in his tender years when his Father summoned him to wave to his Mother standing on the roof of the family home in her nightie. Seconds later Mrs. Durst leapt to her death. In his own words for the first time, Durst recounts many of his family foibles in the six part HBO series. Some highlights include the fact that over a dozen members of his family have permanent restraining orders against him and he was acquitted of trespassing at his brother Douglas Durst ‘s home while the series was being edited.
‘Jinx’ masterfully elicits answers from Durst he has never before allowed to be asked of him on camera without a subpoena. Bobby Durst’s one-on-one interview footage is the equivalent of watching a curious zoo exhibit. As the animal on display he is a hybrid between a bijou baby chimp alternating scratching his head and quirky facial tics and the predatory poise of a carnivorous jackal protecting and simultaneously marking his territory. Durst was arrested for urinating on a cash register and a display of candy at a Houston CVS in June 2014.
This time around in the courtroom, Bob’s still largely-intact legal team will be defending a murder charge in the city of Angels where Durst is now likely considered somewhat of a celebrity due to the wildly popular miniseries in his honor. While most legal analysts agree that overcoming the odds of a man appearing to be speaking to his alter ego in the restroom on a hot mic actually admitting he ‘killed them all, of course”, is herculean even by LA’s celebrity acquittal record- there are the very obvious indications that Durst suffers from a spectrum of personality disorders. However, as Durst did consent to the interview and was told that the interview was completed, his commentary could be precluded from admission at trial as his “admission” and subsequent statements made by him were uttered with the expectation of privacy and not part of the interview. In an earlier episode Durst began speaking to himself without realizing the mic was still hot and producers informed him.
The LAPD has been quick to deny there is any link to The Jinx and the timing of Durst’s arrest one day before the season finale. In the handful of interviews Jarecki and Smerling gave just prior to the curtain call of reality that they are likely now witnesses in the murder case, Jarecki says that LAPD has had both the audio recording and the newly discovered letter to Berman for many months. On the surface considering Berman’s case is fifteen years cold, the timing does seem uncanny. Jeanine Pirro, former Westchester County District Attorney and chief bird dog in renewing her agencies vigor in the missing person case of Kathie Durst for six years -does not share the LAPD sentiment.
“…“These two producers did what law enforcement in three states could not do in 30 years, kudos to them. They were meticulous, they were focused, they were clear.” Jeanine Pirro
The prosecution in the Berman murder has its challenges in a high profile case where it cannot be disputed that evidence gleaned during the filming of “The Jinx” implicates Durst- IF -one is to believe in the forensic significance of document examination. One thing is certain- if expert testimony of the comparison of the letter Durst wrote Berman on his letterhead and the envelope and letter Durst himself states “could only come from the killer” revealed during the taping is admitted at trial, Durst will likely have a compelling explanation for it. It’s his thing. He chopped up a man and dumped him in the bay-sans his head, and convinced a jury he did that in self defense. This author is doubtful that had Durst not proposed the series of interviews that he would have been charged in Berman’s murder at all. Jarecki and HBO et al deserves Ms. Pirro’s kudos if indeed Jarecki went into the project objectively and investigatively.
Before Durst faces that left coast criminal court machine, he must answer the instant charges against him in New Orleans for firearm and drug possession- both of which were located in his hotel room when he was arrested on the Los Angeles warrant. As this article is scheduled to be published a source within the LAPD who is not authorized to comment on the case publicly, has confirmed to BlinkOnCrime that their office is receiving a flurry of calls from other agencies handling missing persons cases of young women.
And so it begins.
( *Authors note: I know, the thought of her out there with Adriana’s carcass to boot is too much to bear)
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TGF writes:
The letter to LE in L.A. may have been a deliberate attempt by Durst to get rid of Black. The altercation between Durst and Black in Galveston may have been caused by Black nearly getting caught in the Berman residence.
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Yea thats my thinking too- simply because it is now very easy to believe that it was Durst handwriting on cadaver letter, and hard to believe he would send a cadaver letter without some intent that would benefit him…. (excepting the screw loose factor)
I am not only interested in the links between Durst and Berman, but also between Black and Durman, and I would love to know if anyone has info on where Black was between dec 20 and 25, 2000. Maybe LE knows, maybe not, who knows if any connection even exists, but if so …… more possibilities with which to theorize about motivation.
typo alert
apologies
in my post of april 24, 10:03 p.m. I see that I wrote… Black and Durman- I meant links between Black and BERMAN. ( half my fault, and half courtesy of auto correct, lol)
@ Mom 3.0
I am behind on reading last night I read your links
All real interesting This Durst is a never ending surprise All the stories about him
Thanks for the links
So has anyone found where Durst supported any charities or used some of his money for good deeds
I have searched but found nothing.
Ode writes
I personally would doubt that Durst would have wanted Morris to be caught or convicted of Susan’s murder. That could come back and connect Durst to Morris. Why take the chance?
——
excellent point.
But I still think it is possible that Berman and Black and Durst are tied together in some way, and that is is conceivable that Durst was looking for some way to eliminate both of them in a way that he once again would be untouchable. As far as taking a chance, Durst judgement is askew and always has been.
Here is link to interview with a private investigator named bacca, referred to in Birkbeck book, and talking a lot these days.
This article is about the connection between Black and Durst that goes back to 80′s. I am still doggedly chewing on the idea that it was german through her own mob knowledge that found Black in the first place to be of service to Durst. I know, my imagination is quite vivid!
but anyway here is link:
http://crimefeed.com/2015/03/dont-know-relationship-robert-durst-morris-black-private-investigator-shares-theories/
But I still think it is possible that Berman and Black and Durst are tied together in some way, and that is is conceivable that Durst was looking for some way to eliminate both of them in a way that he once again would be untouchable. As far as taking a chance, Durst judgement is askew and always has been.
****
whodunnit that is exactly what appears that Durst did if Morris killed Susan. If Black had been caught he would have most likely said “this crazy billionaire Bobbie made me do it”. The only way Durst could be sure that Morris was silenced was to kill him himself.
I think he may have cared about Susan…he did not want her to lay days dead and not be found.
Berman was Jewish as is Durst. I do not know a lot about the traditions following death in the Jewish faith but I do believe that they wasn’t someone with the deceased as soon as possible. They do not want the deceased to be alone. Could this have been what motivated the letter about where the body was.
Good point as it was postmarked the day they believed she was killed. I don’t recall Durst saying anything about sitting Shiva though.
B
ode writes
whodunnit that is exactly what appears that Durst did if Morris killed Susan. If Black had been caught he would have most likely said “this crazy billionaire Bobbie made me do it”. The only way Durst could be sure that Morris was silenced was to kill him himself.
I think he may have cared about Susan…he did not want her to lay days dead and not be found.
——–
we are both on the same track. But reports have consistently said no signs of forced entry. Why would Berman have allowed Black to enter ? Would this indicate Black was known to Berman?
Definitely no forced entry, but the back door was ajar. Which did not make sense to me considering if you believe Durst sent the cadaver letter- why would he if he knew it was likely her murder would be detected anyway by someone noticing or by someone seeing the dogs outside? It’s incongruent for me. I wonder if the back door was in working order- perhaps that was the entry point? Reminder- Sareb’s car was parked in the garage.
B
typo above.. they would “want” someone with the deceased.. not “wasn’t”
Shiva occurs after burial I think. I could be wrong but it seems to me that someone stays with the body until a rabbi can attend. They want the burial to be quick because of decomposition. Durst may well not have wanted her decomposing anymore than necessary. This is going on the assumption that he still cared for her but could not chance her living and telling secrets.
blink writes:
Definitely no forced entry, but the back door was ajar. Which did not make sense to me considering if you believe Durst sent the cadaver letter- why would he if he knew it was likely her murder would be detected anyway by someone noticing or by someone seeing the dogs outside? It’s incongruent for me. I wonder if the back door was in working order- perhaps that was the entry point? Reminder- Sareb’s car was parked in the garage.
