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CNN Live Today
Interview With Ellen Strauss
Aired November 12, 2003 - 10:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We focus now on Galveston, Texas. It's one day after eccentric millionaire Robert Durst was acquitted of murdering his elderly neighbor. He remains under suspicion in two other cases. There's the 1982 disappearance of his wife and the shooting death three years ago of her friend who was about to be questioned about the case.
Our next guest was a friend of Kathy Durst, the missing wife. Ellen Strauss joins us now from our New York bureau. Thank you for being us.
ELLEN STRAUSS, KATHY DURST'S FRIEND: You're welcome. Thank you for having me.
KAGAN: You are so welcome. If you could share with us, please, your reaction to the verdict yesterday that Robert Durst was not guilty in the death of his neighbor in 2001.
STRAUSS: Well of course, I was saddened but it did not come as a surprise to me. I sort of expected it. The best I was hoping for was a hung jury. I had eyes and ears in Texas from the moment that I had realized that the prosecution had agreed to no lesser included offenses. I had a feeling that he would be acquitted.
KAGAN: Let's go back to the '80s and to your friend Kathleen Durst. What can you tell us about her?
STRAUSS: Kathy was vivacious, she was lovely, she was a lot of fun, she was a good student. And I enjoyed her company very much. We shared a best friend. We were introduced by a woman named Eleanor Schwank. And Eleanor was Kathy's best friend and my best friend. We all went to college together.
KAGAN: And Kathy was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- she was a dental hygienist, had also gone to med school. And at the time of her disappearance was about to finish medical school.
STRAUSS: Yes. She had gone on to medical school. I had gone on to law school. And during my time there and her time there she would call me very late at night complain, bitterly about Bob and his violence to her and to others. And there was sort of a dichotomy there because at the same time that Kathy was afraid of Bob, she also felt that she could handle him.
KAGAN: Tell me about this story, where she said apparently to another friend, if anything ever happens to me don't let him get away with it. STRAUSS: She said that to all her friends. If anything ever happens don't let Bob get away with it, look to Bob. Don't let it go unsolved. And that's what her friends and I have spent the last -- since 1982 doing.
KAGAN: And when she disappeared in 1982, did you think the worst right away?
STRAUSS: Yes. I was hoping against hope and followed a lot of leads that lead nowhere. I thought maybe he might have beaten her to unconsciousness and I'd find her alive somewhere. I followed every lead I got including amnesia victims. I made bed checks at hospitals. I held out hope, but in my heart of heart I've known.
KAGAN: You believe that she's dead?
STRAUSS: Absolutely.
KAGAN: Now a lot of people just came to their attention yesterday with what was happening in Galveston, Texas. That begins a series of events that goes back to 1999 when a investigation is restarted looking into the disappearance of Kathy Durst.
STRAUSS: Yes.
KAGAN: So there's a possibility still lurking out there that charges could be filed against Robert Durst in your friend's disappearance.
STRAUSS: That's what we've been hope -- we've been hoping. As a matter of fact, I've spent a great deal of time with Janeane Piro's (ph) office and her investigators.
KAGAN: We should say that's the county attorney in Westchester County.
STRAUSS: Yes. I've been to their office. They've been to my office. I've opened up all of my files to them. They reached out to me and I've done everything I can to help. But I feel they've been very lax in not following through.
And I'm hoping that they're not going to drop this and they're going to continue. Eleanor Schwank and I want to fight for justice for our dead friend.
KAGAN: And do you believe one day that will happen?
STRAUSS: Believe. I hope it will happen. I don't know if it will happen. I'm not giving up. I haven't given up all these years and...
KAGAN: And just one quick question. Have you ever had a chance to look Robert Durst in the face and the eye and say what happened to your wife?
STRAUSS: The only time I met Bob Durst was at Kathy's graduation party from college. We met very briefly in passing and that was it.
KAGAN: Very good. We wish you well in keeping the memory of your friend alive and I thank you for sharing your story with us.
