Betty was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison in 1991 for the slayings of ex-husband Dan Broderick, 44, a well-known San Diego attorney, and his wife, Linda Kolkena Broderick, 28. It’s been 30 years since Betty Broderick was convicted of shooting her ex-husband and his younger new bride to death in their bedroom, but she won’t be getting out of prison any time soon. First off Meredith Baxter turns in a superb performance as Betty Broderick. She clearly was head and shoulders above all the others who had roles in this made for TV film. It is her and really her alone that makes this picture shine.
Why did Dan Broderick leave his daughter out of his will?
Lee Broderick
Dan reportedly amended his will before his death to exclude his second daughter from inheriting any of his fortune (though, it reportedly was due to her problems in school and with drugs, not because of Lee’s relationship with her mother).
The prosecution portrayed Broderick as a cold blooded murderer who planned to murder her ex-husband. By the time of Linda and Dan’s wedding in 1989, Broderick had already threatened to kill Dan at least once. The following year, the Brodericks moved out of the family home. Early was pleased, but he pointed out to the newspapers that had his defense not been quagmired he believed the jury’s decision would have been no more than manslaughter. Just because she couldn’t stop leaving those messages on his answering machine telling him what absolute scum both he and Linda were. At issue were child custody, cash advances paid to Betty by Dan over the four years of separation, property and alimony.
Pushed to the breaking point, Broderick acted, and two people wound up dead. Their daughters, Kimberly and Lee, were born while Dan was in graduate school on the East Coast—he had degrees from Cornell Medical School and Harvard Law School. More than once during Rhett’s childhood, he was sent to live with family relatives or in boot camps for troubled kids. Soon after their mother was arrested, Betty Broderick Rhett, then 13, and Daniel, 15, moved in with Kathy Broderick, their uncle Larry Broderick’s ex-wife, who lived in Colorado. In the 30 years since the murders happened, the couple’s kids have grown up and married and even remain close to each other. Based on her Facebook, Kim, Lee, and Rhett reside near each other in Idaho—yet they are mainly divided about their mother’s fortune.
In November 1989, Kim Broderick’s mother Betty Broderick shot and killed her ex
Asked at Thursday’s hearing why she then didn’t commit suicide, as she said she’d planned to, Broderick responded, “I didn’t have any bullets.” One month before Dan was to marry Linda, claiming the need for protection as she was now living alone as a single woman, Betty bought a Smith & Wesson revolver. She took shooting lessons and, by some accounts, carried the gun with her most of the time and made threats to shoot Dan. On April 22, 1989, ten days after what would have been Dan and Betty’s 20th anniversary, Dan and Linda were married. Betty attended and later graduated from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a small Catholic women’s college in Riverdale, New York. I am not sure this qualifies as a book but rather it seems to be more of a pamphlet.
Who got Dan Broderick’s money?
He left his fortune to all of his kids but one.
At the time of his death, Daniel Broderick III had four children with his ex-wife — Lee, Kimberly, Daniel IV, and Rhett Broderick. His will implicitly stated that his estate be divided equally between all of his children, except for Lee Broderick.
It apparently did not withstand the test of time as she went before the parole board. Hindsight tends to paint a sharper — and harsher — picture. “I allowed the voices in my head to completely take over,” Broderick told the parole board. “I took the lives of two wonderful people who were loved by many.” Betty Broderick is serving out her sentence at the California Institution for Women , in Corona, California. In January 2010, her first request for parole was denied by the Board of Parole Hearings because she did not show remorse and did not acknowledge wrongdoing.
She attended private schools and enjoyed luxurious vacations with her family, but then, her parents Dan and Betty Broderick divorced in a separation that became a nightmare. The series depicts Betty being entirely alone following her split from Dan and their divorce but this was not the case. What occurred afterwards was years of a messy divorce on both sides and an emotional custody battle, which saw Dan win sole custody of four children, which ultimately devastated Betty. As a culture editor at Oprah Daily, Elena covers the latest in books, movies, TV, pop culture, and the ever-expanding world of streaming.
Daniel Jr Broderick
Just a passing fancy at a party, Betty thought, who would never cross Dan’s path again. But, as the Broderick bankroll piled, the Broderick marriage began to dissolve. That Betty began to feel second place to his career might have been manageable to her, but she noticed that his interest in her waned. Once on a family vacation, a fight erupted when he spent more time in the hotel bar than with her and the children. Where most families’ troubles might stem from a lack of money to live the life they want, in the Broderick’s case many arguments generated from how to spend the money.
Betty Broderick was receiving $9,036 a month in spousal support, but the Los Angeles Times reported that she still continued to harass her ex. Betty Broderick was reportedly plagued with anger issues throughout her marriage. Her daughter, Kim Broderick, told the Los Angeles Times that her mother would constantly become angry with her father and lock him out of the house.
Worse, she sensed that he was trying to purposely antagonize the situation. In bed, she would hear him muttering Linda’s name over and over, as if dreaming of her – but, she could tell, he was not asleep, merely pretending. Meaning to surprise him, Betty showed up at his office unannounced, toting a bottle of champagne and a dozen roses. A sullen-faced secretary told her that her husband was out, but she wasn’t sure where. Linda Kolkena’s office, next to Dan’s, was empty too, Betty noticed.