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Nancy Grace
Robert Durst Arrested for Murder. Aired 8-8:30p ET
Aired March 16, 2015 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RITA COSBY, GUEST HOST: Breaking news tonight. Multi-millionaire Robert Durst, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, walks free even after
confessing he shot and dismembered his elderly neighbor, the disappearance of his wife in upscale Westchester, New York, still unsolved.
Bombshell tonight. Durst arrested in connection with the execution- style killing of his long-time friend, Susan Berman, after authorities say they uncover new evidence linking him to the murder. And during the final
episode of an HBO documentary, he can be heard whispering to himself, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course." Could these words be a
confession?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DURST, SUSPECTED OF MURDER: (INAUDIBLE) killed them all, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Durst whispering to himself in a bathroom after his final interview for the special.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whether the 71-year-old son of one of the most powerful real estate tycoons is responsible for the disappearance of his
wife, the murder of a close friend and a neighbor...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: That`s from HBO`s "The Jinx." We don`t know the context of the statement and we don`t know yet when HBO knew what they had and if they
shared it with law enforcement. HBO is owned by CNN`s parent company, Time Warner.
And to Houston. A mom of four is found dead in the pool of her family home, wearing her scrubs and lab coat. The death is originally ruled an
accident until investigators decide to take a closer look. Now they say evidence suggests she was murdered. Who would want to kill Edith Sax (ph)?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Edith Sax was found dead in her pool, still wearing her scrubs from work. Investigators thought the death was
accidental, but the evidence didn`t add up. Her body showed signs of injuries, suggesting she was forced under the water. Investigators
determined she was killed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And we go live to Sprague suburbs near Interstate 90, where three little children playing in a neighborhood park just outside the local
grocery store when a slender white male approaches the three siblings, making off with 22-month-old Owen Wright, running with the toddler in his
arms, the siblings frantically chasing after the man clutching their little brother. And it`s all caught on video. Tonight, does the alleged
kidnapper have a history with the cops?
And good evening, everybody. I`m Rita Cosby, in for Nancy Grace.
Breaking news tonight. Multi-millionaire Robert Durst, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, walks free even after confessing he shot and
dismembered his elderly neighbor, the disappearance of his wife in upscale Westchester, New York, still unsolved, Durst arrested in connection with
the execution-style killing of his long-time friend, Susan Berman, after authorities say they uncover new evidence linking him to the murder.
Let`s go straight to Noam Laden, WABC news reporter. Let me get the latest, Noam, from you on this wild tale.
NOAM LADEN, WABC RADIO (via telephone): Yes, it`s really unbelievable, Rita. What has happened -- ever since this HBO documentary
series began to air, the last episode last night, and during the course of last night`s episode, in the final moments of this episode, you can see
Robert Durst walking away from the camera. He doesn`t think he`s being filmed anymore...
COSBY: And Noam, before you get to that, take it from the very top because this guy has had the wackiest history ever.
LADEN: Oh, yes. Well, I mean, you want me to go back to 1982? In 1982, his wife of nine years goes missing, Kathie McCormack (ph). And they
never -- they finger him in her disappearance, but they can never prove that he is behind it. She`s assumed dead, but her body`s never been found.
Then fast forward to the year 2000. His long-time friend, college friend, Susan Berman, who has become his confidante after his wife goes --
disappears -- she is shot in the head moments after the case of his wife is reopened.
So back in Westchester, New York, they had reopened the case into the disappearance of his wife, and then his long-time college friend is found
shot in the head. The thought is there that investigators were going to question that long-time friend on the disappearance of his wife, that she
might have information about what Robert Durst -- or how Robert Durst was involved.
COSBY: And let me bring in Matthew Birkbeck. He`s the author of "A Deadly Secret." Matthew, also, this neighbor case, where he actually
killed the guy, but he got off scot-free?
MATT BIRKBECK, AUTHOR, "A DEADLY SECRET": Yes, that was just -- you know, it was bizarre. It was just, you know, poor prosecution, a dream
team of attorneys and a questionable jury. And there was a volatile mix. And you know, that surprised a lot of people. You know, everyone who had
been following this case thought it was a slam dunk, and obviously, it wasn`t.