B
——
Okay. So does LE know where Black was and where Sareb was dec 22-25?
I remember you questioned how Berman could be so broke when Sareb was taking trips to Europe. Was Sareb in Europe or at least somewhere verifiable dec. 22 – dec 25? If he was anywhere other than Los Angeles, could this explain why his car was in garage? In any case, Certainly Sareb has the explanation for why his car was there.
It is so hard NOT to believe that Durst sent the cadaver letter, because of the stunning similarity of the handwriting.
We have Kim Lankford stating that Berman was very excited about some new information. Could Berman have made Durst aware of this excitement also? What if the info was NOT pertaining to Kathie, but something else that was more threatening to Berman’s safety? What if Durst came to see Berman and he found her dead body, but in keeping with his need/desire to stay under the radar, sent the cadaver letter motivated by his caring about Berman. But if berman’s murder was completely unrelated to Durst in any way,
Durst married Charatan dec 11 2000. In jailhouse phone calls that happened after Berman AND Black’s death, Durst told his sister he married Charatan out of convenience.
http://www.vulture.com/2015/03/debrah-lee-charatan-robert-durst-wife.html
snip from above link:
Despite all this, Durst didn’t fully trust Charatan, telling his sister their wedding was “a marriage of convenience … I had to have Debrah to write my checks. I was setting myself up to be a fugitive.”
so , Durst is saying that as of Dec 11, he was setting himself up to flee- PRESUMABLY because in Oct 2000, the Kathie Durst case had been officially re opened- the interesting thing is that he technically had nothing to flee from as far as any charges went.
So that kind of statement open me up to thing that perhaps Durst hd a master plan in place before Berman’s murder.
Also would like o know exactly how it came to pass that Morris Black and his brothers came to work for a Durst organization farm corp in the first place.
Just had a ” record scratch” moment….
WHY would Sareb Kaufamnn have Susan Berman’s belongings in the first place? Susan Berman broke up with Paul Kafman, Sareb’s father, in 1992. Yes, it appears she remained close to Sareb and sister Mella, and was thought of as mother figure by them, though obviously there was no blood relation or marital tie that made Sareb in any way” next of kin”. So in the event of death, why did those personal items go to Sareb?
Here is a LENGTHY article, that bears reading in full.
In it is at least one answer to a question I posed earlier.
It states that Sareb Kaufman was among the first to be notified of Susan Bermans death – he was in AMSTERDAM at the time. This for me sums up why his car was in her garage. Aryicle also states he lived close to her benedict canyon home.
worth reading, but set aside some time for it!
http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/crimelaw/features/4459/
I definitely will and thank you for posting who- but I wanted to add I believe in JINX interview- Sareb said he was in Europe over the Holiday and that was why he was parking his car in her garage. To that end- if you recall in ALL GOOD THINGS- the depiction was that Susan’s car was in need of repair and not running. I would like to know if that was true, because as I recall she was last out with Mickey ( something or other, lol) on the 22nd around 11 and iirc SHE dropped him off. It would be curious to see if she was driving Sareb’s car at the time- and of course who it was registered to.
B
If I remember the photo of the residence correctly, there is a two car garage on the right of the house as one is facing it. The garage may have an outside door to the back yard and a door inside the garage to the kitchen service area in the house. Both doors would be concealed from the street.
The quality of locks is not known. However, unless the owner has locks replaced to a higher standard, the builder installed locks are the cheapest they can get away with and have single cylinder dead bolts with 5/8″ throw on the bolt.
blink writes:
I would like to know if that was true, because as I recall she was last out with Mickey ( something or other, lol) on the 22nd around 11 and iirc SHE dropped him off.
—————-
The name of the person she had dinner with on Dec 22 was Rich Markey.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0548411/
very interesting who, thanks.
B
A texas grandfather wirtes:
The quality of locks is not known. However, unless the owner has locks replaced to a higher standard, the builder installed locks are the cheapest they can get away with and have single cylinder dead bolts with 5/8″ throw on the bolt.
—-
I take this to mean that getting into the house would not leave signs of forced entry even if it had been forced open, correct?
That leaves questions in my mind:
It has been disseminated in the press that Her body was found in her bedroom,somewhat parallel to her bed, one shot in back of head.
How did she get in that position, in that room.
If she did NOT open the door herself, was she accosted in the bedroom? Was the bed unmade? Does LE have any clearer estimate as to time of death besides 1,2, three days? My point is, was she surprised in her sleep. Did the dogs wake her up. Did the dogs alert her to intruder
Did she flee intruder… to go to her bedroom???
Why would she have been turned away from someone with a gun pointed at her.
Why was she in the bedroom. Does this mean that whoever shot her was someone she was comfortable enough with to have them walk behind her when she entered or was already in her bedroom?
It was written in previous article I posted that Neal Brynner, her manager went to her house later in the same day the police had taken the body away. He said he came in through the window.
still don’t know what to make of the paltry information about Susan Berman murder. Not much more on line except repeated references to ” mob type hit”, referring to one shot in back of head of a daughter of a mobster.
They never found Morris Black’s head, so not way to know if he was shot in back of head.
I hope that LA has more information than the Jinx put out, just saying.
Here is an article written around time of release of ” All good Things”, by a person who describes their close relationship with Susan Berman.
Of note, among other things:
Her dogs were described as vicious, biting people who came into her house,
Read the comments at the end of this article. One woman writes that Susan’s dogs attacked and bit a hole in the t shirt of her young son.
Writer of article also claims that he was audio witness to Susan Berman being beaten with a telephone, implying this was happening while it was happening on the other end of a phone call with her.
Here is link:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2010/11/demented-millionaire-murdered-my-friend.html
To clarify my post of my april 27 9:24 article, the article
was written in Nov 2010.
snippet from from comments section.
”
Her long lived dog, Oomi, was incredibly smart and a real mench – it was the three fox terriers that did her in in LA. One was the mother (Golda) and the other two were her children (Romeo and ?). I would have taken one of the dogs after she died, except for their viciousness, When I had visited her one bit a huge hole in my son’s tee shirt and the other actually bit my other son. When we went out to eat, she brought them along wearing velcro muzzles, and we ate outside at a cafe. A friend told me one had bitten into the arm of his black leather jacket and clamped his jaws on it so that he was swinging in the air. Susan once called me very upset that Gold had almost killed Romeo – she bit his balls – and he needed emergency surgery at the vet, – See more at: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2010/11/demented-millionaire-murdered-my-friend.html#sthash.Lc1LRJFY.dpuf
Makes me think Who- if that was the case, we can assume they behaved that way even to familiar folks. So who engaged or separated her from the dogs- or is there unaccounted for DNA at the scene?
B
blink writes
Makes me think Who- if that was the case, we can assume they behaved that way even to familiar folks. So who engaged or separated her from the dogs- or is there unaccounted for DNA at the scene?
B
——
When I read this comment about the viciousness of the dogs, my first thought was that the dogs had to be in play in some way… in this article they say that ONE of her three dogs was running around barking, presumably outside. No mention of the others. http://laist.com/2015/03/16/susan_berman_robert_durst.php
in the previous article I posted link to, a commentor says that Susan would cycle the dogs in and out of boarding, because the three of themat same were too much for her, one attacking the other, as well as biting people who posed no threat.
So many reports of her reclusiveness and fears- I just don’t see her opening the door to anyone that she didnt know, and how could a person manage to kill her without being subjected to aggression from dogs? Could it have been the dogs interference that prevented the removal of the body?
If someone had gone to her house with only one thing on their mind- her execution, why wouldn’t they just shoot her the minute they saw her. HOW and WHY did this happen in the bedroom?
