Robert Durst's 'Crime Family' Helped Him Cover Up Wife's Murder, Lawsuit Alleges

LOS ANGELES, CA — Robert Durst's father and other members of his “crime family” helped cover up the alleged murder of his first wife Kathie, according to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan by her family.

Kathie Durst disappeared in 1982, and has not been seen since.

The lawsuit alleges that Kathie had planned to expose the Durst family's illegal business dealings, according to the wrongful death suit.

The New York Post reports that the lawsuit, which was filed by Kathie's sister Carol Bamonte, claims that Seymour Durst told his son Robert that his wife “was a threat to the family’s business and directed Durst to take care of this problem."

The suit claims that after Kathie disappeared, Seymour and others linked to the Durst Organization “conspired to protect [Robert] Durst and The Durst Organization from any connection to Kathie’s disappearance and murder" and are "accessories after the fact."

The lawsuit also alleges that Seymour and others helped Durst "establish a false alibi" — avoiding arrest — as well as conspiring to smear Kathie's name in the press by repeatedly referring to her as a "runaway wife." The lawsuit seeks unspecified cash damages.

“The accusations are fiction, and this is a lawyer’s attempt to make a buck,” Durst family spokesman Jordan Barowitz said in response. “Unfortunately, Robert’s mendacity has left a trail of heartbreak, grief, and broken lives.”

Robert is scheduled to stand trial this year in Los Angeles for the murder of his friend Susan Berman in 2000. Prosecutors in the case claim that Durst killed Berman because she had information about his involvement in Kathie's murder.

Read more: New York Post