Embattled New York real estate scion Robert Durst’s current wife helped him cover up what happened to his first wife, Kathleen Durst, according to court papers.
Durst, 74, who was the subject of the HBO documentary The Jinx, has been suspected but never charged in the disappearance of Kathleen, who was last seen in 1982.
Related: “Secret Witness” In Robert Durst Murder Case Spills Details
His first wife’s sisters allege that Durst’s second wife Debrah Charatan and his friend Susan Giordano knew what happened to Kathleen, according to The New York Times.
“Charatan, a cold-blooded opportunist, conspired and agreed to help Durst conceal” the killings of his former wife and confidante Susan Berman, the sisters’ lawsuit says. Their lawyers declined to comment Wednesday on the suit, which was filed earlier this week.
Durst, who is currently behind bars in California, was arrested for Berman’s 2000 death shortly before the final episode of The Jinx aired. Prosecutors allege that Durst shot Berman in the back of her head to stop her from telling investigators what she knew about Kathleen’s killing.
Related: Robert Durst Claims He Was “Speeding” On Meth While Filming HBO’s The Jinx
According to the suit, Charatan married Durst in 2000 so that their communications would be legally protected. Then, once Durst had fled New York while the investigation into Kathleen’s disappearance heated up, she allegedly sent him money — and took millions herself. Charatan is in charge of all of Durst’s financial affairs and is the beneficiary of his will.
Giordano reportedly got $350,000 from Durst, and allegedly helped route money to him and agreed to store dozens of boxes of his documents to keep them out of sight.
Related: Robert Durst Enters Not Guilty Plea For Killing Longtime Friend Susan Berman
Durst’s criminal-case lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, declined to discuss Durst’s dealings with his wife or Giordano, except to say he’s very close with both.
Since a New York judge recently declared Kathleen Durst dead as of 1987, beyond the state’s legal time limit for a wrongful-death suit, the sisters’ case invokes a state law, the “right to sepulcher,” giving families the right to determine a loved one’s burial and immediate access to the body of a loved one. They are reportedly seeking at least $100 million.
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Main photo: Robert Durst [Wochit News / YouTube (screenshot)]
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