Betty Broderick: How the chilling murderer begged boyfriend Bradley Wright for money in secret love letters
Betty Broderick became a household name after she murdered her ex-husband Daniel T Broderick III, and his second wife Linda Kolkena, the woman he had left her for, in November 1989. The bodies of Broderick and Kolkena were found inside their bedroom in their home upscale neighborhood in Hillcrest, San Diego, California Kolkena had been shot in the chest and head and Dan in his chest. It was Betty's boyfriend Bradley Wright who made the 911 call and told dispatchers, "Omg, something terrible has happened." He also said that the couple needed help fast.
Now some more details about Betty's "love" have come to light as secret letters of her begging Bradley for money and affection from behind the bars have been published for the first time.
Betty was a well-known socialite living a charmed life in San Diego with her husband 44-year-old Dan Broderick, a successful attorney. The couple had four children and lived in a lavish house. But soon their marriage fell apart after 17 years when Dan told Betty that he wanted a divorce her. Months later, he married his 28-year-old secretary, Linda, who many said looked like a younger version of his ex-wife. On November 5, 1989, Betty snuck into her ex-husband’s home carrying a Smith & Wesson revolver and open fire on him and Linda while they were on their bed. Two bullets hit Linda in the head and chest, killing her instantly; one bullet hit Dan in the chest. Betty who was 41-years-old when she committed the crime, never denied the killing but said she had been driven over the edge by years of physical and psychological abuse by her ex-husband.
Her trial took place in two parts — the first in 1990 and the second, a year later. When she was first tried, the trial ended in a hung jury. While Betty had tried to show that she had been a victim and was abused by Dan, a year later, she was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life, the maximum term. She was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.
Now after 31 years, DailyMail has published a set of love letters sent by the convicted criminal to her boyfriend Bradley, who she began dating before committing the murders. The never before published letters are dated from 2003 to 2006 and shed light on Betty's time in prison and her relationship with Bradley, who stayed in touch with his girlfriend and even sent her money well after her sentencing in 1991. The secret pile of love letters was found in a storage unit in San Diego, California, in October along with checks Bradley sent to Betty's daughter and money order receipts.
Betty was incarcerated at the California Institute for Women in Corona when she wrote these letters. In one letter, dated April 2006, she wrote: "If I had a penny for every time I think of you, I'd be a millionaire many times over. I was thinking of what I'm looking for in a man - since you are not available - well the list was a description of you! You're exactly the guy! Da**it." She also urged Bradley to leave his partner for her and encouraged him to 'sneak' away and visit her in prison. ''If you want to live in [unclear] with me, like you say you do, going back to Lisa is not how that's gonna happen. I can't believe you don't come here! It's been years! Now that she's back to work, maybe you can sneak away?''
A picture of a bride and groom was discovered with the secret stash of letters, suggesting that Bradley had moved on and married another woman despite the contact with his killer ex behind bars.
Betty even took it upon herself to dispense relationship advice to him and asked him to seek professional help in her letters from prison. "Sorry to hear your life is a mess. I don't want to come back to a mess,' she wrote. "Did you go to counselling? Whatever patterns you have will continue for better or worse. You know the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I should know!'' Betty continually begged Bradley for money in the letters. "Today is Sept 14 and I still don't have the August money,' she penned down in 2003, adding, "Please send me August and September - this place is stressful enough without stressing over the money every month."
Bradley financially supported Betty even when she was in prison by sending checks to her daughter Kathy Lee Broderick. Three checks - two for $2,000 and one for $1,000 - were tucked into the stash of letters as well as a logbook for funds that Bradley sent to Betty behind bars. The messages showed that Betty was scared that she was losing her hold on her lover and wrote that she even checked the obituaries when she didn't hear from him. She wrote: "I check the obits regularly - so far I have not seen yours. Where are you? and where is my money? Help!!! I need to see you - it's been too too long." In another letter, she wrote, "No Halloween card - Boo! No B'day card - No Thanksgiving - No Christmas - No Happy New Year. How about Valentine's Day??"
Betty's story was also portrayed by actress Meredith Baxter in the 1992 film, 'A Woman Scorned' for CBS, receiving an Emmy nomination for the role. The shocking double homicide even turned into a Netflix series this year, in which Christian Slater starred as Daniel and Amanda Peet as the jilted ex-wife turned killer Betty in 'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story.'