If you're anything like us, you can't get enough of the Durst case, which has become a source of intense fascination in recent weeks, particularly since real-estate scion Robert Durst seemingly confessed to three decades-old murders -- of his first wife, Kathleen Durst, his friend Susan Berman, and his Texas neighbor Morris Black -- on the season finale of HBO's "The Jinx." But the Durst case has been a media sensation long before his story hit HBO, as the investigations around Durst have prompted serious scrutiny in various forms throughout the years. Here are some required reading materials:
"Who killed the Gangster’s Daughter?" New York magazine, 2001
Lisa DePaulo investigate's Susan Berman's death at feature length -- notable, in particular, because Berman used to write for New York magazine.
"Durst Case Scenarios," Texas Monthly, 2002
"Galveston is one of God’s forsaken packages, a place where the desperate and the disenfranchised wash ashore with every tide, so the wiry little man with the bleached peach-pit face and a fishing cap pulled over his ears looked no different from the other drifters waiting for food vouchers," reads the beginning of this fascinating long-read from Texas Monthly, shortly after Morris Black's murder.
"The Fugitive Heir," Vanity Fair, 2002
In a long, insidery profile following Durst's murder of Morris Black in Galveston, Texas, Vanity Fair explores the case so far -- and the cipher at its center.
"The Great Defenders," Texas Monthly, 1994
Texas Monthly profiles Durst's lawyer Dick DeGuerin, who appears in the HBO series, reflecting on how he and his brother became some of the best lawyers in Texas.
“That’s Me On Screen, But I Still Didn't Do It," New York Times, 2010
After Jarecki's fictionalized account of his life, "All Good Things," came out, Durst spoke at length to the New York Times, saying Gosling's portrayal was "Close... Not as good as the real thing." While not quite a bathroom confession, the piece also had a similarly memorable kicker: “I didn’t carve up the guy,” he said. “I dismembered a corpse.”
"My Murderer's Futon," The Pinch, 2014
Writer Sarah Viren writes about the haunting experience of renting Durst's old apartment in Galveston.
"Real Estate Chief Fears Troubled Sibling Has New Weapon: TV," New York Times, 2015
Before "The Jinx" airs, the New York Times talks to Douglas Durst about his brother's volatile nature and his fears about the program, saying: “There’s no doubt in my mind that if he had the opportunity to kill me, he would." He also spoke about the suspicious death of Robert's seven dogs, saying, "I now believe he was practicing killing and disposing his wife with those dogs."
"The Gangster's Daughter Was a Writer First," The Crime Lady #011, March 2015
In her weekly newsletter, Susan Weinman elucidate's Susan Berman's fascinating writing career, which included two nonfiction books and three novels, among other things.
"How 'The Jinx' Narratively Manipulated Its Viewers," BuzzFeed, March 2015
After the finale airs, BuzzFeed's Anne Helen Petersen went on a fascinating deep dive into Jarecki's manipulative filmmaking methods, complete with screen grabs.
"Director of Durst Film Says He Is ‘Relieved’ About Arrest," New York Times, March 2015
Shortly before he and Marc Smerling stop talking to press, Jarecki gives an interview to the New York Times, saying that he is relieved about Durst's arrest and that "he seemed to be compelled to confess."
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