His defence lawyers have repeatedly tried to block testimony from forensic document examiners who say the handwriting on the note matches Durst's. The judge in the case also rejected the lawyers' attempt to identify Berman's personal manager as the author of the note and the killer. Then, in a court document filed on Christmas Eve, the lawyers suddenly reversed course, acknowledging that Durst was the author of the note.

It is the first time that either Durst or his lawyers have conceded that he was in Berman's home, or even in Los Angeles, around the time that someone put a 9mm handgun to the back of her head and fired, killing her instantly. But they continue to deny that Durst, a millionaire who will turn 77 during the trial, was involved in her murder.

"Bob didn't kill Susan Berman, and he doesn't know who did," said Dick DeGuerin, Durst's lead defence lawyer, in an interview.

Durst has been in jail since 2015, when he was arrested in New Orleans and charged with Berman's murder just hours before the final episode of The Jinx aired on HBO. The authorities said they suspected that he was about to flee the country.