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The Disappearance of Kathleen McCormack
In 1982 Robert Durst's wife, Kathleen McCormack was reported missing- she supposedly disappeared without a trace as neither her body nor any other forms of physical evidence was found to this day. -
The Examination of the Cadaver Letter
Forensics document analysists examined the letter and found a staggering amount of similarities in the handwriting of the letter and Durst's handwriting. It was also noted that both Durst and the writer of the letter spelled "Beverly" with an extra "e" ("Beverley") -
The Murder of Susan Berman
Susan Berman was Durst's second victim and was a close friend of his. Shortly after the cadaver letter arrived at the Beverly Hills Police Department, her body was found shot execution style. Prosecutors believed that Berman had been planning to talk to them about McCormack's disappearance; a possible motive behind her murder. -
The Cadaver Letter
Shortly before Durst's second victim, Susan Berman, was reported to have been murdered, the Beverly Hills Police Department received a letter. This letter only contained the words "CADAVER" and Berman's address, thus being dubbed "the cadaver letter". Notably, the word "Beverly" was misspelled- using an extra "e" ("Beverley"). Unbeknownst to the police at the time, this letter would become one of the biggest pieces of evidence that would lead to Durst getting convicted. -
The Murder of Morris Black
The last of the three cases was the killing of Morris Black, Durst's neighbor in Galveston, Texas. When confronted, Durst claimed that the attack was in self-defense, claiming that Black threatened him. However, forensic evidence- the study of blood splatters at the crime scenes and of Black's body- suggested that there was a deliberate effort to cover up the crime. -
The Trial for the Murder of Morris Black
In 2003, a highly publicized trial was held in which they attempted to convict Durst for the murder of Morris Black. While the forensic evidence was enough to convince the jury that Durst killed Black, Durst's claims of self-defence were accepted by the jury, shocking many. -
The Trial for the Murder of Susan Berman
In 2021, another trial was held- this time, for the murder of Susan Berman. The prosecution formed a "compelling narrative" that heavily focused on the forensic document analysis of the cadaver letter that links him directly to the crime scene. This, combined with other evidence found was enough for the jury to convict him guilty of killing Susan Berman.