20:05:12
COSBY: Well, and you know what? A slam dunk because when you shoot somebody and then you dismember his body. And the other thing -- Justin
Freiman, NANCY GRACE producer, the guy`s head was never found.
JUSTIN FREIMAN, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: That`s right. The head was never found. And people think that could have had evidence in there that
could have been quite damning.
COSBY: And let`s go to Noam Laden, news anchor for WABC radio. Noam, now I want to go to the very latest because the last 24, 48 hours have been
incredible in this case. We`ve heard of this checkered past from this guy. And I want to play a little clip -- this is from the HBO documentary --
because I think it was an absolute bombshell. This is what he said. He is caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: (INAUDIBLE) killed them all, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: "Killed them, of course," and that`s from HBO`s "The Jinx." Again, we don`t know the context of the statement. We also don`t know yet
when HBO knew what they had, if they shared it with law enforcement. Again, HBO is owned by CNN`s parent company, Time Warner.
Noam, when you see that, and you see him say, "Killed them all, of course" -- you`ve covered this case from the beginning. I remember this
case from the beginning. Chilling words to hear from him, Noam.
LADEN: Oh, no doubt. And you get the sense, if you had watched that last episode of the documentary last night, that he felt he had been
cornered and maybe caught. And that admission that came when the cameras had stopped rolling, his microphone was still hot, it was still on, and he
had excused himself to go to the bathroom, and it was what he was muttering under his own breath.
And so now LA authorities in this case of Susan Berman, who was shot execution-style back in 2000 -- they`ve reopened the case and Robert Durst
has been arrested, and it looks like they`re going to try to bring him to Los Angeles to try him again on that case.
COSBY: Yes. Absolutely. Again, we`re also looking at pictures and video from "The Jinx." Again, we don`t know the context of all these
different statements. And we also don`t know if HBO knew what they had, if they shared it with law enforcement. HBO, again, is owned by CNN`s parent
company, Time Warner.
Matthew Birkbeck, I want to also play a clip because I thought it was so explosive, this video. And I think, almost more importantly than what
he said, if you look at the letter -- and this, I think, is a huge breakthrough in the case. There was always this anonymous note that was
sent to law enforcement. And it was sent actually right around the time, of course, right before Susan Berman is discovered, her body.
And if you look at the hand-writing, now we`re going to compare it with something that Robert Durst wrote, the hand-writing, as well, and also
what he said about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: The writing looks similar and the spelling is the same, so I can see the conclusion the cops would draw, or a writing exemplar person
would conclude they were both written by the same person.
Well, what I see as the similarity is really the misspelling in the "Beverly." Other than that, the block letters are block letters. How else
would you write a block letter than that? I mean, it`s almost like a typed thing. It`s going to look -- two typewriters, it`s going to look the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And that`s from a video from HBO`s "The Jinx."
Let`s go back to Matt Birkbeck. Matt, when you see that -- I think it is very chilling to see the similarities between the writing, the
misspelling of the word "Beverly Hills," and you even see it on his face. I mean, to me, when I`m looking at that video, Matt, he looks like he`s,
like, Oh, oh, oh, like he`s confronted. And it`s at that moment, according to what we see in the video, that he walks up and says, OK, I need a
bathroom break and is muttering these words that they now say that he said.
BIRKBECK: You can tell that he`s under stress. You could that they got him, which is why he starts with the burping (ph) and whatnot. I
thought...
COSBY: By the way, you know Robert Durst. You`ve covered this case from the beginning. What`s your reaction, the way he handled it?
BIRKBECK: You know, I tell you, I watched the documentary, and given what I know, I -- you know, the first five-and-a-half, the first five
episodes and the half of last night, to me was more of a rehash. And for those who weren`t familiar with Durst, it was a good primer.
But the end point, the last three minutes, it was riveting. And when he said "Killed them all, though," to me, it didn`t just mean he killed
Kathie Durst and Susan Berman and Morris Black. He had been living this life, this stealing of identities, this dressing as a woman for years
before, back in the mid to late 1990s. I had reported that 10 years ago. So to me, when I heard that, I got to admit, you know, I had a chill go
down my spine. To me, it meant that he was admitting he killed more than just those three people.
