Wife of real estate heir Durst declared dead after 35 years
NEW YORK (AP) — The first wife of real estate heir Robert Durst has been officially declared dead 35 years after she was last seen.
A New York judge set the date of death for Kathleen Durst at Jan. 31, 1987, exactly five years after her 1982 disappearance.
The ruling from Surrogate's Court in Manhattan was dated March 24. It was first reported in the New York Post.
Durst has long been suspected in the death of his wife but he was never criminally charged.
The 73-year-old Durst is charged with murder in the 2000 killing of Susan Berman in Los Angeles.
Berman reportedly was planning to speak with investigators about Kathleen Durst's suspected slaying.
The declaration of death for Kathleen Durst allows her siblings to pursue civil litigation against Durst.
