Millionaire real estate heir Robert Durst’s apparent confession, captured on a hot mic in an HBO documentary, was an admission to several murders, including that of his missing first wife, the woman’s brother said Tuesday on TODAY.
“In my heart of hearts, absolutely,” said Jim McCormack, the brother of Durst’s first wife, Kathie Durst, whose 1982 disappearance remains a mystery.
Durst was captured in the film mumbling to himself: "Killed them all, of course.” Prosecutors believe the statement was a reference to McCormack's sister and Durst's first wife, Kathie Durst, along with Susan Berman, who was killed execution-style in December 2000 after she was named as a prosecuting witness.
Durst also was involved in a third murder, but in 2003 he was acquitted on a self-defense claim even though he had admitted to shooting and dismembering the victim.
On Tuesday, Durst remained in police custody, booked on two weapons charges after he was found in a New Orleans hotel room with a revolver. On Monday, he agreed to waive extradition charges and travel to Los Angeles to face a first-degree murder charge in Berman’s death.
McCormack said hearing Durst utter the words at the end of the HBO documentary, “The Jinx,” represented an emotional climax made of “so many promised and hoped-for resolutions.”
“The revelation was like something we‘ve been waiting for 33 years,” he said.
McCormack said he hopes Durst will speak from his heart and reveal everything that happened involving his three alleged victims.
“I believe that Bob will somehow have an epiphany of conscience, contrary to the advice of lawyers,” he said. “I think he’s about ready to say, ‘You know, enough is enough. This is what Kathy would want and this is what I’m going to do.’”
Jeanine Pirro, the former New York district attorney who re-opened the investigation of Kathie Durst’s disappearance, said the documentary producers presented a remarkable gift to prosecutors.
"They put together a case, wrapped it up, put a bow on it and sent it to L.A.," said Pirro, now host of “Justice with Jeanine” on Fox News Channel.
The show's executives were able to "unearth evidence that matched” existing evidence and help close loose ends, she said. Pirro also believes claims by Los Angeles police that authorities already were planning to arrest Durst even before “The Jinx” aired those incriminating words uttered by Durst.
“The timing had to be perfect in terms of collecting evidence. They did what they had to," she said. "Durst was about to leave the country, go to a country where there was no extradition treaty. This guy has absconded from murder charges before. This wouldn’t be the first time he ran.”