New York: Millionaire real estate scion Robert Durst has been charged in suburban New York City with the death of his former wife, Kathie Durst, who vanished in 1982, authorities have confirmed.

A state police investigator filed a criminal complaint on Tuesday at a town court in Lewisboro, New York, accusing Durst of second-degree murder.

The action wasn’t announced at the time by any law enforcement officials or Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah, who recently convened a grand jury to consider charges.

“The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office can confirm that a complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst was filed in Lewisboro Town Court on October 19, 2021. We have no further comment at this time,” her office said in a statement on Friday (Saturday AEDT).

The grand jury was empanelled last week and has started hearing witness testimony, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press this week. The person was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter and did so on condition of anonymity.

The grand jury process had been expected to take several weeks.

A message seeking comment was left with for Durst’s lawyer and Kathie Durst’s family.

Robert Durst, 78, was sentenced last week to life in prison without parole for murdering a confidante whom prosecutors say helped him cover up Kathie Durst’s killing. Los Angeles prosecutors say Durst shot Susan Berman in 2000 as she was preparing to confess her role to police.