Betty Broderick Biography (1947–)

  After Betty Broderick killed her ex-husband and his new wife on November 5, 1989, many debated whether she had been pushed beyond the bounds of her mental tolerance or driven by revenge.

  Who is Betty Broderick ?

  On November 5, 1989, Betty Broderick 41, of San Diego, California, shot and killed her ex-husband and his new wife.  This crime, which preceded the bitter divorce, soon aroused nationwide interest.  Some were sympathetic to Betty Broderick's position as the first wife left behind by a younger woman, while others felt that Betty Broderick had persecuted her before killing his ex and new wife.  The first trial against Betty Broderick endedin a miscarriage of justice, but a second trial in 1991 found him guilty of second-degree murder.  His applications for parole were denied in 2010 and 2017.  Betty Broderick's story is suitable for programs that include television movies and programs. Series Dirty John: The Betty Broderick's story.

  Early life

  Betty Broderick was born on November 7, 1947, as Elizabeth Anne Pisceclia.  He grew up with five other siblings in Eastchester, New York.  As a 17-year-old first-year student at Mount St. Vincent's College, he traveled to the University of Notre Dame in 1965 to watch a football game.  There he met Daniel "Don" Betty Broderick

 III, and later Notre Dame Sr.

  The couple were married on April 12, 1969.  After Dan completed his studies at Harvard Law, he, Betty Broderick and their two daughters emigrated to San Diego in 1973.

  Divorce

  For Betty Broderick , the appointment of her husband Linda Colcena as her assistant marked a turning point in her marriage.  By 1983 he was suspected of an affair.  When she believed these suspicions were confirmed, she took Dan's clothes to their yard to be set on fire.  Divorced from Don Betty Broderick in February 1985, he left her in a rented house when they returned to their home in La Jolla, part of San Diego.  She filed for divorce in September 1985.

  During and after the controversial divorce proceedings, Betty Broderick made death threats in violation of restraining orders.  She once went to her husband’s house and painted the spray walls, and on another occasion, painted a cream pie on Dan’s things.  In her view she had no choice but to use her professional knowledge and contacts - because she was president of the San Diego Bar Association - to the detriment of her interests.  Dan received full custody of their children and was able to sell the family home against Betty Broderick's wishes thanks to a court order.

  Following the home sale, Betty Broderick drove his car into the front door of Dan's new home, resulting in a three-day mood swings.  He often left messages full of slander, and later explained that it was a reaction to hearing the voice in the answering machine when Linda called to talk to her sons.

  He tried to control Don Broderick's behavior by the support he gave her.  He was fined $ 100 for misconduct, $ 100 for using pornography or $ 500 for breaking into his home.

  The divorce took place in 1986, despite ongoing controversy over custody and alimony.  Betty Broderick

 received 000 16,000 support per month, but as a former socialist she realized that this was not enough for her expenses.  At one point, she said, "I have nothing to live for."

  Murder of her ex-husband and his new wife

  On the morning of November 5, 1989, Betty Broderick

visited Dan and Linda's home in San Diego.  Using the key that belonged to his daughter, Betty Broderick entered the house and went to the bedroom, where Dan and Linda were still in bed.  Betty Broderickfired five bullets from his revolver.  Two attacked Linda, who died immediately, and one attacked Dan.

  In an interview with The Los Angeles Times after Betty Broderick,Dan said, "Well, well, you got me" after he was shot.  "He was on the floor, and the phone was next to him. I thought, 'Oh, my God! He's going to be on that phone before I go down the stairs.'  To prevent this, Betty Broderick pulled the telephone cord out of the wall before he died.

  Betty Broderick never denied killing Dan and Linda, however, said he had entered their home and wanted to confront them about current legal issues, after which he wanted to commit suicide.  On Betty Broderick's account, she was startled when Dan moved the phone to call the police and pulled the trigger.  She had no bullets to kill herself.

  Trial and punishment

  Following the killings, Betty Broderick was charged with murder.  The first proceedings ended in a misdemeanor trial in November 1990, when the judges could not find a solution between sentencing the perpetrators on murder or murder charges.  However, Betty Broderick's claims that he was the victim of abuse and manipulation did not keep the arbitral tribunal in its second hearing since the December 1991 trial found two culprits in the second murder case.

  Betty Broderick was sentenced to 32 years in prison and sent to prison.  He qualified for parole in 2010, but this was not recognized.  At that time a parole commissioner told her, "Your heart is still bitter, you are still angry."  Betty Broderick was again denied parole in 2017.  After this he wrote, "I have met all the criteria for parole, my release date is 2010. Now I am only a political prisoner. They have no reason to deny my parole."

Betty Broderick's next parole review is due in 2032, although he may qualify for a previous trial if he meets requirements such as good behavior.

  Betty Broderick's supporters condemned the killings, but she felt she had been abused by her husband.  She supported him and their young family when he graduated from Cornell University Medical School and went to Harvard Law School, and he was on the sidelines as he established himself as a medical malpractice lawyer.  While Dan's legal career was flourishing with a million dollars in income, he left his first wife for a younger woman, and Betty Broderick lost the luxurious lifestyle they both had to work for.Betty Broderick's opponents believed he would be tortured before he and his new wife were killed.

  Movies, TV shows and books

  The killings drew immediate attention as Betty Broderick's trials were broadcast on Court TV.  She promoted two popular television films in the early 1990s: A Woman's Scorpion: The Betty Broderick

 Story and Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick,The Last Chapter.  Oprah Winfrey interviewed Betty Broderick for her talk show.  Many books have been written about Betty Broderick and his activities.  In 2020, the Snap and Dirty John: The Box Protestant Story series revisited the Betty Broderick case.

  Children

  Betty Broderick and Dan had four children: daughters Kim (b. 1970) and Lee (b. 1971), and sons Daniel IV (b. 1976) and Red (b. 1979).  After Betty Broderick

Betty Broderick killed her ex-husband, the two youngest children ended up in the care of their paternal uncle's ex-wife (by which time her daughters were legal adults).

  While in prison, Betty Broderick was in contact with his children.  "She's a good woman," Red said on Oprah's 20th anniversary follow-up show in 2005.  "Everyone here will love her ... if they talk to her on any topic other than my dad."

Betty Broderickt's two children supported his release on parole in 2010, while others opposed his release from prison.