Betty Broderick, who was convicted in 1991 for the 1989 murders of her ex-husband, Daniel Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena Broderick, has died at the age of 78. She was serving a life sentence at the California Institution for Women in Corona, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The case gained national attention due to the bitter divorce and custody battle that preceded the killings. On November 5, 1989, Broderick entered the home of her ex-husband and his wife in San Diego and shot them both. She was found guilty of second-degree murder in 1991 and sentenced to 32 years to life.
Broderick's story inspired multiple television movies and books, including the series 'Dirty John' and the film 'A Woman Scorned.' Her defense argued that she was a victim of emotional abuse and a flawed legal system, but prosecutors portrayed her as a vengeful woman unable to accept the end of her marriage.
Her death was confirmed by prison officials on May 10, 2026. The cause of death has not been publicly released. She had been denied parole multiple times, most recently in 2022.
