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The LAPD insists Robert Durst's arrest was actually not connected to HBO's 'The Jinx'

Marcus Baram   

The LAPD insists Robert Durst's arrest was actually not connected to HBO's 'The Jinx'
Entertainment2 min read

andrew jarecki robert durst

Courtesy of HBO

The dramatic arrest of infamous real-estate scion Robert Durst on the same weekend as the finale of the HBO documentary series about him is raising plenty of questions and creating plenty of its own drama.

For one, despite numerous reports that law enforcement had prior access to recordings of "The Jinx," the Los Angeles Police Department insists that Durst's arrest in New Orleans as part of a homicide investigation into the death of his friend Susan Berman is not related to the documentary.

"We based our actions based on the investigation and the evidence," said LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese, per the Los Angeles Times. "We didn't base anything we did on the HBO series. The arrest was made as a result of the investigative efforts and at a time that we believe it was needed."

Second, the timing of the documentary's "hot mic" audio recording, in which Durst says, ""What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course," may not be admissible in court, according to legal experts. Since that comment was recorded during a break in filming when Durst went to the bathroom, Durst "had an expectation of privacy," lawyers told The New York Times.

Third, the timing of that apparent confession has come under scrutiny. The documentary's director, Andrew Jarecki, told GMA that it was recorded three years ago and told CBS This Morning that the comment was found a few months later. But the New York Times reported that it wasn't unearthed until two years after the recording.

Amid all of the media attention, Jarecki abruptly canceled TV appearances scheduled for Monday night on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes" and the "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Later, he and "Jinx" producer Marc Smerling released a statement explaining the cancellations:

"Given that we are likely to be called as witnesses in any case law enforcement may decide to bring against Robert Durst, it is not appropriate for us to comment further on these pending matters."

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