Well, Who- the easy answer is because it was made to look like a hit- an assassination. A casing was left behind, she was shot only once in the back of the head and found on her back. If it was not a professional, than it certainly was an excellent replication of one. In my analyst experience and training- this offender was either trying to mask their personal connection to the victim by assuming a “hit” could never be connected to them personally, or the offender was NOT able to be connected to Susan and therefore was unconcerned about it being tied to him/them, as well as the obvious takeaway that it was likely a hit- which of course would not be a stretch given her well known tangential and personal ties. I will caveat this by saying we are unaware of any additional evidence in the home- and by this I mean- DNA, fingerprints, possible footwear impressions, evidence pertaining to an invited guest ( glasses in sink, guest towel usage, was her bed made, etc?) and I can tell you from experience you would be surprised how much circumstantial evidence can be in play in unsolved cases that is either withheld or missed by investigators.
That said and to your point Who- I have studied the layout of #1527 at length- unfortunately I cannot link it as it was provided by a source, but a few points:
1. I do not believe this residence could have been accessed through the rear, or “canyon”. It is completely surrounded by dense foliage (in fact, I believe that now famous Durst/Berman pic was taken there).
2. There was no “internal” access to the one car garage to the residence. One would need to park and enter the home through the front- at the very least if someone were at home, they would see who was parked there ( and we know Sareb’s vehicle was in the garage) in the driveway leading to the garage. There is no street parking, but there is a “parking pad” that hooks left in front of the residence. What I am getting at here: This person accessed the home without breaking in, through the front door or possibility of the side window if they did so while she was not present. The more likely scenario I am seeing, based on the location of where she was killed, the lack of any struggle at the crime scene, and the presence of an animal with the back door left wide open.
3. I think we need to determine what the real facts are about how Susan was discovered. According to the article link you posted ( which does have a myriad of errors the author attempts to correct) Susan was discovered after neighbors phoned police the dog was barking incessantly. Obviously, in JINX, and from other sources I have read- Durst’s (alleged) cadaver letter was the impetus for her discovery. Anyone else have a firm source on that?
4. At this point, I am inclined to say two things- either Susan’s attacker was an invited guest she brought back to the residence herself or was expecting ( this makes sense if she boarded the mean dogs)someone she knew and apparently nobody noticed a vehicle in front of or parked in the driveway of her home.
5. I can tell you that about 99% of the time there are facts and evidence that is withheld that someone has considered the release of same would jeopardize the integrity of a case. I have to believe that is the case here when we have charges filed prior to ( and still) no indictment. HOWEVER, as I have said previously- I believe the DA jumped the gun here based on information that he was given by the FBI ( which in my view has some serious problems in terms of the LA state charges and thus why they charged him Federally- and one more thing- I am not finding that indictment in my Federal system so my hinky is up on that one as well). Durst has not been indicted in CA, and that was the impetus for his arrests on the gun and weed charges.
My gut tells me this plan is all about some FBI theory that is not going to pan out but intends to outlast Durst.
B
Very interesting whodunnit about the dogs. If Susan had been out that evening and just arrived home she would more than likely let the dogs out first thing upon returning home. I am wondering if she had a fenced area to let the dogs take care of business?
Ode writes
Very interesting whodunnit about the dogs. If Susan had been out that evening and just arrived home she would more than likely let the dogs out first thing upon returning home. I am wondering if she had a fenced area to let the dogs take care of business?
—–
mul;tiple articles consistently say that neighbors were alerted by ( at least) one her dogs” running around”, which had the implication that the dogs were not confined to her property. Consistant reports that Susan was very involved with her dogs. and that it was highly unusual to see one lose. Now this tidbit about their viciousness, which maybe more neighbors knew about as well.
Isn’t there a process the body goes through that can allow forensics to pinpoint just how long the person has been dead, based on stage of rigor mortis etc? I have never read anything to date that is specific about time of death- everything always says body was there for one two or even three days before discovery. SO, if the dogs alerted the neighbors, who then called police- and police found body had been dead for 1-2 days, why did it take that long for dog to alert everyone? The backdoor was open- could the dogs have stayed in the house for a day or so before being found ” running around barking/”????
Do you think what they found was not a mob style hit at all but a botched murder?
Who- what you are referring to is a post mortem interval (PMI) in which, a series of findings conclude a window of the time of death and when the decedant was recovered. I do have extensive training as an analyst on this, but without her autopsy protocol and relevant facts from the scene I could not even hazard a guess. In 2000, I would be very surprised that any current CSI metrics were used to get a quantifiable PMI, as this concept (Vass) is relatively newer in forensic analysis.
That said, what I would be looking for to start would be the ambient temp in the home ( as I recall, there was no heat per se, but I see she had a fireplace). That interests me because it can stall the decomposition process from moderately to greatly depending on the temperature. In addition, relative to temp ( under 55 f not an issue) I would seek to know what entymology samples were observed or collected. I would seek to know her liver temp, observations on rigor and livor and whether or not they reflected whether she was moved posthumously. There are quite a few other important factors I won’t chunk up the tube with, lol, but these are the big ones that can start the “theory” from a forensics perspective, and presumably can be evaluated to a degree under today’s standards for a more finite “window”. I am not at all comfortable since as I stated earlier no indictment has been issued yet that LAPD has any of this nailed down in a state to combat defense experts.
B
Blink writes:
That said, what I would be looking for to start would be the ambient temp in the home ( as I recall, there was no heat per se, but I see she had a fireplace). That interests me because it can stall the decomposition process from moderately to greatly depending on the temperature
————–
Living in Los angeles, I can assure you that canyon areas and shaded properties are always degrees cooler than more open areas. Benedict Canyon is cooler than “the flats”, which is an element of the desirability of the area-As a rule, houses in LA are designed and built to withstand the heat, not the cold,fireplaces are largely just decorative, and an insufficient heat source in any case, complicated by need for firewood source, not a thriving business at any time out here, a cord of wood is crazy expensive and requires delivery- people burn those fake logs for effect. Point is, it was cold by LA standards at time of Berman’s death.Meidan temp was recorded as 52- low of 44- take off a few degrees for ” canyon effect”
\ http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Los%20Angeles/2000-12-24
https://weatherspark.com/history/29963/2000/Los-Angeles-California-United-States
typo
25 years.
Blink- please discard original and let me re do my post of april 30 12:01, with corrections
here is corrected version:
This is screwy.
An NY Times article published in 2001 states that Durst was granted a divorce from Kathleen on grounds of abandonment in 1990, and began living with Charatan soon after, though that live in arrangement lasted only about 9 months, after which he left that residence, never to return. So Charatan has now presumably been in the mix for 25 years???
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/22/nyregion/heir-divorced-his-missing-wife-11-years-ago.html
ballistics question:
If shot in the back of the head while standing, what happens then, does the victim just crumple and land on floor haphazardly, does the impact send body forward or does body fall back ward?
If shot while in movement, how does that affect position ?
Blink, in your opinion, was susan german shot while walking into her bedroom, standing there or already lying on the floor?
who- It is impossible for me to form an opinion on that because the factors for consideration to arrive at one are unknown. However, here are what my initial considerations would be for determination.
1. Was the bullet wound delivered at point blank, close or indeterminate range? ( there are specific indications for this such as the “edges” of the wound entry, the gunshot residue (GSR) remnants or pattern on wound and/or victim.) This is determined at autopsy and should be fairly straightforward.
2. The bullet wound path to include entry and (if relative) exit. To my knowledge only a spent casing was found and she was only shot once. That said, I am familiar with some mob hits per se and very rarely do you see one shot from close-indeterminate range. If the information about only a spent casing was found is accurate, I am making the assumption the fragment remained in her skull.