20:10:05
COSBY: Let`s go to Ellen Strauss. She`s a friend of Kathleen Durst, of course. She appeared in HBO video, "The Jinx," also knew Kathleen Durst
very, very well. Ellen, What`s your reaction when you hear this?
ELLEN STRAUSS, FRIEND OF KATHIE DURST: You mean as far as the confession?
COSBY: Yes, both. I mean, when you see the confession, you know, the alleged confession, and when we also see the letters with the similar hand-
writing.
STRAUSS: The letters to me were a dead giveaway. Even Bob at the very end could not tell which one he wrote to her and which one the killer
wrote to her. I think that that -- you don`t even need a hand-writing expert. All you need is eyes. You have two eyes.
The other thing is, I was listening -- you know, it was like a pin could drop at the very end. I was watching it with friends of Kathie and
her family, and it was just like a breath. I mean, it felt to me, after working on this for 33 years, like a vindication.
I mean, you`re never going to get justice because Kathie isn`t going to be coming back. You`re not going to get anything like that. There`s no
such thing as closure. But there`s a certain satisfaction with knowing that I don`t think he`s going to get away with it this time. He belongs in
a home for the very, very bewildered...
COSBY: Yes, and he may belong very well behind bars, based on what we`re seeing here. Ellen...
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: Let me ask you real quick, too, because I think it`s so important what Kathleen said to you. She was worried, right?
STRAUSS: Absolutely. She used to call me when I was at law school and she was at medical school, and she would say, Whatever happens, don`t
let Bob get away with it. Don`t let him get away with it. Look to Bob if anything happens to me. And she would tell that to all of her friends who
would listen. I advised her to, you know, get out of the marriage instantly, deal with the settlement later, and not to put herself in harm`s
way.
COSBY: What do you believe happened, now that you`re seeing literally what may be the writing on the wall?
STRAUSS: Well, I mean, what I always believed happened. I believed he killed her. In Bob`s particular case, in this case, with Kathie, I
don`t think it was like Morris Black or Susan Berman, where it was premeditated.
I think with Kathie, it was she came back from the party. She got in his face. One thing led to another. She started an argument, and he
finished it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
20:16:30
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The real estate heir is the subject of "The Jinx." The show has looked at whether Durst was involved in the 1982 disappearance
of his wife, Kathie, and the 2000 unsolved slaying of his friend and crime author Susan Berman, who was shot to death in her home in Beverly Hills.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... the jury find the defendant Robert Durst not guilty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In another case, Durst admitted in 2001 he killed and dismembered Morris Black, his neighbor in Galveston, Texas. His
defense successfully argued he shot Black in self-defense during a struggle. "The Jinx" ended with a bathroom monologue by Durst.
DURST: (INAUDIBLE) killed them all, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And I`m Rita Crosby, in for Nancy Grace. Robert Durst now extradited on murder charges tied to the death of his confidante. But
also, there was another dead body in his trail. He got off on self- defense. And his wife is still missing to this day.
And now some chilling words, his own words. He is caught on tape. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: I`m going to go use the restroom, which is right here, or maybe this is the bathroom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that`s...
DURST: You`re right. This is the bathroom. There it is. You`re caught (ph). (INAUDIBLE) right course (ph). (INAUDIBLE) You can`t imagine
(INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And that`s from HBO`s "The Jinx." Again, we don`t know the context of that statement. We also don`t know yet when HBO knew what they
had, if they shared it with law enforcement. And HBO is owned by CNN`s parent company, Time Warner.
Let`s go to Noam Laden, news anchor with WABC radio. And Noam, what`s important about the context of that is that was after he was presented with
the two letters. Also, this guy, Robert Durst -- and you and I have covered this case for a long time. This is not a donnay (ph), Noam. This
guy is part of a huge -- I mean, you look at the New York City skyline, his family owns, it seems like, half of it. He is worth $100 million. His
family is worth $4.4 billion. This is a smart guy with a lot of means, right, Noam?
LADEN: He does. And you know, it`s one of those things where they could walk off into a balcony on the Upper East Side and sort of count all
the buildings that they own. I mean, he has an interesting history in that he`s the oldest and he was supposed to take over the family business, the
real estate business, but they gave it to his brother instead. And they say ever since then, it was sort of downhill for him.
