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Robert Durst, the former New York real estate tycoon who was long linked to the brutal murder of his wife and recently convicted to a life sentence in connection to the murder of his longtime confidante, Susan Berman, has died at the age of 78, the New York Times reports.
Durst's lawyer, Chip Lewis, confirmed his client went into cardiac arrest during testing at the San Joaquin General Hospital on Monday (January 10) and couldn't be revived.
Durst was recently indicted on a second-degree murder charge by a grand jury in connection to the 1982 death of his former wife, Kathie, on November 1, ABC News reported.
Westchester County, New York prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Durst in connection to the death of his former wife last week shortly after the real estate heir was sentenced to life in prison in connection to the death of his assistant Susan Berman.
Investigators said Durst is believed to have killed Berman because he feared she would expose details related to Kathie Durst's murder case.
Kathie Durst was reported missing on January 31, 1982 in South Salem, New York and her body was never located.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said her office's cold case bureau has been investigating Kathie Durst's death for more than 10 months prior to Robert Durst's indictment this week.
"For nearly four decades there has been a great deal of speculation about this case, much of it fueled by Robert Durst's own highly publicized statements," Rocah said in a statement obtained by ABC News. "An indictment is a crucial step in the process of holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions."
ABC News reported a warrant for Durst's arrest was issued by the Westchester District Attorney's office in November.
The 78-year-old was visibly frail during his murder trial in Los Angeles in October and reportedly put on a ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19, according to his attorney Dick DeGuerin.
Durst had since been discharged from the hospital and transferred to a medical facility at a California prison amid his recent sentencing.