Robert Durst pleads not guilty to 2000 murder in LA court

(FOX 11) - A frail looking Robert Durst was rolled into the courtroom Monday in a wheelchair wearing a neck-brace. It was his first opportunity to go before the Los Angeles judge who will likely preside over his murder trial.

Durst, wearing a blue and white striped shirt and glasses, took a moment to proclaim his innocence in open court.

"I'm not guilty... I did not kill Susan Berman," said Durst.

It was a much different story during the HBO documentary "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst," when he was recorded muttering an apparent confession.

The bizarre story goes back to 1982 when his first wife Kathleen went missing.

Durst is charged with the 2000 shooting death of his friend Susan Berman just before she was about to be questioned about Kathleen's disappearance. On Friday, he was extradited to Los Angeles from Louisiana where he was serving time on a weapons charge. He now faces a murder charge with a special circumstance, murder of a witness while lying in wait, and gun charges.

However, prosecutors say they will not pursue the death penalty.

Outside, after the proceeding in which the real estate heir waived his right to a speedy trial, his attorney told reporters his client has been waiting for a year and-a-half to have his day in court.

Both sides agreed on putting off the preliminary hearing date until at least Feb. 15, 2017.

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