COSBY: Let`s bring in the defense attorneys, Areva Martin, defense attorney, Robert Schalk, defense attorney.
Robert, like, what are you going to do? He`s on tape saying, I killed them all. And then you got the letters. What are you going to do? How
are you going to defend this guy?
ROBERT SCHALK, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Rita, you obviously have pointed out numerous times that we don`t know the context of -- the manner
in which those statements were given. Number two...
COSBY: But I believe they will be admissible because they were given to a reporter, Robert.
SCHALK: Right, now to the police. Right.
COSBY: They were given -- exactly. It wasn`t -- there wasn`t, like, a question of Miranda rights or those things.
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: You agree they`re admissible, right?
SCHALK: Well, I think they`re going to come in, but they`re definitely going to file a motion to have them suppressed and he had a reasonable
expectation of privacy in the bathroom...
20:20:01
COSBY: But he`s on microphone! The other thing...
SCHALK: Again, I...
COSBY: Hold on a second, Robert. Let me give you the history, too, of this guy because during his trial, and of course, where he got off -- I
still can`t believe the jury let him off for dismembering his neighbor in self-defense, that whole deal. But during that case, he was caught
mumbling also. And apparently, his attorney at the time said, You don`t want to mumble, you have to assume you`re always on microphone when you`re
(INAUDIBLE) Here he is in front of cameras, Roberts. Could it be more clear?
SCHALK: No, it`s very clear, but I`m saying is, you have a number of things. They`re going to be able to make that motion. And number two is
you have him mumbling -- when the police picked him up, he`s mumbling -- the victim`s friend was just on saying he belongs in more or less an insane
asylum. He`s going to be evaluated for a psychiatric evaluation to see whether or not he can stand trial and assist in his defense.
COSBY: Yes, oh, come on!
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: He`s smart like a fox! You know that, Robert! And apparently, at this time, too, there are reports that he might have even
been trying to flee to Cuba. He certainly was kind of living -- remember, he was living as this woman. This is the most bizarre story.
SCHALK: Right, but living as a woman...
COSBY: He was living as a mute woman...
SCHALK: Is that normal behavior?
COSBY: It`s not normal behavior, but it`s also calculating behavior that he has not said, Oh, yes, I murdered So-and-So. I did this. Even
when he`s faced with those two letters, it`s not like, yes, this is me. He`s just going -- he looks like he`s evading again, Robert.
SCHALK: But this is a question for doctors, not for attorneys, you know, not for us to answer.
COSBY: But it`s repeated. Areva let me go to you. Repeated behavior, Areva. This is not like suddenly, some flash in the pan.
AREVA MARTIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You`re talking about calculating -- but Rita, you keep talking about calculating behavior. What could be more
calculating than HBO releasing this information at a time that they`re playing this -- this...
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: The timing of this is highly suspicious!
COSBY: And Areva -- Areva, they will definitely use that. I`m the defense attorney will use that. But you know what? We do know that law
enforcement felt they had enough information. We don`t know if they knew this audiotape. We don`t know if they knew the letters. Law enforcement
possibly could have a whole bunch of new information. Law enforcement...
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: ... extradite him on ratings!
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: Areva, you`re telling me law enforcement is after ratings? Give me a break.
MARTIN: I`m telling you HBO is after ratings. And I`m also telling you that law enforcement has been on this case for many, many years. Let`s
talk about Susan Berman. We know that she had ties to the Mafia. We`re talking about an execution-style murder, and somehow, he`s the only person
that...
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: Yes, wait -- wait a minute.
MARTIN: I`m not buying it.
COSBY: Suddenly, you know, one person`s missing, two people are dead, it`s all coincidence. Poor guy. Give me a break!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
20:26:28
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: `Jinx" producers say investigators believe Durst knows what happened to his wife. The documentary explores the possibility
that Berman was murdered because she also knew Kathie Durst`s fate. Durst is no stranger to controversy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... and whether the 71-year-old is responsible for the disappearance of his wife in 1982, the murder of a close friend in
2000, and a neighbor in 2001.
