Kriti Mehrotra
Although often described as Robert Durst’s “girlfriend, pen pal, or girl Friday,” the truth is Susan “Susie” Giordano has almost always primarily been just his close friend, confidant, and constant. This much has actually even been indicated in HBO’s ‘The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst’ plus ‘The Jinx: Part Two,’ a true crime documentary delving deep into this titular figure’s ordeals. After all, despite the fact he has been accused of being behind a disappearance and two brutal homicides, she comes to his defense at every step of the way while also indicating the feelings are platonic.
Who is Susie Giordano?
It was back when Susie was merely 20 and kickstarting her career that she first came across renowned real estate heir Robert Durst through her boss, just for them to continue their connection. According to the aforementioned original, she was the latter’s best friend’s assistant, but she couldn’t deny his charm, driving her to “mix business with pleasure” despite knowing that’s never good. On the flip side, her former boss, Nick “Chigga” Chavin painted her as kind of a gold digger by stating she’d essentially begged him to introduce her to some of his rich friends and that she’d make it worth their while. Whatever the case may be, this then-advertising newbie was definitely enamored by Robert, and the feelings were mutual.
That’s because as time passed by, Susie and Robert remained in close touch, which is why she went as far as to state she believes “he has a lot of love to give,” but he does not get a chance. However, if we’re being honest, her opinion of him does get a little dubious once it comes to light she not only doesn’t mind his past actions but was also ready to assist him get away from them for good. We can confidently state this because when Robert was arrested by the FBI for good in 2015, it turned out he had a UPS package on the way, one sent by her containing over $115,000.
Susie later testified she’d just been following his instructions and that she had no idea she was sending him this much money, but it is believed she had to have had some clue. Per her narrative, when he’d called and instructed her to go to his place, grab the red suitcase, and stuff it with clothes, shoes, etc. he might need, she did so without any questions – she asserted it never even came to her mind that he was planning to flee the country, but he was. According to the authorities, he was collecting cash as well as his belongings so that he could fly to Cuba as soon as possible, especially since there was no extradition treaty between Cuba and the US.
Where is Susie Giordano Now?
Though Susie did get questioned by authorities a lot, her connection with Robert apparently didn’t waver until the very end, until he passed away at 78 from a cardiac arrest on January 22, 2022. We state this because he unabashedly flirted with her whenever she came to visit or on video calls, plus he sent her more than $300,000 within days of his arrest as a gift, all for her help along the way. Moreover, he spoke of sending her another $150,000 so that she could build a “lovers nest” for them, a place where they could happily spend the rest of their days if he wasn’t found guilty, but he was.
As for Susie’s current standing, it appears as if she prefers to lead a quiet life well away from the limelight these days, preferring to keep her late friend’s memories alive in her heart. They did say “I love you” to one another often, and she did assert they both deserved a happy ending, but she still maintained her relationship with Robert wasn’t romantic. “It was platonic,” she told an officer during an early interrogation, per the series. “It stayed platonic. And then he was with [his second wife Debrah Lee Charatan] Debbie.”
Read More: Stewart and Emily Altman: Where Are Robert Durst’s Friends Now?
