LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors on 💖Wednesday said witnesses are terrified of Robert Durst and frightened they might disappear before testifying 🦄against the eccentric killer real-estate scion.
In a hearing to sort out evidence that can be used against Durst — charged with the 2000 murder of pal Susan Berman out of fear she suspected he murdꦺered his wife, Kathie — LA County Deputy DA John Lewin as🙈ked Judge Mark Windham if prosecutors could get testimony and cross-examination of “several” witnesses before the trial even begins.
“Mr. Durst is accus🌠ed of the murder of one witness, he has admitted to causing the death of a second individual who we believe was killed because he was a witness as well. And the special circumstance of this case is that he murdered his wife,” Lewin said.
“Two of those thᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚree individuals, the people are alleging, were murdered because they were♕ witnesses.”
Lewin added: “Mr. Durst has something in the order of $100 million. The witne൩sses in this case realistically, understandably are concerned about their safety.”
Durst 🤪has admitted killing neighbor Morris Black in Texas in 2001 and claimed self-defense — which worked, as jurors acquitted him of murder, but convicted him of illegally disposing of his dismembered body.
Wife Kathie Du🤪rst vanished without a trace in 1982, though her husband has never been charged.
Lewin on Wednesday only named one of the witnesses he wanted on the record ASAP — and that was Dr. Albert Kupermanꦕ, 85.
The retired New York doctor was an associate dean at Albert Einstein College of Medicine inꦰ 𓆏The Bronx, where Kathie Durst was a student, when she disappeared.
Lewin didn’t outline what testimony Kuperman could offer in the Berman case, only saying he will be “86 ye༒ars young in January” ༒and needed to testify sooner rather than later.
Durst defen♓se lawyer David C✤hesnoff scoffed at accusations that the frail 73-year-old Durst, who was in a wheelchair in LA court on Wednesday, could harm anyone in his current state.
“Suggesting somehow that a man in a wheelchair is somehow a threat to an 85-year old man in New York . . . is just hyperbole,” Chesnoff said.
The judge didꩲn’t immediately rule on the DA’s request.
Prosecutors are going after Durst, following last year’s HBO documentary “The Jinx” when he made theꦓ seemingly incriminating statement: “What the hell did I do? Killed them🌸 all, of course.”
Judge Windham on Wednesday ordered a special mast💦er to go over documents seized by cops from Durst to determine if they’re from his lawyers and thus covered by attorney-client privilege.
Windham also set trial to begin on Feb. 14 but defense lawyers said Wednesday they have mountains of evidence to study — and doubted t🧜hey could be ✨ready anytime in 2017.
Durst is being held without bail in LA.
Additional reporting by David K. Li in New York