The Latest: Durst court hearing opens with letter about body

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the murder case against New York real estate heir Robert Durst (all times local):

Robert Durst

12:15 p.m.

Prosecutors have opened a court hearing in the murder case against New York real estate heir Robert Durst with photos of a letter directing them to the body of his slain friend.

A former Los Angeles police criminalist testified Monday that the letter was addressed to Beverly Hills police with the city’s name misspelled.

Durst has pleaded not guilty to killing Susan Berman in 2000 at her Los Angeles house in a part of the city with a Beverly Hills ZIP code.

Prosecutors say Durst killed Berman to prevent her from telling police what she knew about his first wife’s 1982 disappearance in New York.

Durst was arrested in 2015 after a documentary found a letter from him addressed to Berman in similar handwriting and misspelling Beverly Hills the same way.

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10:20 p.m.

It’s been more than three years since the arrest of eccentric New York real estate heir Robert Durst in the execution-style shooting of his best friend years earlier in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors could move closer to bringing him to trial if they can show probable cause at a hearing that begins Monday that Durst killed Susan Berman in order to silence her from revealing what she knew about the death of the multimillionaire’s first wife.

The 75-year-old Durst has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors have started recording testimony over the past year of older witnesses who might not be available if there is a trial. Some of the testimony includes damning evidence for Durst.

Durst’s defense team didn’t reply to messages seeking comment.

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