3. Blood spatter evidence onscene. Close to point blank range is going produce spatter patterning in some form and at some level with a basic 9 mm semi automatic. It is possible there was an exit wound, and the spent bullet frag was recovered by LE or removed by the offender ( why leave the casing you ask? could be it rolled under something or was underneath her when and if someone laid her on her back and they couldn’t find it. (I have worked on cases where spent casings were found months and in one case years later.) Onscene- to trained personnel, the blood spatter pattern will really dictate the start of the picture, if you will. Why? because if I am the investigator where that spatter lies in terms of height and actual velocity “markers” will tell me the likely position of the victim and the shooter when it took place. Obviously like anything else, the exception can be the rule- as in, if someone cleaned it, if it takes place in an area with partial coverage or on movable surfaces, doorway, open room, etc. But if intact, I submit they know – when coupled with everything else I mentioned- they know if she was standing or kneeling, and hopefully as we discussed the other day what her PMI is, and if she died instantly.
Not sure if I mentioned this or not on here, I have in private conversations. I have seen many conclude that her killer placed her on her back as some sort of caring gesture. I would disagree that in itself can be construed as an act of care. I have seen this in cases that include the possibly as motive as a “hit” for someone else- and the reason they placed the body on their back was to take a picture as proof the target is deceased. (face) Another reason could be for first responders to conclude at entry she is deceased without disturbing the scene. If that is the case, there could be other clues/evidence being withheld.
B
I keep being sloppy and pressing g key instead of b when trying to write Berman. so sorry!
Blink writes:
and apparently nobody noticed a vehicle in front of or parked in the driveway of her home.
——————
Currently, 1527 benedict Canyon Drive has red ” no parking” areas in front of the house, at least at this point in time. Perhaps worth finding out if this has always been the case- if so, wouldn’t the murderer avoid risk of being parked in front of house in any case, especially if it was illegal?
A stranger can’t just drive into someone’s driveway, period. This is the land of the manson murders- I familiar with the area and I KNOW that just never happens. Soemone pulling into your drive that you don’t know is grounds for even the least paranoid person out here.
anyway
here is photo of current state of house- this is apparently AFTER renovation.
https://www.google.co.il/maps/@34.099318,-118.432003,3a,63.8y,196.56h,75.79t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sMGyQ5Eh1BZqw5irzgcHamQ!2e0
Who-(tweaked your post a tad due to earlier private discussion, hope that’s ok.)
I checked the prop records and zoning circa 2000. ( last sold in 2005 current market data has lot at .21 acres and approximate value from 9.5 through nearly 1.3 M) There was no on-street parking allowed in 2000 as there is not today- additionally, as I saw in earlier pics, her only address was marked on the curb. If this was a hit- I doubt very highly it was exacted without some surveillance. Which would not be especially easy then, given the location of the residence. It is also rated very poorly for walking or biking.
For me, there are so many factors that could have gone wrong for this to be so “clean” if this was a stranger or an uninvited guest. Clearly if her neighbors were in earshot to hear the dog barking outside, they were close enough to hear screams or a physical altercation and/or gunshot. Depending upon whether or not this was point blank- they SHOULD know if a silencer was used if they consulted ballistic experts. Seems like a ridiculously simple question, but did LAPD pull cab/limo/transfer service for those days? I am convincing myself of what I suspected before- this was a two man job.
B
Was Susan out to dinner the night she may have died? I have said before that if she was and she came home she would have let her dogs out straight away. If they were safe in the back yard she may have proceeded to her bedroom to get more comfortable clothes on while they did their business. If someone was in the back yard waiting could they have accessed the house through the back door opened to let the dogs out. I imagine in this scenario some one waiting at the back door and throwing out some treat to distract the dogs and slipping through the door. If the dogs where out to bring notice to the neighbors…how did they get out?
Blink I had the absolute same thought that she was turned over for proof of death.
Ode- I would not call it completely vetted- however, there is some evidence only one of her dogs was located outside ( and the others may have been boarded). The rear door to the yard was left open- I presume the dog got out that way- but for all we know the dog was kept outside and THEN allowed access through the door- unknown so far.
B
Blink
I am currently reading a recounting of the Berman murder, included in the following:
Hot Blooded, Cold Crime: (True Crime Box Set)
This is a compilation of books written by Cathy Scott. I think her take on Berman was originally published in 2003 or 4 ( not sure at time of this post, sorry) and appears to have been added onto in 2011, and the kindle addition I just bought came out in 2014. Point being, all pre current arrest of Durst.
Scott discusses the landlady, Neal Brenner and Durst as suspects- but more importantly illuminates something that will make you nuts- the many errors made by LAPD.
The homicide unit was not assigned the case right off the bat. The house was never taped off as a crime scene, rush to judgement that it a mob hit. Initial focus was on Neal Brenner. Durst interviewed by police on phone, with a mutual plan to meet in person when Durst came for Berman Memorial at Wrioters guild the following February. Durst never showed, no further interview. There IS a reference to a palm print that was found at the scene Scott claims her body was found in a spare bedroom of her three bedroom house (not her own bedroom) Scott claims police stated the body had been turned over to be found on her back. Reference to the autopsy, but not printed in the book. Reference to body being ” ice cold” The cadaver letter is NOT what brought cops to house. It was a neighbor complaining of dogs barking and running back and forth across benedict Canyon extremely busy street by the way The list goes on and on, but always circles back to LAPD being somewhat blasé about everything after about 4-6 months. Interesting that the same thing happened with disappearance of Kathie Durst- same pattern of scrutiny high lit by lackadaisical LE approach when viewed in hindsight.
I am making myself take a break until more is forthcoming about the charges in Los Angeles. I don’t know what could have popped up that was new- but am wondering if it has to do with the gun that Robert durst had when arrested in New Orleans, or DNA. The more you get into this Berman thing, the messier it gets.
I agree with your statement:
” I am convincing myself of what I suspected before- this was a two man job.”
The canyon is narrow at the Berman residence. The roadway and then the properties on one side of the road only. The canyon walls rise steeply on one side of the road and then steeply behind the lots. The brush and small trees appear behind the lots and not across the street.
There had to be something that muffled the sound of the 9mm shot if that was the weapon used. In rock country the sound of a 9mm shot can be heard more than a mile. There is a shooting range about 1 1/2 miles South of me on the other side of a 1450 ft ridge. One can clearly hear every shot that is fired. The police and sheriff deputies use that range and most of them carry 9mm or 40 S&W. A few us a 45 cal 1911 style automatic and those can be identified by the larger sound.
I have a Northern upper ridge as well. It is way loud and although like yours it is standard issue- I can hear plenty of the big booms ( and Harper will retreat under our bed from anywhere in the house, lol) Then only thing I will say is that the house and the dense foliage directly in back does go a long way to mask reverberations, imo.
B
TGF writes:
In rock country the sound of a 9mm shot can be heard more than a mile.
———
I live in Los Angeles, and though not in Benedict Canyon, I know the street and I live in a canyon also. The steep topography does not muffle sounds, it richoets the sound, and even amplifies. On top of that, any traffic fairly rumbles, the sound moves up through the houses. That is one of the reasons why many canyon houses have hedges or walls in front of property- not just for privacy but for sound deflection and disbursement. A hard driveway surface in front of a house can even create a side effect of amplifying the sound of traffic by bouncing them up onto the hard surface of the house and windows. Because of that houses proximity to the road, and no carpeting in her house, I would bet it is not a silent place inside by any manner of means. .At night, a small pack of coyotes sounds like they number a zillion as their howls echo through any canyon in town.
This gun simply had to be used with a silencer.
Blink writes:
Then only thing I will say is that the house and the dense foliage directly in back does go a long way to mask reverberations, imo.
More regarding distance the sound of the shot had to travel:
By going to this site , and entering the Berman residence address of 1527 Benedict Canyon Drive,, you will see that her lot is parcel five, and is a lot about 50 feet wide.
http://maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/GVH_2_2/Index.html?configBase=http://maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/Geocortex/Essentials/REST/sites/PAIS/viewers/PAIS_hv/virtualdirectory/Resources/Config/Default
Ode writes:
If Susan had been out that evening and just arrived home she would more than likely let the dogs out first thing upon returning home. I am wondering if she had a fenced area to let the dogs take care of business?