DURST: There it is. You`re caught. (INAUDIBLE) of course (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Robert Durst apparently caught on tape, and that is from HBO`s "The Jinx." We don`t know the context of that statement. We also don`t
know yet when HBO knew what they had and if they also shared it with authorities. HBO is owned by CNN`s parent company, Time Warner.
But Robert Durst now extradited in the death of his friend and long- time confidante. Remember, also, suddenly, his neighbor was killed. He said it was done in self-defense, even though he chopped the guy up. He
admitted to that. And his wife is still missing in the midst of all this.
By the way, when he was arrested over the weekend, tied to his confidante`s death, they found him at a J.W. Marriott in New Orleans. He
was under an assumed name. He had a fake ID. He also had a gun with him. So does that sound like a guy who was just doing everything right?
Well, let`s go back to the defense attorneys, Areva Martin, Robert Schalk. Areva, sounds like someone who was hiding. He knew this video was
coming out. To your point, this is part of a series, and he knew that this was coming out. It was the final episode. So -- and there`s word that...
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: ... trying to flee to Cuba, Areva.
MARTIN: Rita, he sat down to do this interview. Do you think he would plan to make a confession on television? This guy knows he`s been
under an investigation for many, many years.
COSBY: Areva...
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: Areva, I`m going to agree with you.
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: I`m going to agree with you. Hold on!
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: ... last session is just a little far-fetched.
COSBY: Well, I`m going to agree with you. I don`t think he did. I think -- like a lot of these other guys that I have covered and you guys
have represented through the years, I think they think they`re smarter than everybody else. And if, indeed, he did write that letter, he thinks he can
fool the cops. I think he never thought that that other letter would see the light of day. And when he was suddenly confronted with the truth, we
saw at all before our eyes, Areva.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: This is all a lot of drama, Rita...
COSBY: No, it`s a lot of facts!
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: So many things are going to be different than what we saw in that HBO special...
COSBY: Yes, you know what?
(CROSSTALK)
COSBY: Guess what?
MARTIN: ... logic that are not going to be relevant in a trial, Rita!
COSBY: Yes, you know what? I`ll agree with you. There probably will be even more facts possibly after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
20:33:30
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: Killed them all, of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Durst whispering to himself in a bathroom after his final interview for the special. Whether the 71-year-old, son of one the most
powerful real estate tycoon, is responsible for the disappearance of his wife, the murder of a close friend and a neighbor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Robert Durst now extradited in the death of his confidant. He was acquitted in the murder. He said it was self-defense of his neighbor.
And his wife is still missing, and what you just saw there, that was from HBO`s "The Jinx." We don`t know yet when HBO knew what they had, and if
they shared it with law enforcement. Again, HBO is also owned by CNN`s parent company, Time Warner.
In addition to that, are these letters. These two letters, there`s one in his handwriting, he says, yes, that is my handwriting, he`s
confronted with a letter that`s discovered with his handwriting, comparing it to the letter that was written by the anonymous killer leading
authorities to where the body was. Take a listen. This is more from HBO`s "The Jinx," when he`s confronted with all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: Excuse me. I can easily see writing that letter and putting a check in there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to say the envelope -- that letter came in, would you read me the address on this envelope.
DURST: Robert Durst, 424, 67 Wall Street, New York, New York. 10005.
20:35:01
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And who did you send it to?
DURST: Susan Berman, 1527 Benedict Canyon, Beverly Hills, California. Beverly is spelled wrong, California, 90210.
Which is -- you know, the zip code that you want in Beverly Hills, which you just did not want Suzie`s neighborhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And remember, Beverly Hills spelled wrong in both, and the handwriting looks awfully similar, again that`s video from HBO`s "The
Jinx." Let`s go to Justin Freiman, Nancy Grace producer. The other thing, in that letter, this is the one that was written to authorities years ago
which sure looks a lot similar. And again, the spelling of Beverly Hills, which is a weird spelling, to spell it incorrectly. There it is. He uses
a weird phrase. He uses cadaver or at least the killer uses the word cadaver.
FREIMAN: The letter that alerts police to Susan`s body, says they will find a cadaver in the home. Not just a dead body, like a lot of
people would write. It says cadaver, and people like to point out that Durst`s wife was going to medical school, so he probably heard the word
cadaver used often, and that might be why it ended up in that letter.
