20/20 True Crime Vault: “The Devil You Know”

Episode Date: December 23, 2025
Podcast: 20/20 (ABC News)

Overview

This in-depth episode of 20/20's True Crime Vault explores the chilling saga of Robert Durst: real estate heir, suspected serial killer, and subject of the gripping HBO series The Jinx. Through interviews with prosecutors, family members, law enforcement, and filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, the podcast revisits four decades of murder accusations, legal twists, and Durst’s own bizarre behavior. The focus is on three interlinked cases: the 1982 disappearance of his wife Kathleen, the 2000 murder of friend Susan Berman, and the 2001 killing and dismemberment of neighbor Morris Black. The episode tracks his arrest, the sensational trials, and the final conviction that came just before his death.

Main Themes

• The untouchability and arrogance of Robert Durst, who believed himself above the law
• How Durst’s wealth and manipulation enabled him to evade justice for decades
• The connection between Kathie Durst’s disappearance, Susan Berman’s murder, and Durst’s efforts to silence those who could implicate him
• The pivotal role of media—especially The Jinx—in exposing new evidence and propelling the case forward
• The emotional toll on the victims’ families and friends

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Disappearance of Kathie Durst (1982)

• Kathie McCormack and Robert Durst seemed a mismatched couple: she was ambitious and from a working-class family, while he was a privileged, eccentric heir (“Bob was a real weirdo…he would pee in wastebaskets.” — Andrew Jarecki, 12:58).
• The relationship turned violent; friends recall physical abuse and control.
  • [13:20] Officer Rashad Sharif details Bob dragging Kathie by the hair at a family event.
• Kathie vanished in January 1982. Durst delayed reporting her missing, and misled police by steering them toward Manhattan rather than South Salem, derailing the investigation.
• Media interest mounted, and Susan Berman (friend and media spokesperson) shaped the narrative, protecting Durst.
  • “Susan, who had shield him from the press and basically paint unflattering stories about Kathy, how she probably just ran off with someone.” — Officer Rashad Sharif, [15:57]

2. The Murder of Susan Berman (2000)

• In December 2000, Susan Berman was found murdered execution-style in her Beverly Hills home.
  • “Gunshot to the back of the head, the dog's bloody paw prints all around her body.” — [04:17]
• The killer left no evidence of forced entry, suggesting Susan knew the person. A chilling piece of mail was sent to police: a note with “cadaver” and Susan’s address, misspelling “Beverly.”
  • “What the murderer did…was take note paper and a green pen and wrote cadaver and her address and send it to the Beverly Hills Police Department. And spelled Beverly wrong.” — [05:07]
• Susan was a mafia daughter and had a complicated relationship with Durst—she had once given him an alibi for Kathie’s disappearance.
• Detectives suspected Durst was eliminating a friend who knew too much.

3. The Morris Black Case (2001)

• Durst, hiding out in Galveston, Texas as a mute woman, Dorothy Siner, became involved with neighbor Morris Black.
• Black’s torse was discovered, missing head and limbs; evidence tied Durst to the crime scene.
  • “Among the items recovered by police was a prescription for eyeglasses…inside his car a bow saw.” — [22:13]
• Durst admitted to killing and dismembering Black but insisted it was self-defense.
• Despite overwhelming evidence, Durst’s high-powered lawyers secured an acquittal.
  • “When this verdict was read…Jaws were on the floor. No one could believe what they’d just heard.” — [28:50]

4. Media Intrigue and The Jinx

• Interest in Robert Durst spiked with the 2010 film All Good Things and reached a new level with The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.
• Durst voluntarily participated in interviews with filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Mark Smerling, seeking spotlight and underestimating the danger.
  • “Bob’s problem is that he loves the attention. Loves it. It was like a drug to him.” — [33:27]
• The filmmakers uncovered critical evidence—a letter matching the “cadaver” note and a recording of Durst, off-camera, whispering, “Killed them all. Of course.”
  • “One day I hear the scream from the back editing room…And he goes, there it is. You’re caught. Kill them all. Of course. What the hell did I do? Like, oh, my God.” — Andrew Jarecki, [38:28]
• “[The] cadaver letter…turned out to be the smoking gun that prosecutors were looking for.” — [44:23]

