Betty Broderick, the California socialite convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his new wife in 1989, has died in prison at the age of 78. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Broderick died on May 8 at 3:40 a.m. local time while receiving medical care outside the California Institution for Women. The preliminary cause of death was determined to be natural, though the San Bernardino County Coroner will conduct further investigation.
Broderick was serving a sentence of 32 years to life with the possibility of parole after her 1991 conviction for two counts of second-degree murder and firearm enhancements. The case gained national attention due to its dramatic circumstances and inspired multiple books, films, and television adaptations.
Before the killings, Broderick and her husband, Daniel Broderick III, appeared to lead a prosperous life in the affluent La Jolla community. They married in 1969 and raised four children together. However, their marriage deteriorated in the 1980s when Betty suspected Dan was having an affair with Linda Kolkena, a former flight attendant who later became his legal assistant. Dan filed for divorce in 1985, leading to a bitter legal battle that included custody disputes and hostile exchanges.
The relationship between Betty and Dan further deteriorated as he began dating Kolkena, eventually marrying her in 1989. Betty reportedly left threatening messages on the couple's answering machine, prompting Dan to threaten legal action. On November 5, 1989, Betty entered the Marston Hills home shared by Dan and Kolkena and fired five shots from a .38-caliber revolver, three of which struck the sleeping couple. She turned herself in to police later that day and has been incarcerated since.