COSBY: And here`s a little bit where the word cadaver comes up in a conversation with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DURST: Somebody had a plan to do this, they had to go to her house, do what they did. And now you`re taking this big risk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which big risk?
DURST: You`re writing a note to the police that only the killer could have written. The police went on and on about how cadavers were wrong
(inaudible), cadaver is a body. They would conclude that that meant that that person had something to do with medical or ambulance services.
Somebody who was involved in that, and would know and use the word cadaver for a body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And again, that`s him saying looks like only the killer would know that information. That is video from HBO`s "The Jinx." Let`s go to
Richard Markey, a friend of Susan Burman. This is the case that now he has been arrested for and extradited for.
Richard, first of all, how well did you know Susan and tell us about her?
RICHARD MARKEY, FRIEND OF SUSAN`S: I`ve known her for about 12 years at the time of her death. We were both members of the Writers Guild, and
actually met on a picket line during a writer`s strike in 1988. We wrote some scripts together. We didn`t sell them, and each moved on to other
projects.
COSBY: When was the last time you saw her, Richard?
MARKEY: The night before she died. We met for dinner and went to a movie.
COSBY: Was she aware that obviously this is all tied to the Westchester district attorney reopening the case, was she aware she was
being focused on and questioned about?
MARKEY: Yes.
COSBY: And what was her reaction to that?
MARKEY: She just told me that that was happening and she was expecting investigators to come out and talk to her, and really didn`t say
anything beyond that.
COSBY: Was there anything suggesting Robert Durst at that time? Did she have any idea of his bizarre behavior, needless to say at minimum?
MARKEY: I don`t have specific memories, but generally, I think she considered him a close friend, someone who she liked a great deal. Someone
she had recently turned to, to ask to borrow some money, because she was having some tough financial straights.
COSBY: Was she concerned about him at all? Did she express anything like that to you?
MARKEY: No, I don`t think she was afraid of him. If she was, she didn`t express it with me.
COSBY: Let`s go to Noam Laden. Noam, this guy is a weird dude. And that`s just to put it mildly, if you look at the first case with his
neighbor, when that whole thing happened, he was dressed up as a woman and was pretending to the mute?
LADEN: Yes, he was pretending to be a deaf mute. And the amazing thing in that case, he admitted to killing this neighbor, Morris Black, and
to dismembering his body, and he still got off. I mean, he had this amazing legal team that still got him off after he said, yes, I did it.
COSBY: Unbelievable. Let`s go to Matt Birkbeck, who is the author of "A Deadly Secret." How did the feds get involved in this case?
BIRKBECK: That happened around 2010. There was always some interest in this going back to 2003, but in 2010, there was this case on Long Island
where roughly a dozen women were found dead, some of them dismembered, and they tried to connect Durst to that. My understanding is that they cleared
him of that, but they became very interested in all the other cases, including Kathy Durst, Susan Berman, as well as a couple of other cases
throughout the country. And it`s something they`ve been working very hard on over the last three, four years.
20:40:06
COSBY: Ramani Durvasula, clinical psychologist, real quick to you. He probably will be investigated in many more cases now, don`t you think?
DURVASULA: Absolutely. Again, where there`s smoke, there`s fire. The aliases, the behavior, the pattern of behavior, the association with
victims, and the fact is, he`s probably a very charming guy, which is why he gets in as close as he does. But then clearly he`s also very odd. It`s
a very mixed picture with him in terms of mental illness, but at the end of the day, this guy -- it`s going to be -- I`ll be curious to see if his
legal team could pull this off again.
20:40:44
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
20:44:47
COSBY: I`m Rita Cosby in for Nancy Grace. Let`s go to Houston. A mom of four is found dead in the pool of her family home, wearing her
scrubs and lab coat. The death originally was ruled an accident until investigators decided to take a closer look. Now, they say evidence
suggests she was murdered. Who would want to kill Edith Saks?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Edith Saks was killed, found dead in her pool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s clear the person or persons involved had intimate enough relationship with Edith Saks that they knew intricacies
concerning her home and schedule.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Detectives say two men were leaving the home the day Edith was killed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And let`s go straight to Robyn Walensky, she`s the senior anchor with The Blaze. Robin, bring us up to speed on this case, what
happened when she was found?
