Robert Durst Pleads Not Guilty to Killing Susan Berman
The real estate heir is accused of killing his friend 16 years ago.
— -- Robert Durst appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom today on a murder charge.
In a wheelchair and wearing a neck-brace, Durst told the judge that he's not guilty.
"I do want to say here and now, I am not guilty," he said. "I did not kill Susan Berman."
His next court date was set for Feb. 15. Prosecutors said they will not be seeking the death penalty in the case.
The real estate heir, 73, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing Berman in Los Angeles almost 16 years ago. He also faces charges of gun use and lying in wait.
Durst's attorney Dick DeGuerin said last year that his client is not guilty of the crimes.
"Bob Durst didn't kill Susan Berman -- he’s ready to end all the rumor and speculation and have a trial," DeGuerin said.
Durst was the subject of the 2015 HBO documentary "The Jinx," which focused on the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen, the death of his neighbor Morris Black, and Berman's murder. Durst was acquitted of Black's murder in 2003 and was never charged in connection with his wife's disappearance, for which he says he had no involvement. According to investigators, Berman had been scheduled to meet with authorities about Kathleen's disappearance when she was found dead at her Los Angeles home from a gunshot to the head.
Durst was arrested just before the finale of "The Jinx" aired in March 2015. In that episode, Durst, seemingly unaware that his microphone was on, was heard whispering to himself, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."
Durst has been serving time in a federal prison in Indiana since September, stemming from a plea deal he took regarding a weapons charge in New Orleans, according to The Associated Press. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years and one month behind bars.