The neighbors house have narrow lots also, 40 feet, fifty feet wide. My point is that the sound would only have to travel 100 feet for it to be heard by several neighbors, if they were at home when the shot occurred.
Ode writes:
If Susan had been out that evening and just arrived home she would more than likely let the dogs out first thing upon returning home. I am wondering if she had a fenced area to let the dogs take care of business?
—-
would be hard to imagine that someone described as being very close to their dogs, and dogs described as aggressive, that she would not at least be waiting for them to come back in.
Los Angeles fact:
Out here, we are all aware of the dangers that befall small dogs- they are considered delectable prey by not only coyotes but hawks as well ( statistically, most desired dog for Hawks is shitzu)
But Coyotes are the biggest fear of every small dog owner. Any dog lover provides enclosure that keeps coyotes OUT, if it is possible. As a renter, you may not be able to erect this on your own, so you look to rent a place that accepts dogs with the hope that there is a dog run or a fence in place. Coyotes can jump up tp six, seven feet and to repeat, every small dog owner knows this, some even had had to learn the hard way.( like me)
Benedict canyon is rife with coyotes. From what I have gathered about Susan Berman, I don’t think she would let her dogs out of her sight for any long amount of time, but thats just a guess. No way to know for sure about fence in back, but the fact that at least one of them was running outside off the property, if she did have a fence, that could have been opened too though dogs can dig under fences and get between slats if they have a mission.. ( again, personal experience, lol)
For reading on local news, vis a vis gun shots in benedict canyon, go to this link and scroll down to an article entitled ” In My Canyon View”, by Rodney Kemerer:
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51350dbbe4b06fccd51fb1e5/t/5161ef3ce4b0d5cb924f7e50/1365372732574/Fall07Newsletter.pdf
local news from Los Angeles
Jareki is reportedly doing another ” episode” for HBO regarding Durst. Not ” chapter seven” per se, but definitely an additional to the material provided in the initial 6 provided.
I am way behind, I apologize. That note made my day Ode- how absolutely lovely of you to share that sentiment with me.
xo
B
Just wanted to apologize for seemingly monopolizing this thread. because as it turns out, Susan Berman was known to two people I know, and because it is a home town story, I have been perhaps over anxious to explore and share. Thank you for allowing it.
I appreciate your willingness to share and keep the dialogue going Who- I don’t consider that monopolizing- so I thank you. Probably not to the extent you have, but I have too come to know a few folks who crossed paths with Durst locally at one time or another and one of them happens to be my business lawyer LOL. One thing is very certain. There does not seem to be two similar opinions on him- with the only exception being that something was just off, almost like there was definitely someone in there, but never really knowing who that “was”. I can see that.
B
Malty thanks for the kindness glad you enjoyed the links-
I have been reading along- when able
such interesting discussions thanx who and all-
If its alright Ill add my thoughts since I have a moment
I dont think we can conclude for sure that her dogs were viscous from an anonymous comment on a blog- perhaps the dog/S just did not like that particular person or her son?
.
I do not believe the dogs were boardered at the time of Susans murder – I have located several articles that mention all the dogs being in the vicinity of the home at the time neighbors found the door ajar.
snipped:
Officers had been summoned there by neighbors who had noticed her dogs wandering the street and the door to her house open. The police said she might have been killed a day or two earlier.
Brad Roberts, a Los Angeles police detective, said there was no evidence of robbery.
”Nothing was disturbed or taken from the residence,” Detective Roberts said. ”It looked like the target of the murder was her.”
and
Berman, who was 55, was found alone in her bedroom on Benedict Canyon Drive after neighbors saw her three dogs wandering around outside, alone and yowling.
….Her body was found at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve, he said, after neighbors who found the dogs running loose went to Berman’s house, saw the back door open and called police. The last time she was seen was Dec. 22, he said. There were no signs of forced entry or struggle. Police are focusing on where Berman was in the day and a half before the killing.
and
On Christmas Eve, Susan Berman’s neighbors noticed her dogs running loose near her dilapidated Benedict Canyon home. They found the back door open and called the police.
and
The dogs wouldn’t stop barking that night. Susan Berman’s house in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood was dark, but her three dogs were going mad. When the baying continued into the morning hours, neighbors started to get suspicious. Someone called the police.
end
— So it would seem if all articles are taken into account – none mention the boarding of her pets- not one – but several mention all 3 dogs while some mention only one…. I think it safer to think all were there and not boarded.
Also I dont think any of her pets were kept outside- heres my reasoning: the barking seems to be noted as part of the alerting of the neighbors…so to me this leads to the realization that it was an uncommon occurrence the barking and the dog or dogs running about unattended- that info to me means none of the dogs were left outdoors for any length of time.
links
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Mysterious-Death-of-Susan-Berman-Daughter-of-2969030.php
A&P
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/06/us/police-puzzled-by-killing-of-a-daughter-of-the-las-vegas-mob.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/17/the-dazzling-mafia-princess-robert-durst-is-accused-of-killing/
http://www.ew.com/article/2001/02/16/la-confidential
I have no idea which is right Mom3.0- but there are some very specific articles posted by WHO that report only one dog was outside, and located- iirc, there is also an article somewhere about where the dogs ultimately went after her death? So frustrated that simple facts are all over the place in reporting- You would think I would get used to it, lol
B
Re who TGF Blink-
A Texas Grandfather says:
May 2, 2015 at 11:28 pm
whodunnit says:
May 3, 2015 at 11:24 pm
.
whodunnit says:
May 4, 2015 at 5:27 pm
—The home- and the shot-
Yes Susans home was on a busy street with no parking in front and neighbors close by on either side-
Here are some photos of the home as it was
In Dec 2000 it appears the ridge behind the home – the trees were quite bare notice how close the homes are on either side- how close the home was to the street
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/A-Meeting-Of-Two-Mysteries-Could-slain-writer-2967212.php#photo-2264298
http://www.livethemovies.com/2015/03/susan-bermans-home-and-site-of-her.html
and
http://altereddimensions.net/main/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/image33.png
Notice this inside photo there appears to be a flier on the floor – when was that placed there by whom? it was said the mail was never picked up -was the mail box a slot? It kinda looks like a slot jnear the top of the photo…..If so IMO not a big deal that the mail wasnt picked up… or was it a box by the curb? Again what time was the mail delivered on the 23rd?
Blink FYI IRT yr thoughts on address marked-in that pic 3 of 3 SF article- it seems there might have been an address printed on the side gate- leading to the back yard… do you see it?
Also in one article http://www.ew.com/article/2001/02/16/la-confidential
it states that Susans Trooper was seen protruding from the garage (occasionally often that night?)- was it too big to fit inside w/ door shut?
IRT to yr thoughts that someone had to be watching to know when she was home especially with Sarebs car parked in the driveway… How would “they” know someoneelse wasnt in the home with her or alone-?
—IRT to the shot not heard– To me either the dogs barking masked the boom or it had to be a silencer- unless the neighbors werent home at the time or were sleeping too soundly….
What time did neighbors report dogs barking “that night”..
snipped:
The dogs wouldn’t stop barking that night. Susan Berman’s house in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood was dark, but her three dogs were going mad. When the baying continued into the morning hours, neighbors started to get suspicious. Someone called the police.
end
last pic
http://altereddimensions.net/main/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/image34.png
Notice the dog bowl in the middle of the floor and the upstanding flashlight….
Interesting to me if this is how police found the scene-
A&P
LOL- ok, I am going out of order unintentionally- and you previously pointed out the dog bowl Ms. Shrewd-eye- I agree upthread. I do not trust any images that are not in the case file at this point, fwiw
B
Re ode and who
Ode writes:
If Susan had been out that evening and just arrived home she would more than likely let the dogs out first thing upon returning home. I am wondering if she had a fenced area to let the dogs take care of business?
The neighbors house have narrow lots also, 40 feet, fifty feet wide. My point is that the sound would only have to travel 100 feet for it to be heard by several neighbors, if they were at home when the shot occurred.