WALENSKY: Hey, Rita, Houston police in Texas have a huge mystery to solve. This is a 50-year-old mother, she has four kids of her own, she is
married nine years to a man who has three kids. It`s a Brady Bunch situation with seven children. There`s a lot of people on the list. At
some point, she`s a nurse, she`s very well liked, and she is found face down in her pool in her house in the backyard, in five feet of water, with
her clothes on, the scrubs, her nursing uniform, in five feet of water.
COSBY: And am I understand she was an avid swimmer, right?
WALENSKY: It`s ridiculous, an avid swimmer is not found face down in a pool. So the police believe, investigators believe that money is the
motive here. Apparently this woman started a nursing facility where she helps the elderly, and it`s very successful in Houston, and she has a
multimillion dollar will. So at the root of this case is who wanted her dead, and who stood to benefit from her not being here to rake in the
money.
COSBY: And apparently big money too. A $5 million life insurance. Let`s go to Matt Zarrell. Nancy Grace producer. Matt, interesting case,
because at first they thought it was accidental. What`s changed?
ZARRELL: They said they`ve got new information that suggests foul play, specifically they`re saying that she sustained some injuries in this
incident that would be suggestive of her being forced under the water. Not only that, Rita, cops believe someone or more than one person went to
great lengths to stage the scene to make it look like an accidental drowning.
COSBY: And the video you`re looking at is from ABC`s Good Morning America. Let`s go to Panchali Dar, a physician. Panchali, as a doctor,
how can you prove if injuries were sustained before she got into pool?
DAR: I would look at her body and see if there`s any evidence of bruising or a struggle. They could have been bruise and strangulation
marks around her neck, which could have forced her head under the water. Sometimes the corpse could have its eyes open, glistening, meaning she was
looking out when she was trying to save herself from drowning. It is also possible that she could have been knocked unconscious and her body was
thrown into the water. So all of this has to be looked at through further autopsy results, and the gross physical appearance of her body. Now, in
the lungs, they could see hemorrhages, bleeding in her sinuses, when she was struggling, as she was inhaling the water. That would be further
evidence of drowning as well.
COSBY: Let`s go to Natasha Rafiq, she`s the daughter of the victim. Natasha, first of all, I`m sure it`s difficult to hear all this, on the
other hand, I understand that you guys have been frustrated and basically pleading with authorities to come forward for so long. Why do you think
there was such a delay?
NATASHA RAFIQ, DAUGHTER: You know, I really don`t know or understand that, but as a family, we do want some answers.
COSBY: Yes, and I`m sure by the way, that it`s extremely frustrating. Do you feel that authorities at first -- there`s sort of this reaction,
that it`s got to be accidental. Were you and other family members saying, wait a minute, please take a look at it, there`s something unusual that`s
happened with our mom? She was in her scrubs and her lab coat. Didn`t you say, there`s something not right with this scene?
RAFIQ: I think that, you know, when something terrible like that happens, that`s not the very first thing that comes to your mind. But I
would say that, you know, as time progressed, we realized that, you know, there`s something strange going on.
COSBY: And I understand also, Natasha -- we`re talking to Natasha Rafiq, the daughter of Edith Sax, there were some unusual men in the area,
there were two men seen in the area. Do you know anything about that?
RAFIQ: You know, that is something they have said, information released at the press conference. I do recall them saying that there were
two unidentified men.
COSBY: I do want to mention, everybody, the husband in this case has absolutely been cleared by authorities, they have said he`s not a suspect
in this case.
20:50:02
Let`s go to the defense attorneys. Areva Martin, Robert Schalk. How do you piece this together? There`s these two unusual men. There could be
money as a motive with life insurance. I think the key would be to trail who could benefit from that.
SCHALK: Absolutely. Work backwards. Who benefits from the money? You want to look at e-mail, text messages, you want to look at recent phone
calls before this occurred. You also want to see whether neighbors have outside surveillance cameras. I know this seems silly, but sometimes law
enforcement overlooks that and they get deleted in time.
