More than three decades after the shocking 1989 killings of her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena, Elisabeth “Betty” Broderick remains behind bars — still the subject of fascination, debate, and divided sympathy.
The Murders That Shook San Diego
On November 5, 1989, Betty entered the home of Dan and Linda Broderick and fatally shot them as they slept. The act followed years of escalating conflict over divorce proceedings, custody battles, and finances. The couple, once viewed as a picture-perfect San Diego family, had been married for 16 years and shared four children. Their relationship, however, had deteriorated amid accusations of infidelity and power struggles that played out publicly in court and the press.
From Housewife to Headline
Born in 1947 in Westchester County, New York, Betty was raised in a strict Catholic family and educated in parochial schools. After studying English and early childhood education at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, she met Dan Broderick at a Notre Dame football weekend. They married soon after college, and she supported Dan financially through his medical and then law degrees.
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When the family moved to San Diego, Dan rose quickly in the legal world, while Betty stayed home with their children. By the early 1980s, Dan’s success and his alleged affair with his assistant, Linda Kolkena, drove the marriage to collapse. The ensuing divorce, finalized in 1989, left Betty embittered and financially dependent on spousal support — an arrangement she later said symbolized Dan’s continued control.
The Crime and Its Aftermath
Just months after Dan and Linda’s wedding, Betty drove to their home early one morning. She later wrote that she was distraught over ongoing legal disputes and intended to confront Dan — but instead fired multiple shots into the couple’s bed, killing them both. She called her daughter afterward and surrendered to police.
During her trial, Betty admitted to the shootings but argued that she had been emotionally abused and driven to the edge. The first trial ended with a hung jury; the second, in 1991, found her guilty of two counts of second-degree murder. She was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 15 years to life, plus two years for illegal firearm use.
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Life in Prison and Parole Battles
Since 1992, Betty has been imprisoned at the California Institute for Women. She has been eligible for parole several times but denied each time. At her first hearing in 2010, she said she had “allowed the voices in [her] head to completely take over” after losing custody of her children. Two of her children supported her release, while others opposed it, describing her as still bitter and unwilling to take responsibility.
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In 2017, her parole was again denied. Prosecutors described her as “defiant” and “unrepentant,” claiming she continued to blame her victims rather than herself. Betty, however, insisted she was a victim of domestic abuse and coercive control, calling herself “a political prisoner” in a letter to Murder Made Me Famous producers.
What Comes Next
Now in her late 70s, Betty remains incarcerated. Her next parole hearing is scheduled for 2032, when she will be 84 years old. Whether she will ever be released remains uncertain — but her case continues to spark conversations about domestic abuse, power, and justice, decades after the night that changed everything.