Ode writes:
If Susan had been out that evening and just arrived home she would more than likely let the dogs out first thing upon returning home. I am wondering if she had a fenced area to let the dogs take care of business?
—-
would be hard to imagine that someone described as being very close to their dogs, and dogs described as aggressive, that she would not at least be waiting for them to come back in.
—–
Interesting thoughts-
Susan had been out to dinner and a movie on the 22nd-
What time did she return home?
She was found murdered on the 24th-
She was in sweats and a teeshirt Susan does not seem the type to not take a chance to dress up… but instead go to a movie and dinner wearing sweats and a tee-
snipped-
she went to dinner and a movie with Rich Markey. Using their Writers Guild passes, they went to see Best in Show, the dog-show comedy, and Susan laughed uproariously through it. Over dinner, after Susan did her usual grilling of the waiter, they talked about her book deal, her TV deal, Sareb and Mella. Susan was particularly excited about a sequel she was planning to Easy Street, called Rich Girl Broke. Markey was on his way to Vegas for a family reunion and Susan was delighted that he would see where she grew up. On the way home, she had a fit in the parking garage because someone in the elevator pressed 5. It was a normal Susan evening.
–
So to me if she was killed the 22nd- shortly after the movie/dinner it wasnt until she got comfortable… what time did she arrive home? before bed or earlier in the evening? – Was her pjs normally sweats and a tee or did she get comfortable to spend the evening lounging…or did she awake and dress that Sat in sweats and a tee?
who you wrote:
would be hard to imagine that someone described as being very close to their dogs, and dogs described as aggressive, that she would not at least be waiting for them to come back in.
hats what makes me wonder about that pic of the flashlight upright undisturbed on the desk…was she searching for the dogs?
IDK great thoughts ode and who thanks for letting me jump in.
A&P
Not our dearest Ode but quick question if I may- do you have a link to the flashlight image you referenced?
And- I am not convinced that LAPD has her time of death accurately by any means. At least not through labs or ME could provide that level of specificity alone- if they are hanging their hat on the 23rd, there has to be a reason outside of just the recovery and autopsy protocol, imo.
Lemme guess- I shudder to think- someone saw a woman matching Berman’s description driving away from her home or pulling into her driveway the day of the 23rd. Sorry, I went there.
B
Blink writes
There does not seem to be two similar opinions on him- with the only exception being that something was just off, almost like there was definitely someone in there, but never really knowing who that “was”. I can see that.
——-
yes I agree- this guy has actively chosen multiple identities, certainly an argument about whether this is environmental or organic, lol.
So to me, the real lynch pins in solving these mysteries is to define specifically the lives of his victims, and the relationships they had with the individual they knew. I feel like the investigations about durst lead only to questions about durst, and that looking into the backgrounds of Black and Berman, understanding fully what the nature of their relationship to durst was, is where the answers lie. So hence my intrigue with Berman herself- I really do think Durst is connected to her death, but to me, hardcore facts about their relationship is missing.
I know this is counter intuitive and smacks of blaming the victims, but I know you know what I mean. And obstinately, I still am chewing on a connection between Black and Kathie Durst and Berman that goes beyond the fact that they all knew Durst.
Now hear this ( say like coming through a bull horn in a cop voice) LOL- you are 100% correct.
In criminal intelligence and investigation the victimology study is only second in importance to the immediate crime scene ( and even then can slide into first, but not this one) as a standard investigative protocol. There is no victim blaming whatsoever when it comes to a woman shot in the back of the head- there is only trying to find answers. Whether they seek to exclude or include- those victim relationships and activity serve to narrow the pool every time. Is it harder in Susan’s case with such a wide berth so to speak- definitely, however, I think there are a few boxes checked off for me I am ready to make some assumptions about.
B
heres the image Blink-
http://altereddimensions.net/main/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/image34.png
It looks like a yellow and black “mini” flashlight to me- maybe you can blow it up and figure out for sure?
also in this image I noticed an envelope box on the desk… made we wonder if the envelope and note paper for the cadaver letter came from the home itself….
I agree on yr thoughts of TOD on 23rd
Mom 3.0- that link did not work for me, sorry?
B
Thanx for going there Blink….all I can say is it wouldnt totally surprise me.
Sorry about that…
Ill try a different path.
Blink, the image comes from this article:
The bizarre life, disappearances, and deaths surrounding millionaire Robert (Bob) Durst
Here is the link if you scroll down to the words “pictorial gallery” (blue heading) the pic is the first one in row 8
http://altereddimensions.net/2015/life-disappearances-deaths-murders-robert-bob-durst
Hope that helps
That works mom3.0- I sincerely appreciate it. Not only that, that is a very interesting article I have not seen before. To your question- if I am going strictly from first impression, what I found odd was the placement of the dog bowl in the middle of the floor just away from that window/door.
I wonder if that was the door left open- in which case, I would want to explore if that bowl set was moved from the kitchen to be in view of the door. I can’t speak to the flashlight- and I will tell you why- I have 4 current cases I cannot discuss, and every one of them has a flashlight of some variety in evidence that initially cannot be claimed or explained. My takeaway is- flashlights laying around once crime scene pics are being taken- they are left where they were originally placed a lot. Without knowing how it got there or who it belonged to I could not say carte blanche it is foreign to the scene.
B
Blink-
I found the link that Ode posted – here it is again
( inside of Susan Berman home)
http://altereddimensions.net/2015/life-disappearances-deaths-murders-robert-bob-durst/image-png-1698
——
Hi Mom 3.0!!
you write;
hats what makes me wonder about that pic of the flashlight upright undisturbed on the desk…was she searching for the dogs?
——-
it’s not unusual for anyone in Los Angeles to have a flashlight ready- this is the land of earthquakes, and random black outs in the canyons, and flashlights are part of every safety kit.
HOWEVER- I AGREE that seeing a flashlight on a desk upright- a desk for her computer, gives me a feeling of being connected to her dogs in some way. I live within 20 minutes of Susan Berman’s former home. It is shady in her area from mid afternoon on due to topography and DARK DARK DARK as soon as the sun sets. benedict Canyon is an interesting street- there are stretches of it that are really not so great, with small lots and 40/50 houses- and that is the upper area Susan lived in. The closer down you get to sunset and the heart of Beverly Hills, thats where you see the huge houses built after tear downs. But she was really in the ” canyon-y” part of Benedict, with a teeny old timey general store close by but not much else for a few miles up or down the road. It really is coyote country, and if you took a walk at night.. wait NOBODY walks in L.A., lol
I think the question about whether or not the flashlight had anything to do with looking for the dogs lies in the question of if she had outdoor lighting or not. And also, setting a flashlight upright takes at leafs a bit of focus- if it was just a handy item to have around for the dogs, wouldn’t it just be laying there?
Mom 3.0 writes:
also in this image I noticed an envelope box on the desk… made we wonder if the envelope and note paper for the cadaver letter came from the home itself….
——-
Good question- and we do know that he sent her more than one lettter in the 6months – year before he death- two payments that totaled 50 k altogether. Have you found any info as to whether or not the envelope and the paper of the cadaver letter is the same stock as the cheek letter? Maybe analysis of the check letter is a big key to LAPD for their charges, if it is indeed the same stationary for both?
Mom 3.0 writes:
So to me if she was killed the 22nd- shortly after the movie/dinner it wasnt until she got comfortable… what time did she arrive home?
———-
In Los Angeles, for the ” industry every December, there are many s free screenings of movies that are shown for oscar consideration. These screenings can be at the academy, the writers guild, but many theaters also allow free access to any members of the Academy, writers and directors guild who would cast their vote.
