Document: Robert Durst quietly divorced his missing wife 8 years after her mysterious disappearance

The Turn To Tara team has obtained a court document revealing that Robert Durst quietly divorced his missing wife eight years after her mysterious disappearance.

News 12 Staff

Jun 3, 2021, 7:22 PM

Updated 1,058 days ago

Share:

The Turn To Tara team has obtained a court document revealing that Robert Durst quietly divorced his missing wife eight years after her mysterious disappearance, claiming spousal abandonment.
In his affidavit, Durst wrote "he received no communication from his wife" after she left their South Salem home on Jan. 31, 1982.
However, that's not what police say that Durst told them back in 1982.
Two sources who are close to the reopened probe confirm to News 12 that Robert Durst told detectives he dropped off his wife at a Westchester train station to head back to Manhattan, and then spoke to his wife on a payphone shortly after she arrived.
In the HBO documentary, "The Jinx," Durst confirmed he lied to get police off his back.
The latest development comes on the heels of Westchester County prosecutors taking a renewed interest in Kathie Durst's disappearance - and amid the murder trial of Robert Durst in Los Angeles. Durst is accused of murdering his best friend, Susan Berman.
Bill and Ruth Mayer, the former neighbors of Kathie and Robert Durst, have testified that the New York real estate heir lied to police when he told them he was at their South Salem home having cocktails the night his wife vanished.
Ruth Mayer went on to reveal private discussions she had with Kathie Durst where the model-turned-medical student told her that she was a victim of domestic violence for years.
"She didn't want to report it. I encouraged her to, but she was afraid to," says Mayer.
The attorney for her surviving siblings spoke exclusively with News 12 this week about the case, saying Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah is working hard on the case, and their hope and prayer for the family is that justice will be served.


More from News 12
Westchester commuters, residents weigh in on official congestion pricing rollout date

Westchester commuters, residents weigh in on official congestion pricing rollout date

2:10
Late-day showers for Saturday in the Hudson Valley; chance of thunderstorm for Sunday

Late-day showers for Saturday in the Hudson Valley; chance of thunderstorm for Sunday

Mother and daughter from Mount Vernon sentenced in pandemic-relief fraud scheme

Mother and daughter from Mount Vernon sentenced in pandemic-relief fraud scheme

1:53
Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

1:53
Officials call for no-show Orange County legislator to step down after missing meetings for two years

Officials call for no-show Orange County legislator to step down after missing meetings for two years

0:34
Yonkers police: Man wanted for failing to appear in court for car break-in charges

Yonkers police: Man wanted for failing to appear in court for car break-in charges

1:57
White Plains dispensary pays it forward, spends green on legal help

White Plains dispensary pays it forward, spends green on legal help

0:49
Gov. Hochul signs $10 million literacy plan into law

Gov. Hochul signs $10 million literacy plan into law

0:28
Yonkers hip-hop legend Mary J. Blige, Pepsi team up to help women in the city

Yonkers hip-hop legend Mary J. Blige, Pepsi team up to help women in the city

0:32
Kingston man charged in barbershop stabbing

Kingston man charged in barbershop stabbing

2:13
MTA outlines new details on congestion pricing, including start date

MTA outlines new details on congestion pricing, including start date

2:04
Movie theater experience: A close look at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville

Movie theater experience: A close look at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville

1:35
 White Plains community memorializes impactful couple as part of 41st Arbor Day celebration

White Plains community memorializes impactful couple as part of 41st Arbor Day celebration

0:21
Funeral held for Westchester correction officer killed in Scarsdale motorcycle crash

Funeral held for Westchester correction officer killed in Scarsdale motorcycle crash

0:31
Police: 18-year-old Washingtonville man with autism has gone missing

Police: 18-year-old Washingtonville man with autism has gone missing

0:23
New Korean-style fried chicken restaurant opens in Mahopac

New Korean-style fried chicken restaurant opens in Mahopac

2:16
New Rochelle teacher receives birthday surprise from students, colleagues

New Rochelle teacher receives birthday surprise from students, colleagues

1:23
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Irvington during President Biden's visits to Westchester

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Irvington during President Biden's visits to Westchester

0:26
Hudson Valley communities receive bronze Climate Smart Certification

Hudson Valley communities receive bronze Climate Smart Certification

0:23
Rockland County sues New York state over when elections can be held

Rockland County sues New York state over when elections can be held