So they are going to want to start to look at family first. This looks like this is someone that if she went to her house, she may have
expected that person to be there. Therefore she wasn`t going to notify the authorities or scream.
COSBY: The other thing, it makes it interesting because we don`t know all the case and all the details in this case, but what`s interesting,
apparently it doesn`t look like there was a break-in. The gate was open. Authorities are saying that it looks like somebody who knew her schedule,
knew the layout of the house. That`s very significant, don`t you think?
MARTIN: Very important. She wasn`t alarmed by whoever showed up at her house. Obviously, probably welcomed them into the house. This woman
has a lot of money. Both life insurance and a will. So money is probably a big factor here in looking at everyone that possibly could have gained
from her demise is going to be very important for this investigation.
20:51:30
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20:55:37
COSBY: I`m Rita Cosby, in for Nancy Grace. Let`s go live to Sprague suburbs near Interstate 90, where three little children playing in a
neighborhood park, just outside of a local grocery store, when a slender white male approaches the three siblings, making off with the 22-month-old
Owen Wright (ph). Running with the toddler in his arms, the siblings chasing after the man frantically, clutching their little brother. And
it`s all caught on video. Tonight, does the alleged kidnapper have a history with the cops?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A man grabbed the little kid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t explain the feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Local media reporting a mother claims her 11-year- old encountered the 15-year-old suspect and the teen allegedly tried to take her son out of the yard. She claims she stopped him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Let`s go to Candace Trunzo. The senior news editor with Dailymail.com. Candace, they finally caught the guy.
TRUNZO: They did. And it`s incredible, because he was dressed as though he was in their 30s. In fact, they thought he was in his 30s. He
was in glasses, a moustache, a sport coat, and what it turned out to be was a boy who was 15 years old.
COSBY: It is an unbelievable story. Every time I see this video, it`s so upsetting to see first the sister and then the brother with the
stroller chasing after the guy. Let`s go to Clark Goldband, Nancy Grace producer. How did they track this guy? First of all the walk. There was
some baptism, some church pamphlets that connected this guy?
GOLDBAND: Some real investigative work. We obtained a police affidavit in which law enforcement lays out the many steps they went
through where they say they finally found this alleged kidnapping suspect. It started with surveillance. One officer thought it looked like someone
he may know. Rita, they go to the park. They find church materials. They then start talking to a church pastor in the area who says, yes, these
materials were handed out during our service. Law enforcement zones in from there. And shocking, Rita, law enforcement actually was able to
obtain surveillance from city hall, in which you can supposedly see the abduction from start to finish.
COSBY: Clark, quick, this kid has a history, he tried to abduct an 11-year-old last year, an autistic boy?
GOLDBAND: Yes, according to law enforcement. We obtained a police report from them in which they tell us this same suspect last summer, he
allegedly grabbed the hand of an autistic child, was supposedly trying to move him, but the mom of the child saw something, asked the boy what he was
doing, and prosecutors then determined there was no cause to file actual criminal charges. This 15-year-old, Rita, no criminal charges that we are
aware of.
COSBY: Let`s go real quick to Michael Wright, his son was the boy who was abducted from the park. You got to feel good there`s been resolution
to this, Michael.
MICHAEL WRIGHT, FATHER: Basically, the way I feel is, obviously, you know, there`s a series of problems going through this 15-year-old`s head.
The way I feel is even though the 15-year-old boy has no criminal charges placed upon him, I do feel that because this did happen back in June and he
just didn`t get charged with anything, I still think that builds up a bigger case against him.
COSBY: Absolutely.
WRIGHT: I understand that he needs help.
COSBY: Michael, absolutely. I agree that they should look at the past history. I`m glad they caught the guy who was responsible for taking
your young toddler. I`m glad your toddler is back home safe and sound.
Tonight we remember American hero, Army Specialist Doug Dejardins. 24 years old, from Mesa, Arizona. Purple Heart. Loved listening to music and
spending time with loved ones. Mother Cindy, father Jim, stepmother Barbara. Brothers Michael and Shawn, sisters Rachel and April. Douglas
Desjardins, American hero.
I`m Rita Cosby in for Nancy Grace. Dr. Drew is up next. See you tomorrow night 8:00 sharp Eastern time.
END
