PETTY CASH

Kathie Durst’s Family Sues Robert Durst’s Widow for Wrongful Death

The filing alleges that Robert Durst left his wife his fortune “in exchange for helping [him] evade justice in connection with the murders.”

Three weeks after the death of billionaire and convicted murderer Robert Durst, the family of Kathie Durst has filed a wrongful death action against the tycoon’s wife Debrah Charatan, 64. Durst was suspected of murdering Kathie, his wife at the time, when she disappeared in 1982. In October 2021, he was convicted of murdering his best friend Susan Berman, 55, in 2000 because of her alleged knowledge of Kathie’s disappearance. The 78-year-old murderer died earlier this month following his life sentence for the crime. In a memo published Monday, the lawyer of Kathie’s family announced that following Durst’s death, they are now seeking to hold Charatan, who is likely to be named the executor of Durst’s will, responsible for Kathie’s murder. The missive alleges that Durst left Charatan his fortune “in exchange for helping [him] evade justice in connection with the murders.” Per the memo, the family noted that the wrongful death action is “an important step toward justice for Kathie and toward exposing the corruption that allowed Robert Durst to go unpunished.”