Everyone loves a good murder mystery and, if we learnt anything from Angela Lansbury on Murder She Wrote all those years ago, the truth is often not as it seems. That, and the fact that once being caught every murderer will immediately confess with a blow-by-blow account of exactly how they perpetrated the crime.

Introducing New York real estate tycoon Robert Durst, who has suffered the unfortunate fate of having three of his inner circle either vanish or die. Suspicion has long since been raised about his possible involvement but he has always managed to escape prosecution…until now, that is. This from the LA Times:

Durst, 71, was arrested by FBI agents Saturday afternoon in a New Orleans hotel at the behest of Los Angeles officials, who claim they have uncovered new evidence linking him to the 2000 slaying of his friend, writer Susan Berman.

The arrest came just a day before HBO aired the final episode of a documentary series profiling Durst, an episode in which he may have accidentally confessed to past crimes. The tycoon headed to the bathroom after an interview and inadvertently blabbed into the microphone which was still live. The LA Times again:

…he muttered to himself, “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.”

“There it is, you’re caught,” he said at another moment. “What a disaster.”

Now I know money can go a long way to fixing minor indiscretions like murder but we should revisit the 2001 incident which saw Durst’s neighbour killed and hacked to bits. He actually admitted to the crime but claimed self-defence despite the fact that he used a paring knife, two saws and an axe to dismember Black’s body before disposing of the parts in the ocean. If you’re going to defend yourself do it properly, am I right?

He was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and acquitted of murder, serving three years before his release on parole.

The list of oddities surrounding this man’s life really does make for interesting reading, so I suggest you get up to speed HERE and HERE. Just a warning though, don’t expect your faith in humanity or law enforcement to be done any good.

[sources:latimes&dailybeast]