Crime Story Editor

John Lewin, the lead prosecutor in the trial of Robert Durst appears to be on a mission that goes beyond convicting Durst for the murder of Durst's long-time friend Susan Berman. With his opening statement in the trial, Lewin seems to be laying the groundwork for a story that he hopes will be so compelling, with a presentation of evidence so persuasive, that he will convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Robert Durst murdered THREE people (Berman, Durst’s wife Kathie and his Texas neighbor, Morris Black). In so doing, Lewin also appears to aspire to single-handedly rehabilitate...

You’re called into the police station for an interview regarding the murder of a man in your apartment building. He was someone you only ever saw in the elevator or at the mailbox. Your most meaningful interaction was the one day that you tripped on a stray Verizon flier. He saw it and you both kind of laughed because it was a cartoonish misstep.  The man was shot while you were watching reality TV in your apartment and eating leftover Thai food. It’s unlikely you’ll be of much help in the investigation. At the police station you’re sat in a cramped...

Deputy DA John Lewin’s opening statement in the People v. Robert Durst ran for three captivating days. In a weekend blog discussion subsequent to Days One and Two, CRIME STORY teased out the cinematic trappings of Lewin’s presentation (The Prosecutor’s Cinematic Opening in The People vs. Robert Durst, March 7, 2020). On its third and final day, however, Lewin’s opening statement revealed an added layer of complexity. What had already been a dramatic, binge-worthy summary of the evidence against Durst suddenly took a highly personal turn. Having spent the previous two days tracing the defendant’s bloody path from Kathie...

Jurors in the trial of Robert Durst for the murder of his friend Susan Berman were startled by two intense outbursts during the testimony of Durst‘s brother Thomas. Thomas Durst arrived in court appearing frail, walking on a damaged leg and wearing surgical gloves. For most of his testimony, he spoke softly and timidly with little inflection in his voice. He related that he was not there voluntarily but because he had been subpoenaed, and that he was terrified of his brother. Much of Thomas’ testimony — guided by prosecutor John Lewin — was focused on establishing that his brother, Robert,...

The initial pool of about 50 prospective jurors reports to Judge Windham’s courtroom for voir dire a short two weeks before opening statements in the trial of Robert Durst. Eighteen are seated in the jury box, the rest in the gallery. They are a mix of male and female, predominantly professionals or retired professionals. Defense Attorney Chip Lewis, who hails from Texas, says “I do this a lot. And collectively, this is the most educated group of jurors I’ve seen.”  Many assume voir dire translates to “to see, to say,” when in fact, Judge Windham explains,  the phrase is derived...

This podcast is a recorded reading of a Crime Story article published last year during the pre-trial hearings in the California murder case of the People vs. Robert Durst. Original piece 1:40pm, December 31, 2019: In a New York Times article posted to the Times website this afternoon, Charles V. Bagli reports that Robert Durst, whose trial for the murder of Susan Berman is scheduled to begin in February, now admits to having written the note notifying the Beverly Hills Police that there was a "cadaver" at the address of the home belonging to Berman. Officers following up on...