‘The Jinx – Part 2’: The Most Shocking Episode 1 Moments
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The Jinx — Part 2 Episode 1.]
The Jinx – Part 2 reveals what happened after Robert Durst‘s stunning confession to three murders. In the Season 1 finale, which aired in 2015, Durst said, “Killed them all, of course,” in a private moment on a hot mic. The confession led to his arrest, the aftermath of which is documented in Part 2 Episode 1, which premiered Sunday, April 21 on HBO.
The first episode The Jinx – Part 2 presents two noteworthy moments — one that’s a shocking development that came from Durst’s first murder trial which saw him acquitted, and the other was a compelling, meta scene where viewers got to see the family of Durst’s murdered first wife, Kathleen McCormack, real-time reaction to his on-air confession.
Here’s how each moment went down.
A Juror From Durst’s First Murder Trial Helped Him Evade Arrest in 2015
Durst agreed to interviews for The Jinx Season 1, but declined for Season 2 following his arrest. That arrest is depicted in the first episode; the footage shown is from interrogation recordings in New Orleans (where the FBI arrested the fugitive real estate mogul) and calls from prison.
Chris Lovell was one of the jurors in Durst’s 2003 trial during which he was acquitted for the murder of his neighbor, Morris Black, despite admitting to chopping up Black’s body. Lovell participated in The Jinx Season 1, which revealed that Lovell befriended Durst after the trial, seemingly inspired by Durst’s success.
Part 2 Episode 1 reveals that their friendship continued for years, with their closeness resulting in Lovell’s wife being hired by Durst as an assistant. She would clean his Houston apartment weekly, and security footage in the episode reveals that the Lovells helped clear Durst’s apartment of evidence the day he fled to New Orleans.
On his way to NOLA, Durst withdrew thousands of dollars in cash from banks, drawing around $9,000 each time to make avoid the bank alert that would be caused by a $10,000 withdrawal. He got to New Orleans with around $40,000 in cash, a revolver, an expensive and realistic (enough) latex max, and a map of Cuba. He told Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin during an interrogation in Louisiana that he thought about fleeing to Cuba and wearing that mask to conceal his identity, as The Jinx had made him instantly recognizable. He ultimately didn’t believe he would actually be arrested.
Episode 1 Shows Kathleen McCormack’s Family’s Live Reaction to “Killed Them All, of Course”
Durst’s arrest took place on Saturday, April 15, 2015, one day before The Jinx finale premiered. The arrest sent shockwaves across America, as it became clear that The Jinx is what got him arrested. The April 16 finale was a TV viewing event not to be missed, and director Andrew Jarecki set up a watch party for those personally connected to McCormack’s death.
McCormack’s family — Jim McCormack, Sharon McCormack, and Liz McCormack — are sitting front and center at the watch party (see above). A stunned silence washes across the room after Durst’s confession, followed by smiles and embraces after finally hearing the truth after so many years of questions. Durst murdered McCormack in 1982. Her body has never been found.
This season on The Jinx — Part 2, Jarecki and his team reveal their findings from eight years of investigation following the end of Season 1, uncovering hidden material, Durst’s prison calls, and interviews with witnesses who had not come forward until now.
The Jinx — Part 2, Sundays, 10/9c, HBO
