October10 , 2025

    ‘The Jinx Part Two’ Proves Robert Durst Wasn’t Alone in His Depravity

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    “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.” Those 11 words triggered a collective gasp across America when the finale of the HBO series The Jinx first aired in March 2015. They were uttered by New York real estate scion Robert Durst, who had spent more than 20 hours being voluntarily interviewed by the documentary’s director Andrew Jarecki, insisting that he had not been involved in the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen Durst; nor in the deaths of his best friend, Susan Berman, and a neighbor, Morris Black. Durst proclaimed his innocence—until he walked into the bathroom after an interview. Forgetting that his lapel mic was still on, he mumbled those words to himself while he peed. It was one of the most memorable moments in recent TV history.

    The Jinx helped usher in a true-crime docuseries boom, though few have done it as well as Jarecki did. His team investigated the crimes as they filmed, helping pull together enough evidence to hand over to authorities. The day before the finale dropped, law enforcement used some of that evidence to arrest and prosecute Durst for the murder of Susan Berman in 2000. That’s where The Jinx Part Two picks up.

    When the first installment premiered, Durst was unknown to most viewers. By the time he died in 2022, he was a monstrous specter stalking our collective imagination. Amazingly, knowing whodunnit doesn’t make this new season less gripping than the first: There’s still plenty of jolting details to be absorbed about the how and why.

    The first four episodes (I haven’t seen the final two) partly follow Los Angeles deputy district attorney John Lewin as he reopens the Berman murder case. He attempts to get Durst’s inner circle to step forward, and their reluctance is chilling. It brings to mind another New York City real estate scion who is on trial right now, and the many figures who have facilitated his rogue behavior over the years. The series’ motto might as well be: When you’re a star, they let you do it.

    A motley cast of characters allegedly enabled Durst in different ways over the decades, long after it was clear that their charming multimillionaire pal might be a sociopathic killer. Close friend Doug Oliver visits Durst regularly in prison and tells Lewin he won’t testify unless the prosecution pays for a private jet: “You guys are never gonna get me on a commercial flight.” Susan Giordano has known Durst since she was a young woman, and when she later comes to see him in prison, he flirts creepily and authorizes $150,000 for her to feather their “love nest” for his eventual release. “It was easy to be his friend,” she says. Then there’s Nick “Chinga” Chavin, a performer of X-rated country songs (sample title: “Cum Stains on My Pillow”) who became best friends with Berman and Durst in the 1970s. He eventually ditched his cowboy boots when Durst helped make him a financial success in the real estate advertising business.



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