STRAUSS: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Ellen Strauss, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 12, 2003 - 10:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We focus now on Galveston, Texas. It's one day after eccentric millionaire Robert Durst was acquitted of murdering his elderly neighbor. He remains under suspicion in two other cases. There's the 1982 disappearance of his wife and the shooting death three years ago of her friend who was about to be questioned about the case.
Our next guest was a friend of Kathy Durst, the missing wife. Ellen Strauss joins us now from our New York bureau. Thank you for being us.
ELLEN STRAUSS, KATHY DURST'S FRIEND: You're welcome. Thank you for having me.
KAGAN: You are so welcome. If you could share with us, please, your reaction to the verdict yesterday that Robert Durst was not guilty in the death of his neighbor in 2001.
STRAUSS: Well of course, I was saddened but it did not come as a surprise to me. I sort of expected it. The best I was hoping for was a hung jury. I had eyes and ears in Texas from the moment that I had realized that the prosecution had agreed to no lesser included offenses. I had a feeling that he would be acquitted.
KAGAN: Let's go back to the '80s and to your friend Kathleen Durst. What can you tell us about her?
STRAUSS: Kathy was vivacious, she was lovely, she was a lot of fun, she was a good student. And I enjoyed her company very much. We shared a best friend. We were introduced by a woman named Eleanor Schwank. And Eleanor was Kathy's best friend and my best friend. We all went to college together.
KAGAN: And Kathy was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- she was a dental hygienist, had also gone to med school. And at the time of her disappearance was about to finish medical school.
STRAUSS: Yes. She had gone on to medical school. I had gone on to law school. And during my time there and her time there she would call me very late at night complain, bitterly about Bob and his violence to her and to others. And there was sort of a dichotomy there because at the same time that Kathy was afraid of Bob, she also felt that she could handle him.
KAGAN: Tell me about this story, where she said apparently to another friend, if anything ever happens to me don't let him get away with it. STRAUSS: She said that to all her friends. If anything ever happens don't let Bob get away with it, look to Bob. Don't let it go unsolved. And that's what her friends and I have spent the last -- since 1982 doing.
KAGAN: And when she disappeared in 1982, did you think the worst right away?
STRAUSS: Yes. I was hoping against hope and followed a lot of leads that lead nowhere. I thought maybe he might have beaten her to unconsciousness and I'd find her alive somewhere. I followed every lead I got including amnesia victims. I made bed checks at hospitals. I held out hope, but in my heart of heart I've known.
KAGAN: You believe that she's dead?
STRAUSS: Absolutely.
KAGAN: Now a lot of people just came to their attention yesterday with what was happening in Galveston, Texas. That begins a series of events that goes back to 1999 when a investigation is restarted looking into the disappearance of Kathy Durst.
STRAUSS: Yes.
KAGAN: So there's a possibility still lurking out there that charges could be filed against Robert Durst in your friend's disappearance.
STRAUSS: That's what we've been hope -- we've been hoping. As a matter of fact, I've spent a great deal of time with Janeane Piro's (ph) office and her investigators.
KAGAN: We should say that's the county attorney in Westchester County.
STRAUSS: Yes. I've been to their office. They've been to my office. I've opened up all of my files to them. They reached out to me and I've done everything I can to help. But I feel they've been very lax in not following through.
And I'm hoping that they're not going to drop this and they're going to continue. Eleanor Schwank and I want to fight for justice for our dead friend.
KAGAN: And do you believe one day that will happen?
STRAUSS: Believe. I hope it will happen. I don't know if it will happen. I'm not giving up. I haven't given up all these years and...
KAGAN: And just one quick question. Have you ever had a chance to look Robert Durst in the face and the eye and say what happened to your wife?
STRAUSS: The only time I met Bob Durst was at Kathy's graduation party from college. We met very briefly in passing and that was it.
KAGAN: Very good. We wish you well in keeping the memory of your friend alive and I thank you for sharing your story with us.
STRAUSS: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Ellen Strauss, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com