In October 2001, the dismembered remains of seventy-one-year-old Morris Black were found floating in Galveston Bay. A few days later, Black’s neighbor, Robert Durst, was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on $250,000 bail. After posting bail, Durst jumped bail and disappeared for six weeks, before being arrested by Pennsylvania authorities at the end of November.

In the years that followed, investigators and prosecutors began combing through Durst’s life, discovering disturbing connections between the excentric millionaire and the mysterious disappearances and deaths of several people who were once close to Durst. Robert Durst had been a suspect in the murder of Morris Black, but was it possible he was in fact a multiple murderer who’d evaded detection for decades?

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 2001. "Fugitive is arrested in Galveston man's death." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 1: 26.

Babineck, Mark. 2001. "A mysterious trail left in Galveston." Austin American-Statesman, October 20: 25.

Bagli, Charles. 2020. "4 decades of Durst's past are traced as trial begins." New York Times, March 11.

—. 2021. "Durst faces new charge for murder of his wife." New York Times, October 23.

—. 2021. "Durst is convicted of murder after 2 decades of suspicion." New York Times, September 18.

—. 2021. "Durst is sentenced to life in prison for 2000 murder of friend." New York Times, October 15.

—. 2020. "Real estate scion admits he wrote note in case profiled in 'The Jinx'." New York Times, January 1.

—. 2014. "Stranger than fiction? Try fact." New York Times, December 2.

Bagli, Charles V., and Kevin Flynn. 2001. "A two-decade spiral into suspicion." New York Times, October 21: A33.

Bagli, Charles, and Kevin Flynn. 2001. "On the run with a fugitive: tales of aliases and disguises." New York Times, December 7: D1.

Bagli, Charles, and Vivian Yee. 2015. "Straight from TV to jail: Durt is charged in killing." New York Times, March 16.

Cartwright, Gary. 2002. "Durst case scenarios." Texas Monthly, February: 87-112.

Collins, Marion. 2002. Without a Trace: Inside the Robert Durst Case. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

Forbes. 2020. Durst family. December December. Accessed March 28, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/durst/.

Gerber, Marisa. 2021. "The Hollywood ‘Mafia princess’ was Robert Durst’s best friend. Did loyalty lead to murder?" Los Angeles Times, May 21.

Hale, Mike. 2024. "Conversations on murder." New York Times, April 24.

2015. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Directed by Andrew Jarecki. Performed by Andrew Jarecki.

Lozano, Juan. 2003. "Juey to see Galveston case evidence." Austin American-Statesman, August 14: 21.

—. 2003. "Officer testifies there's no direct evidence against heir." Austin American-Statesman, October 21: 17.

—. 2003. "Murder trial gets under way for multimillionaire Robert Durst." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, September 23: 21.

Miller, Julie. 2015. "Robert Durst may have had a Mission Impossible-style plan to flee the country." Vanity Fair, March 18.

Palmer, Alex. 2015. The Creepiest Things Robert Durst Says in His All Good Things DVD Commentary. April 15. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/robert-dursts-all-good-things-dvd-commentary.html.

Reporter-Dispatch. 1950. "Durst death in Scarsdale ruled an accident." Reporter-Dispatch (New York, NY), November 10: 9.

Stewart, Richard, and Kevin Moran. 2003. "Millionaire is acquitted of murder." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Nevember 12: 1.

Streeter, Kurt. 2001. "N.Y. police had sought to quiz slain author." Los Angeles Times, January 9: 28.

Zeman, Ned. 2020. "He also decided to kill her." Vanity Fair, April 23.

—. 2015. "The fugitive heir." Vanity Fair, March 16.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In October 2001, the dismembered remains of seventy-one-year-old Morris Black were found floating in Galveston Bay. A few days later, Black’s neighbor, Robert Durst, was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on $250,000 bail. After posting bail, Durst jumped bail and disappeared for six weeks, before being arrested by Pennsylvania authorities at the end of November.

In the years that followed, investigators and prosecutors began combing through Durst’s life, discovering disturbing connections between the excentric millionaire and the mysterious disappearances and deaths of several people who were once close to Durst. Robert Durst had been a suspect in the murder of Morris Black, but was it possible he was in fact a multiple murderer who’d evaded detection for decades?

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 2001. "Fugitive is arrested in Galveston man's death." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 1: 26.

Babineck, Mark. 2001. "A mysterious trail left in Galveston." Austin American-Statesman, October 20: 25.

Bagli, Charles. 2020. "4 decades of Durst's past are traced as trial begins." New York Times, March 11.

—. 2021. "Durst faces new charge for murder of his wife." New York Times, October 23.

—. 2021. "Durst is convicted of murder after 2 decades of suspicion." New York Times, September 18.

—. 2021. "Durst is sentenced to life in prison for 2000 murder of friend." New York Times, October 15.

—. 2020. "Real estate scion admits he wrote note in case profiled in 'The Jinx'." New York Times, January 1.

—. 2014. "Stranger than fiction? Try fact." New York Times, December 2.

Bagli, Charles V., and Kevin Flynn. 2001. "A two-decade spiral into suspicion." New York Times, October 21: A33.

Bagli, Charles, and Kevin Flynn. 2001. "On the run with a fugitive: tales of aliases and disguises." New York Times, December 7: D1.

Bagli, Charles, and Vivian Yee. 2015. "Straight from TV to jail: Durt is charged in killing." New York Times, March 16.

Cartwright, Gary. 2002. "Durst case scenarios." Texas Monthly, February: 87-112.