The key to figuring out when she got home is to know where the screening actually was, add walking to car from screening then adding time to get car after dining. The only restaurants that are close to her house are at the Beverly Glen center at the top of Beverly Glen ( next canyon to her west) but there is no parking structure there that has five levels. Next closest would be beverly Hills . Lots of public parking in the shopping area pf bev Hills, with maximum of six levels, but most close at 8. Need to know which restaurant she went to and when. It would take about 15 minutes to get from restaurant in Bev hills to Susan Berman house,.Most restarounts anywhere in town stop serving by 10, 10:30. The writers guild is located about a 20-25 minute drive from her residence- if its a friday or saturday it can take forever to get from Third street across town in Hollywood cause of traffic. My guess based on all this is that IF she was killed following her dinner with Markey, it would have been in the wee hours of the morning. Having said that noise is amplified at that hour, no ambient sound to keep bullet sounds from being obscured as it echoes if no silencer)
mom writes:
Was her pjs normally sweats and a tee or did she get comfortable to spend the evening lounging…or did she awake and dress that Sat in sweats and a tee?
———–
No one has said they expected to see her on dec 23. Whatever she slept in, it would be normal to get up and put on sweats if you aren’t going anywhere. People out here often wear sweats as casual wear especially around house and for errands or casual socializing , especially younger hipper show biz crowd in 2000 UNLESS you wear your New Yorker identity on your sleeve, and are basically always dressed to some degree.. BUT My impression of her is that she liked to dress up , and even for guests coming to her house. I think she was in sweats because she wasn’t expecting anyone , or was expecting a close friend.
I don’t find the flashlight to be strange. I keep one with a lot of candle power on a table top near where I work.
The bowl in the floor near the antique piece is strange. Dogs are not neat when they eat. Particularly is that true with multiple dogs.
My kids laugh at my emergency lighting OCD- I have all kinds of those supercharged little lamps and flameless candles- but in 2000, it doesn’t look standard cop issue to me.
B
The flashlight is not one that would be considered tactical whereas mine are, some with hardened material at the front. Berman may not have had sufficient lighting for the back yard and used that to find the dogs or to scare away animals that are on the rising canyon wall.
I keep at least one in each vehicle and sometimes two. Light bright enough to temporarily blind someone.
thinking about Blinks response:
And- I am not convinced that LAPD has her time of death accurately by any means. At least not through labs or ME could provide that level of specificity alone- if they are hanging their hat on the 23rd, there has to be a reason outside of just the recovery and autopsy protocol, imo.
—-
Blink- in this transcript of a tv show- It reads that there wasnt any heat in Susans home-
snip:
There was no heat in the residence. end
Coupled with the door open that would make it even harder to pinpoint TOD- IMO
If she was autopsied and her stomach contents examined… that may help pinpoint when she died-
Were there remnants of her dinner or of breakfast- how digested were the contents etc…
Also in this transcript it reads that the neighbors to the South were out of town…
snip: The people who lived in the house just south of her were out of town for the weekend. end
That complicates things further re no shot heard- no car seen etc did the killer know they were out of town – …is this where the killer parked and so on.. According to the “Who Killed the Gangster’s Daughter?” article Sareb “lived nearby” and was in Amsterdam at the time- Did the killer keeping tabs on Susan and the neighborhood also know he was outof town?…
Snip:The person who would have been notified first was Sareb, who lived nearby and talked to her daily. But he was traveling in Amsterdam; end
Another thing this transcript also highlights Nyle getting into the home via an unlocked window after police concluded their crimescene work
snip:
Just a few days after my death, neighbors saw a man sneaking into my house through a window. end
from earlier linked article:
Nyle drove to the house. By this point, the police had already removed the body; they had also locked the house up. Later, Nyle would tell friends that when no one answered the door, he crawled in through a back window.
if he easily made it into her home whos to say that isnt exactly the way the killer gained entrance- perhaps the only reason Brenner was detected is because the neighborhood was on highalert after realizing their neighbor had been murdered…not hard to think no one was keeping a close watch on Susans home before or immediately after her murder-
Another interesting tidbit in the transcript is that Susan just had glaucoma surgery in the days before her murder-
I hadnt known that but it makes me wonder where all that money went that she borrowed- she paid her landlord, she got surgery… but Her heat was off— were her lights off too?
This transcript also mentions the handprnt which who brought up earlier…it was found on the back bedroom wall.
http://tv.ark.com/transcript/solve_my_mystery-%28the_true_story_of_susan_berman%29/408/KRON/Friday_August_13_2010/408971/
Just thinking
AJMo Peace
Again- the glaucoma surgery is new to me. She did go to a show the 22nd so at the very least she was solid enough for that- however, wouldn’t that preclude her from night travel?
The heat off ( she did have a wood fireplace, but I did not see any evidence of stored wood) will of course lower the inhome ambient temp- under 55 degrees constantly over the few days would ( sorry, and winds if there were) thwart insect infestation associated with decompositional events. HOWEVER, I dO NOT believe the temp would have been cold enough to not be considered in the autopsy protocol as a factor that slowed decomp or autolys. Most especially not the internal GI events that immediately follow instantaneous death. The finding of death on the 23rd had better be substantiated through science is what I am getting at because for me that is too tight of a window for a prosecutorial theory.
B
Ok answering some of my own questions via this link it seems the lights were not off in the home
http://www.livethemovies.com/2015/03/susan-bermans-home-and-site-of-her.html
The pic seems to show lamp on and lights on in other room along with LEO in house and crime gear in yard:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rh12Sv92C1k/VQXBBmdJEII/AAAAAAAAF4s/ABqXTlOPAFQ/s1600/Susan-Berman-Murder-House-from-The-Jinx-4.png
In case link does not work it is the 7th pic down from header “story & photos” showing home with two doors on either side of chimney
This pic:(#6 down from header “story & photos” )
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rswEZ1GcobA/VQXBBCtZTBI/AAAAAAAAF4o/avpaNcrFuY8/s1600/Susan-Berman-Murder-House-from-The-Jinx-3.png
It appears to show mail sitting on front stoop- “not picked up”- but does not show a box or a slot- Did mailcarrier just push mail underdoor…and leave items that wouldnt fit on step?
The below pic-(#8 down from header “story & photos” )appears to answer yr inquiry Blink over which door was left open…not “dog bowl” door but next room over(notice tile pattern for comparison)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DB_97IDddmg/VQXA_rht4VI/AAAAAAAAF4E/AsHDGHwcWro/s1600/Susan-Berman-Murder-House-from-The-Jinx-.png
http://altereddimensions.net/2015/life-disappearances-deaths-murders-robert-bob-durst/image-png-1698
Which would mean the door left ajar was opposite those shown in “dog bowl” pic… and would mean chair was left in doorway leadinginto computer room
A&P
Blink responded:
That works mom3.0- I sincerely appreciate it. Not only that, that is a very interesting article I have not seen before
—
Great!
Yes quite interesting article- I dont remember it being mentioned before that Susan received two calls from unknown # on 20th
snip:
LA detectives noted that two unusual calls appeared on Berman’s phone records. Both were made from a payphone in Garberville, just 80 miles south of Trinidad, on December 20. Both calls were made using an anonymous calling card. Despite being unable to tie the phone calls to Durst’s cellphone records, they noted that even though Durst routinely checked his cellphone for messages, during the five days he was in California, he had not used his phone once. Phone company officials told them it appeared as if his phone had been turned off.
end
You wrote:
I can’t speak to the flashlight- and I will tell you why- I have 4 current cases I cannot discuss, and every one of them has a flashlight of some variety in evidence that initially cannot be claimed or explained. My takeaway is- flashlights laying around once crime scene pics are being taken- they are left where they were originally placed a lot. Without knowing how it got there or who it belonged to I could not say carte blanche it is foreign to the scene.
B
—
Argg Yr right how true- while the “uprightness” of flashlight was what bothered me I had assumed it was Susans FL…. could have been hers or LEs or the killers…thinking of flashlight in Ramsey case now- which now has me wondering even more about desk flashlight–
Neighbors said the home was “dark”
snip;Susan Berman’s house in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood was dark, but her three dogs were going mad. end
Did badguy leave FL behind? well never know because yr right: Without knowing how it got there or who it belonged to I could not say carte blanche it is foreign to the scene.
