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I grew up in San Diego and was a child when this happened. I don't remember much about it besides it being a huge story (of course) and that my mother was very unsympathetic to her cause. I believe that stuck with me mainly because my mother will tend to always take the woman's side.
I think the bottom line here is how people treat others - now if Dan had treated her a bit better and not been the master manipulator, this end result would not have been.
I have not read the books about her story but it sounds like he knew which buttons to push and he did that.
You have to look at his motivation also - was he just happy to have the younger wife or was he so intent on wrecking her life?
There's no way I condone murder or harming someone but there were many red flags in her behavior - someone should have seen to it that she got some help.
Example: Burning his clothes - right there, someone should have been called in.
I think the bottom line here is how people treat others - now if Dan had treated her a bit better and not been the master manipulator, this end result would not have been.
Betty Broderick was on a misson, played games at her childrens expense and it backfired.
When she burnt his clothes, that was a call for help. Where was the intervention?
I think the movie 'She Devil', with Roseanne Barr, Ed Begley and Meryl Streep, though meant purely for humor, exemplifies her state of mind and behaviors.
If the situation were reversed and this had been a man murdering his ex-wife and her new husband, there would be no sympathy.
She, from what I read devoted the early part of her marriage to getting Dan his education, at first he was a professional student and attempted Med school while she paid for it and worked; I will find the link but when they lived on te East Coast apparently Betty worked full time and paid his sizeable tuition and medical and law school.
Granted her actions in the end can only be her responsiblity BUT imo he pushed her to the limit, and apparently that Linda person was no innocent rose either, they called her names at the law office, she got promoted from sleeping with Dan, etc....(she was a receptionist, and promoted over paralegals who attended graduate school)
Nothing justifies murder but taunting and harassing an ex to the point of madness is what dan did. He should have had the grace to step away or get her mental health treatment. He could have taken the high road, but chose not to. Actions have consequences.
Dan was an attorney. He knew full well how divorce affects people, imo he was not a stupid man but his actions were just as at fault as Betty's.
Agree with all of this. There also is something called "Soul Murder"
Her life was completely defined by her husband's work and earlier, his education.
Unlike Kolkena, she had a Bachelor's degree. Conflicting reports say in Nursing or Teaching. She attended a then upscale college for woman.Someone such as Kolena, who bore a physical resemblance to the younger Betty,yet was an intellectual light weight, who had really never worked hard in her life, would have really infuriated Betty. And indeed she infuriated the office staff.
Being Dan's wife WAS a full time job.Not only did she bear him four children,the attendance at events centered around him, entertaining his clients, memberships in a private club in which only the husband is the official member left zero time for herself. She did pay for his tuition, at Harvard and Notre Dame. Dan could have selected state colleges, but he didn't. Education,was valued by both of them, but so was class.
The choice of Kolkena was a repudiation of everything that the Broderick were as a couple and a family.
He utilized a little known law to stretch out the divorce - and to make it seem as though she was going along with what was going on, when in fact, she had no idea that it was.
During this time, the house was sold out from under her. In some states for these reason's, everything a husband owns (and vice versa) is owned by the spouse. I am originally from NYS, their home state, and this fact is well known to anyone who has ever had a little money, been involved in a real estate transaction or set up a will in NYS knows that the spouse in that state is the recipient - is the spouse.
I think the Brodericks were fiercely upwardly mobile and probably BOTH narcissistic to some degree. There shared values of education as the source of wealth, and monitartary attainment, exclusion ( they sent their children to private school (when I am sure the public schools would have more than sufficed) and were member of a restricted country club.
They shared an obsession with achievement, luxury and elitism.
But the more that I think about it, Dan killed Betty when she chased Kolkena. At least from the point of view of the Brodericks.
Dan, as an attorney, did it legally.
I agree Sheena. Cant rep you again yet. There's alot more to this story than the LMN movie which portrayed Dan as an innocent lamb. (plus Stephen Collins the attractive actor who also plays a Minister on "Seventh Heaven" tv series)
The more I think about it, its been awhile since I saw those films which portray Judith Ivey as a no- nonsense prosecutor reaming Betty, it seems like over-compensation, trying to prove Betty as a raging lunatic while Dan and Linda merely got on with their lives.
From books I have read, this was not the case, Linda was a known "loose" (to put it nicely) person at the office, and rubbed Betty's face in this anythime she could, as did Dan.
I will have to read that new book, because there was psychological abuse which could have set Betty off the deep end, again not justifying her action but she may have not been in her right mind after all the emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is covert, takes years to build up, and often results in a lashing out when the spouse finally breaks down.
Most states now require "equitable distribution" especially in metro NY area as the assts can be considerable. But if the spouse owned considerable assets BEFORE the marriage, these can be exempt (i.e. the husband or wife gets to keep their house if it was already paid off prior to marriage.)
This was NOT the case here, clearly Betty paid Dan's medical and law school tuition, under todays divorce statutes she would have been entitled to "future earnings" maintenance/alimony, as she helped him attain his professional credentials.
Most states now require "equitable distribution" especially in metro NY area as the assts can be considerable. But if the spouse owned considerable assets BEFORE the marriage, these can be exempt (i.e. the husband or wife gets to keep their house if it was already paid off prior to marriage.)
This was NOT the case here, clearly Betty paid Dan's medical and law school tuition, under todays divorce statutes she would have been entitled to "future earnings" maintenance/alimony, as she helped him attain his professional credentials.
Agree again and I can't rep you either! What are some other good books about the subject? I read only one, and it's the most famous and I believe the one on which the Lifetome movoe was based.
Even in those, which are prett Dancentric, one could see that he was noy Mr nice guy by a long shot!
Here is a person who was at prelim. trial- he was not symapthetic to Dan:
Turns out that Lifetime movie I saw back in the '90's was scripted by the sad woman who prosecuted Betty Broderick (twice), and furthered her career by doing so; the 'honorable' Superior Court Judge Kerry Wells. Wow! No wonder Betty Broderick was portrayed so harshly in the 'made for TV' movie. Does anyone remember the Betty Broderick story? - Yahoo! Answers
Like most films it was made by a person in the system who was furthering her career by prosecuting.
True crime library.com sometimes had good updates, I am frankly surprised a new book isn't in progress given public interest in this case.
I think she was pushed over the edge no doubt about it... but in the end she murdered two people as they slept and she must pay the price!
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No winners
