True Crime ‘Blood & Money’ Premieres With Robert Durst Susan Berman Murder Trial [Exclusive Clip]
Oxygen’s new true crime docuseries, Blood & Money premieres on March 7 and takes a deep dive into the murder trial of Susan Berman. Berman’s longtime friend, multimillionaire Robert Durst was accused of killing her.
In a sneak peek clip shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, LA County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin discusses recordings of witness testimonies in a courtroom to preview witness tampering, while building a case against Durst.
What is the Susan Berman / Robert Durst trial about?
Blood & Money opens with the story of Mafia royalty, writer Susan Berman, who made her living off her famous ties to the Las Vegas mob. Her father amassed a fortune working in the mob in the mid-20th century. But the money slowly dwindled when Berman inherited it after his death.
Berman was found dead from a gunshot to the back of her head in her home in tony Benedict Canyon, a stone’s throw from Beverly Hills. The suspect list seems endless. Until a handwritten note, a documentary, and a confession lead law enforcement straight to her longtime close friend, multimillionaire Robert Durst.
The scion of a New York real estate empire had already been tried and acquitted of one murder charge and was suspected in the murder of his wife decades earlier.
‘Blood & Money’ follows the Robert Durst trial
In a preview clip, retired investigator, Joseph Becerra explains the charges. “They charged Durst with special circumstance murder, meaning he killed a witness who is Susan Berman,” he said. “Who is going to be a witness in my murder case in New York.” That murder case was of Durst’s wife, Kathie McCormack Durst.
Lewin recounted some of the most damaging testimony from witnesses, along with footage provided for the docuseries. He begins with witness Miriam Barnes. Barnes lived in the same Manhattan area as Berman. Barnes and Berman were friends and when Durst’s wife disappeared, Berman went to Barnes and made a chilling statement.
“She said ‘I did something today and I did it for Bobby,'” Barnes recounted on the stand. “And then her next statement was, ‘If anything ever happened to me, Bobby did it.'”
Also, Hollywood producer Linda Post knew Berman for many years and produced her book. She too testified and became an important witness.
‘Blood & Money’ Season 1 features more explosive cases
Other true crime cases covered this season include those desperate to live the good life, silence a voice raising alarms or struggle to keep themselves out of arms’ reach of the law.
The murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in Beverly Hills, affluent socialite Irene Silverman, Las Vegas casino tycoon Ted Binion, and Sheila Bellush, the ex-wife of a successful medical device company CEO are among the cases that get a fresh perspective from the executive producer synonymous with captivating crime programming.
Blood & Money exposes the lengths disgruntled best friends, furious family members, jilted lovers, forlorn spouses, and grifting strangers will go for wealth. The new series draws inspiration from Executive Producer Dick Wolf’s hit series Law & Order.
Blood & Money premieres on Saturday, March 11 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on Oxygen.
