Robert Durst pleads guilty to gun charge ahead of murder trial

Durst was the focus of HBO's "The Jinx"

Robert Durst, focus of HBO's series "The Jinx", has pleaded guilty to gun charges in New Orleans federal court. (Getty Images)

Robert Durst, the millionaire at the center of HBO's hit series "The Jinx," pleaded guilty on Wednesday to illegally possessing a handgun. Durst admitted guilt as part of a plea bargain that puts him behind bars for 85 months, accroding to a report from the New York Times.

The plea also opens the door for Durst's murder trial in Los Angeles for the death of Susan Berman. He must be charged in an L.A. court by Aug. 18.

"The Jinx" introduced many in the United States to Durst, who is suspected of killing Ms. Berman and his former wife Kathleen, who disappeared in 1982. He also was acquitted in 2003 in the death of a neighbor in Galveston, Texas, claiming self defence.

Many have speculated that Durst killed Ms. Berman because she knew about the disappearance of his former wife. Durst's lawyers have rejected this.

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