Robert Durst in a Scene from HBO’s The Jinx

Former ADA Kevin Hynes Also Says Durst Family Covered For Robert Durst, and Implies Prosecutor May Have Been Influenced to Stop Case From Going to Grand Jury

In an exclusive interview with Ron Bennington and Gail Bennington this week on SiriusXM’s “Bennington” Show, former Westchester County, New York assistant district attorney Kevin Hynes said that he believes the wealth and power of the Durst family caused a cover up in the investigation of Robert Durst for the murder of his wife Kathleen. His comments also seem to suggest that former prosecutor Jeanine Pirro may have had involvement in that cover up or at least may have been influenced by the Durst family.

Hynes, who appears in “The Jinx” directed by Andrew Jarecki, was the third-ranking member of the Westchester County DA’s office in 2001, when he was asked to reopen the 20 year old cold case of the murder of Robert Durst’s wife, Kathleen Durst.

The shocking and bizarre life of accused murderer Robert Durst has captivated the country since the mini-series “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” aired on HBO. Durst was connected to three murders in the HBO series– his wife Kathleen’s disappearance in 1982, the execution style murder of Durst’s good friend Susan Berman in California in 2000, and the 2001 murder of Durst’s neighbor in Texas. Durst only stood trial for one of these murders, and was not convicted of any of them. Just one day prior to the series’ stunning finale, the former New York City real estate mogul and socialite was arrested in New Orleans on charges of murder in the California homicide.

Hynes Believes A 2001 Meeting Between Durst Family Members and Jeanine Pirro Changed the Direction of the Case

How has Robert Durst dodged conviction time and time again? Here’s one possible reason. Hynes told hosts Ron Bennington and Gail Bennington, that when he retraced the original 1982 investigation, he realized a lot of evidence had been overlooked and several “red flags” had been ignored. He also felt that Durst’s family was involved in covering up a crime, or at least stonewalling the investigation.

Hynes said in 2001 that he was ready to call a grand jury and bring the whole Durst family in to be put on the witness stand, but that something that took place during a meeting between District Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Douglas Durst that changed those plans.

“There was a meeting between and it’s been reported– between Jeanine Pirro who was the District Attorney at the time, and Douglas Durst, the brother. And that meeting takes place around the time when we’re making the decision whether or not to go to the Grand Jury. And Murphy and I had presented the case to the District Attorney and her people and recommended that we go to the Grand Jury. “

“. . . After that meeting with Douglas Durst, and I don’t know what happened at that meeting –its been reported in the newspapers what Jeanine Pirro says happened, and it’s been reported what Douglas Durst says happened– but she came back and said keep digging you don’t have enough to go forward. And we thought that was strange.”

This led Hynes to doubt statements made by Douglas Durst in “The Jinx” mini-series, where he is seen fearing for his own life from his older brother. Kevin Hynes told Gail and Ron Bennington why he thought Douglas was lying.

“I mean look, I know that they covered. That they did not help at all in ’82. I know that when I was calling them to ask them to come in to talk to us, to help us, that they did not help us. And they had lawyers call us and tell us to stop. I know that at some point Jeanine Pirro and Douglas Durst had a meeting. And I was told that we can’t go to the grand jury yet. I mean to me…I mean to watch Douglas Durst now say, ‘Oh, I’m relieved that it’s happened. I’m relieved that my brother’s locked up.’ I mean bullshit. Bullshit. You could have locked him up in 2000 if you had told us the truth. Could have locked him up in ’82 if you told us the truth, in my view. Now, he’s going to say what he’s going to say. But he’s never helped the prosecution at all.”

Listen to the clips from the interview.

After the Douglas Durst-Jeanine Pirro meeting, plans to go to the Grand Jury were put off.

The Durst family covered up for Robert.

Hynes Said Jeanine Pirro Was Afraid Durst Was Going to Kill Her

In the trial in Galveston, Texas, far from Westchester County, New York, Jeanine Pirro was still having an impact on Robert Durst and his case. Hynes told Ron Bennington and Gail Bennington,”It was obvious from his testimony down in Texas later, that he was obsessed with the fact that he felt Jeanine Pirro was out to get him.” The obsession was so strong that Kevin Hynes claims it caused Jeanine Pirro to panic when Robert Durst was found not guilty in Texas. He said she called him and told him that she was terrified Durst was going to kill her.

“And I remember, I was coming from a friend’s funeral. A friend’s mother’s funeral. Back then it was beepers, right? My beeper goes off. 9-1-1. 9-1-1. So, I pull off to the side of the road. And I get on the phone and it’s Pirro. ‘They fucking acquitted him! They fucking acquitted him! He’s gonna come kill me now!!’ And there was this gun charge that they still had. And I’m like, ‘No, they’re not releasing him. Don’t worry.'”

Listen to a clip from the interview:

Pirro was afraid Durst would kill her.

The Los Angeles Case Against Robert Durst Will Be a “Rough Case” for the Prosecution

Hynes shared his thoughts about the murder charges Durst is facing in California for the murder of Susan Berman. Kevin Hynes said it will be a “rough case” for the prosecution and that Robert Durst’s high priced attorney Dick DeGuerin would prefer a jury trial in Los Angeles because he probably likes his chances. He also feels that much of the evidence featured in “The Jinx” mini-series may not hold up in a trial. Hynes believes it would be an “amazing trial”, but as he put it, prosecutors are dealing with a man from a wealthy and influential family that “beat the criminal justice system” before. Kevin Hynes feels “It makes the whole system look terrible”.

Kevin Hynes can be seen in the mini-series, “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst”. It’s available on HBO On Demand.