5. Final Arrest and Prosecution

• After The Jinx aired, LAPD and the FBI raced to apprehend Durst before he could flee. They found him in New Orleans with disguises, money, and weapons.
  • “They find a latex mask, a professional one…money…maps…he happens to mention, oh, by the way, in my jacket…is a gun.” — [46:23]
• Prosecutor John Lewin conducted a bold, lengthy interview with Durst, who skirted direct admission while wavering near confession.
  • “Bob will let you get down to the five yard line pretty easily. And you think you're about to score, you're not going to score…He really doesn't start with really playing defense until he gets to the five.” — John Lewin, [49:09]
• Durst’s trial was delayed repeatedly due to his age and illness.

6. The Los Angeles Trial and Verdict

• The prosecution highlighted Durst’s pattern of manipulation, violence, and using money to escape accountability.
• Key evidence included the “cadaver” note, “dig” note (suspected to be a to-do list for disposing of a body), and Durst’s own admissions.
  • “The dig note was very bad for Robert Durst. It was clearly a note of what to do to dispose of a body.” — [67:20]
• Durst’s cross-examination was devastating; he admitted he would—and did—lie under oath to protect himself.
  • “Would you lie under oath to help your case?” — “Yes.” — [65:47], John Lewin and Durst
• Dramatic testimony by mutual friend Nick Chavin, who recalled Durst’s chilling words:
  • “I had you. It was her or me. I had no choice.” — Nick Chavin recalling Durst’s confession, [63:25]

7. Verdict, Aftermath, & Closure

• The jury convicted Durst of first-degree murder in the death of Susan Berman, sentencing him to life without parole.
  • “We, the jury, find the defendant, Robert Durst, guilty of the crime of first degree murder by Susan Berman.” — [75:57]
• Parallel charges in New York were filed for Kathie Durst’s disappearance, but Durst died before this could be prosecuted.
  • “Breaking news. Real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst has died. The 78 year old went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived.” — [79:30]
• Under California law, his conviction was posthumously vacated, leaving Kathie’s family without full legal closure.
• The episode closes with both grief for the victims and a sense of hard-won but incomplete justice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“This is a guy who doesn't believe that any rules apply to himself. That's just Bob Durst.”
— Narrator, [01:11]

“When this verdict was read aloud and Robert Durst was acquitted, you could hear the gasps in the courtroom. Jaws were on the floor. No one could believe what they’d just heard.”
— [28:50]

“Bob’s problem is that he loves the attention. Loves it. It was like a drug to him.”
— Narrator, [33:27]

“We, the jury, find the defendant, Robert Durst, guilty of the crime of first degree murder by Susan Berman.”
— [75:57]

“Breaking news. Real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst has died…The 78 year old went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived.”
— Narrator/Commentator, [79:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:09] Susan Berman’s murder discovered
• [14:36] Bob’s suspicious actions after Kathie’s disappearance
• [23:02] Durst’s arrest in Texas and bizarre shoplifting incident
• [28:50] Shocking Galveston verdict
• [33:27] Durst’s media addiction and relationship with filmmakers
• [38:28] “Killed them all. Of course.” — the Jinx bathroom confession
• [46:23] Durst’s arrest in New Orleans with elaborate escape gear
• [63:07] Nick Chavin’s testimony: “It was her or me. I had no choice.”
• [65:47] Durst admits: “Would you lie under oath…?” “Yes.”
• [75:57] Verdict delivered — guilty of Susan Berman’s murder
• [79:30] Robert Durst’s death announced

Tone and Style

The episode balances clinical legal analysis with emotional reflection and personal anecdotes from those involved. The tone is factual but charged—at times incredulous, at times angry, and at times mournful, especially when highlighting the pain of victims’ families.

In Summary

“The Devil You Know” presents Robert Durst’s story as one of privilege, pathology, and the extraordinary cost of evaded justice. It underscores the impact of media in unearthing truth, the persistence required to bring a powerful defendant to trial, and the hollow sense of closure when the final answers die with their perpetrator.

This episode is a must-listen for true crime enthusiasts and anyone interested in the intersection of power, media, and the justice system.