B
and no way to tell if some one stood it up after the fact….
A&P
TGF and who thanks for sharing yr thoughts on FL-
You have given me a different perspective – much appreciated- as Blink said no way for us to tell if FLight was out of place or moved or who it belonged too…
Who re thoughts on neighborhood movie dinner and clothes- thank you for sharing- yr insights on all of this are invaluable truly
A&P
Mom 3.0 writes:
Yes quite interesting article- I dont remember it being mentioned before that Susan received two calls from unknown # on 20th
snip:
LA detectives noted that two unusual calls appeared on Berman’s phone records. Both were made from a payphone in Garberville, just 80 miles south of Trinidad, on December 20. Both calls were made using an anonymous calling card. Despite being unable to tie the phone calls to Durst’s cellphone records, they noted that even though Durst routinely checked his cellphone for messages, during the five days he was in California, he had not used his phone once. Phone company officials told them it appeared as if his phone had been turned off.
end
—-
Here is an article written in 2012, that states Durst lived in Trinidad, and if I recall correctly, Durst himself referred to the trinidad house in the Documentary Jinx.
Yes quite interesting article- I dont remember it being mentioned before that Susan received two calls from unknown # on 20th
snip:
LA detectives noted that two unusual calls appeared on Berman’s phone records. Both were made from a payphone in Garberville, just 80 miles south of Trinidad, on December 20. Both calls were made using an anonymous calling card. Despite being unable to tie the phone calls to Durst’s cellphone records, they noted that even though Durst routinely checked his cellphone for messages, during the five days he was in California, he had not used his phone once. Phone company officials told them it appeared as if his phone had been turned off.
end
according to this article, published in 2012, Durst had a residence in Trinidad as early as 1997. If he used a pay phone in vicinity, or if he purchased a cell phone in the area, this could account for the mystery calls from a a Garberville source in dec 2000.
here is article:
http://www.mattbirkbeck.com/blog/fbi-probing-robert-durst
Douglas durst dropped lawsuit against Jareki because it was shown that Robert was the source for the footage of Douglas (and Charatan) in ” The Jinx”. This confirms the contract that Durst had, which allowed filmmakers carte blanche, which included the files Robert directed the filmmakers to access.
http://nypost.com/2015/05/01/brother-could-freeze-robert-dursts-millions-following-legal-deal/
——–
I am wondering if that contract of Robert Dursts also makes him fully responsible for everything he said and did on film during the making of the documentary- and if so, would that make his statements hard evidence? Meaning, if filmmakers can show that Robert knowingly agreed NOT to restrict filmmakers in any way, and acknowledged that he ( Robert Durst) was aware that everything he said was ” usable material” for the filmmakers, would his statements that conflict with his previous statements be considered in court of law? I would LOVE to see the document that Robert Durst signed, and I bet the prosecution has it…
Regardless of whether or not Durst’s statements from the Jinx are considered legal evidence, it is still a head scratcher as to why why why Robert Durst chose to expose himself to this.Is there a human quality that makes criminals WANT to be caught? Is there any statical evidence that shows a high proportion of criminals needing to confess? Are they ways to assess if a person is drawn to risk?
Who- it is my understanding through a legal source that has seen his agreements with Jarecki that anything recorded of Durst is usable. HOWEVER, I do NOT KNOW, if that changed mid stream ( remember we talked about a 2 year lag, and then the permission to film him, same day interview, etc). So what I am suggesting is that there may have been updated agreements that nobody ( but them) is aware of. What I can say if the plan was in place as appeared from JINX- to confront Durst with LE acknowledgement and he was not aware of that intent ( which changes “use” legally from the docuseries and any first year law student would win that argument) than Jarecki risks breach. IF… le advised that whole scenario with the intent to use same as evidence should it be produced- I can also bet my bippy it WILL BE TOSSED under the entrapment standards test. It will never see the inside of the courtroom under that auspice or 404. Right now, I honestly do not believe that Durst will ever stand trial in Berman- he has yet to be indicted in the first place and was charged months ago. Why?
Then there is the legal question- if there is no merit to the murder charge which was the impetus now for the federal charge, what happens? In my view this is one fat fishing expedition- and as far as fishing expeditions for dangerous offenders- I am always going to side with the team who DOES NOT violate the constitution no matter what. That said- they better know wth they are doing because I have had 2 cases in the last week that blew up over LE error. It’s a big problem if not handled correctly.
As far as Durst’s motivations- it would be unfair and unethical for me to give an opinion like that without ever interviewing him. I said that in a class to a student the other day and I did not know it- but apparently this person is up on their research, lol and called me out. This was the response. ” I get that, but I listened to your interview about him and so far you have been 100% correct in everything you stated and you never interviewed him or Jarecki.”
This is true. And so my response is this- to the best of my loose observations of this man and his activities, I believe he is a psychopath. NOT to be confused with a sociopath because he is absolutely not one. Scott Bonn would back me up on that one, however, I would suggest reading my 2 go-to books on the subject for clarity.
They are- James Fallon- the psycopath inside and Dr. Robert Hare- without conscience.
Be careful who- you will identify psychopaths in your own life you may not want to know about, lol. I did.
B
B
who-
thank you I remember from The Jinx, that Durst had a home in Trinidad- he had recently sold it but still maintained an office there-
I agree Durst could have made those two phone calls on the 2oth to Susan- from Garberville-
Im not sure that if it was found that he was in Garberville and had made the calls that info would necessarily mean he did so as a cover to then go onto murder her…
In fact It would be quite normal to travel thru Garberville on his way to the airport and it would be within “normal” parameters to contact a longtime friend around the holidays- especially if you were toying with the notion of a visit.
I noted I hadnt remembered reading that call info before- and so I brought it forth- since LE had called the two calls “unusual” and stated they were from unknown # in Garberville
Was it out of the norm for Durst to turn off cell and use a payphone or calling card? yes it seems so- but it was also out of the norm for him to be recently married and I assume then to traipse off to CA- having said that
What is normal, especially IRT Durst? maybe he just had a bit of “buyers remorse” – after marrying Deborah and just wanted a few days away from any phones where he could be reached.
The point in giving the BenefitOD is that none of it- not his trip to CA not his rental car nor his phone off- not his possible calling of Susan anonymously goes to prove he went there to murder her or even that he killed her unplanned….
Although there is no proof…
that would make more sense to me that he had “planned” to visit Susan but wanted to keep his calls to her and his visit to her secret— why? not because he planned to kill her or because he was afraid she’d rat him out for his first wifes disappearance-
but because he had recently wrote two $25000 checks to her and I am POSITIVE that the new keeper of his purse strings-Deborah 2would not like that IMO She DID NOT approve and told him so in an ever so kind way
I have read it time and time again that Durst is a man that had no qualms in adopting aliases or disguises- hiding behind them and discarding them when needed-
Yet he did not use an alias/disguise to travel to SF he did not use an alias/disguise to rent the car-
What Durst said n The Jinx is true- the timeline gets rather tight in tying him to this killing
but there is a window..
The saying goes that there is a little bit of truth in every lie…and remembering that the truth is often stranger than fiction…
He said he dismembered Black because of his fear of not being believed and then having the book thrown at him over a murder he didnt commit….. was it the truth… or was there some truth in it?
Perhaps Durst did visit Susan and found his long time friend dead- turned her over in shock- grief and kindness- – then realizing he could not save her- and could not leave her unattended- at the same time knowing that the media and the courts would never believe him to be innocent but instead would crucify him- he decided the only thing to do was to flee the scene paying little mind to the back door open or the gate nor the doggies-
then doing his best to “right” it – he wrote/sent the letter that would alert authorities to the scene and to his longtime friend
Maybe it is just a matter of bad luck bad timing for “the Jinx”
Stranger things have happened …
AJMO Peace