A California-based judge sentenced life imprisonment to a real estate heir Robert Durst for murdering his friend, Susan Berman, 20 years ago in 2000. The judge eliminated all possibilities of parole in the murder case, given the delayed punishment to the man who evaded the law for more than 39 years.
The Judge of Los Angeles Court, Mark Windham, handed the punishment after one month of the conviction when Robert Durst, 78, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his best friend, Susan for 2000 killing.
Prosecutors further argued that Durst had repeatedly shot Susan in her home and also prevented her from telling the police that she knew the entire case history about the disappearance of Robert Durst’s wife, Kathie McCormack Durst. The verdict was also marked by the Judge regarding the first homicide conviction for Robert Durst, who was also linked with previous deaths of 3 people in three different states.
The attorneys of Robert Durst filed a motion in order to seek a new trial while they claimed that the court had insufficient evidence to punish Durst, which was dismissed by the Judge at the initial phases of sentencing.
“The defendant’s testimony was profoundly incredible and incriminating,” said Judge Mark Windham, adding that there was “overwhelming evidence of guilt”.
His sentence was expected because the prosecutors did not seek the death penalty and the jury had also claimed that Durst killed the witness of the case which also carries a mandatory life sentence.
The friends of Berman also told the Judge about how Durst had robbed the loyal friend who deeply cared for him.
“The defendant’s testimony was profoundly incredible and incriminating,” said Judge Mark Windham, adding that there was “overwhelming evidence of guilt”.
“It’s been a daily, soul-consuming and crushing experience,” Sareb Kaufman, Berman’s stepson, said of her murder.
Prosecutors also said that they had no clue that Berman was hiding a murder and she was trying to help Durst.
“It was never really a thought that they wouldn’t be allowed to give a victim impact statement,” Robert Abrams, the McCormacks’ family attorney, told the newspaper. “When somebody is the central focus of the criminal trial, you would expect it.”