Collins, Marion. 2002. Without a Trace: Inside the Robert Durst Case. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

Forbes. 2020. Durst family. December December. Accessed March 28, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/durst/.

Gerber, Marisa. 2021. "The Hollywood ‘Mafia princess’ was Robert Durst’s best friend. Did loyalty lead to murder?" Los Angeles Times, May 21.

Hale, Mike. 2024. "Conversations on murder." New York Times, April 24.

2015. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Directed by Andrew Jarecki. Performed by Andrew Jarecki.

Lozano, Juan. 2003. "Juey to see Galveston case evidence." Austin American-Statesman, August 14: 21.

—. 2003. "Officer testifies there's no direct evidence against heir." Austin American-Statesman, October 21: 17.

—. 2003. "Murder trial gets under way for multimillionaire Robert Durst." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, September 23: 21.

Miller, Julie. 2015. "Robert Durst may have had a Mission Impossible-style plan to flee the country." Vanity Fair, March 18.

Palmer, Alex. 2015. The Creepiest Things Robert Durst Says in His All Good Things DVD Commentary. April 15. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.vulture.com/2015/04/robert-dursts-all-good-things-dvd-commentary.html.

Reporter-Dispatch. 1950. "Durst death in Scarsdale ruled an accident." Reporter-Dispatch (New York, NY), November 10: 9.

Stewart, Richard, and Kevin Moran. 2003. "Millionaire is acquitted of murder." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Nevember 12: 1.

Streeter, Kurt. 2001. "N.Y. police had sought to quiz slain author." Los Angeles Times, January 9: 28.

Zeman, Ned. 2020. "He also decided to kill her." Vanity Fair, April 23.

—. 2015. "The fugitive heir." Vanity Fair, March 16.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Despite the passage of fifty years since his last activity, the case of the Zodiac Killer continues to fascinate and frustrate law enforcement, the media, and the American public, making America’s most notorious unsolved murder case.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Blankenstein , Andrew, and Wilson Wong. 2021. 'The case remains open': FBI rebuts claim Zodiac Killer case is solved. October 7. Accessed February 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/case-remains-open-fbi-refutes-claim-zodiac-killer-case-solved-n1281002.

Chabria, Anita. 2018. "Vallejo police have sent Zodiac Killer DNA to a lab. Results could come in weeks." Sacramento Bee, May 3.

Chronicle, San Francisco. 1970. "A Zodiac threat to newsman." San Francisco Chronicle , October 31: 7.

Cole, Michael F. 2020. The Zodiac Revisted: The Facts of the Case. San Francisco, CA: Twin Prime Publishing .

Drake, Rossiter. 2007. "A magnificent obsession with the Zodiac killer." San Francisco Examiner, March 2: 28.

Flaherty, Frances. 1969. "New letter by Zodiac claims seven slayings." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), November 12: 1.

—. 1969. "Teenagers' s;ayer still at large." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), March 30: 1.

Flaherty, Francis G. 1968. "Investigators lacking clues in 2 slayings." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), December 22: 1.

Glover, Malcolm. 1969. "Hundreds of 'Zodiac' tips flood Bay police." San Francisco Examiner, October 18: 1.

Lowe, Lindsay. 2024. Who was Arthur Leigh Allen? October 29. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.today.com/popculture/zodiac-killer-arthur-leigh-allen-rcna176996.

McClatchy Newspapers Service. 1969. "Vallejo Police seek gunman who killed woman, shot man." Sacramento Bee, July 5: 1.

Michelman, Jordan. 2020. "What If You Solved the Zodiac Killer Mystery and No One Believed You? ." Portland Monthly, December 16.

O'Connell, Oliver. 2021. Gary Poste: Who was the alleged Zodiac killer identified by ‘Case Breakers’? October 7. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/gary-post-zodiac-killer-suspect-b1933700.html.

Peterson, Dave. 1969. "2 survivors tell what they can on 'Code Killer'." Times-Herald, October 1: 1.

Sacramento Bee. 1969. "Officers check leads in Berryessa killing." Sacramento Bee, October 3: 27.

San Francisco Examiner. 1969. "'Cipher Killer's' new letter." San Francisco Examiner, August 4: 1.

—. 1969. "'Cypher Killer' hunt is pressed." San Francisco Examiner, August 6: 57.

—. 1969. "School bus alert on mad killer." San Francisco Examiner, October 17: 1.

—. 1969. "Sketch made of killer in taxi slaying." San Francisco Examiner, October 14: 6.

—. 1970. "Zodiac 'greeting' to police: 'enjoy yourselves at my blast'." San Francisco Examiner, May 1: 50.

Smith, Dave. 1971. "17-plus victims claimed in letter by Zodiac Killer." Los Angeles Times, March 16: 3.

—. 1969. "Zodiac Killer--chilling portrait of madness." Los Angeles Times, October 15: 1.

—. 1969. "'The Zodiac' lives inconspicuously, but murders with flourish." Sacramento Bee, October 10: E12.

Smith, Jane. 1969. "Girl stabbing victim dies in Napa hospital." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), September 30: 1.

Times-Herald. 1969. "Cryptogram deciphered by teacher." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), August 9: 1.

—. 1968. "Hunt maniac in murders of teenagers." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), December 23: 1.

—. 1969. "Lake attacks linked to Vallejo slayings." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), September 29: 14.

—. 1969. "Mystery ciphers not decoded yet." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), August 2: 1.

—. 1968. "Vallejo teenagers are shot to death near Lake Herman." Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA), December 21: 1.

—. 1969. "Police seeking clues in Vallejo shootings." Times-Herald, July 6:1.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.