Betty Broderick, convicted in 1989 killings of ex-husband and his new wife, dies aged 78 | California
Betty Broderick, who became famous for killing her ex-husband and his new wife in 1989 in a case that shocked the country and inspired movies and books, has died at the age of 78 while still serving a life sentence.
Representatives from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, NBC News He said Elizabeth A Broderick was transferred from a California prison to a medical center on April 18. He died the following Friday.
According to NBC, the medical examiner’s office initially determined the cause of death to be natural causes, but the San Bernardino County coroner will conduct a formal investigation.
Broderick became nationally known for fatally shooting her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena, on November 5, 1989. In 1991, he was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with their deaths and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.
Betty and Dan Broderick married in 1969 and had four children. In the early 1980s, Dan began a relationship with former flight attendant Kolkena, whom he hired as a legal assistant as his marriage to Betty deteriorated.
Although Dan denied the affair when Betty first suspected it, he later broke up with her and filed for divorce in 1985. Their divorce proceedings involved disagreements over the sale of the family residence and determining custody arrangements for their four children. Dan eventually gained custody, while Betty retained visitation rights.
The fatal shooting occurred Sunday morning after Betty Broderick received a letter from her ex-husband’s attorney warning him that he could face contempt of court charges if he continued to harass and threaten her ex-husband and his wife. During his trial, he testified that the letter ignited his anger “like a fuse.”
Broderick then went to the Hillcrest home and broke in using the key he had received from his daughter weeks earlier. He quietly crept up the stairs to his bedroom and opened fire on Dan and Linda Broderick with a .38-caliber pistol. Both victims were shot three times and died from their injuries.
In February 1992, Broderick moved to the California Institute for Women. He was reportedly serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole at the time of his death.
Rhett Broderick, the youngest of the couple’s four children, said: San Diego Union Tribune He said his mother fell in prison a few weeks ago and broke some of her ribs. He said he developed an infection that later turned into sepsis, from which he was unable to recover.
He also said that he and his two siblings went to Chino and spent time with their mother before she died. “Three of her children passed away from natural causes while she was at her bedside, and the other one was using FaceTiming,” she said, adding: “We were all able to come and be with her.”
