Linda Kolkena’s pal Dan Broderick speaks out in a documentary about terrible murders: Betty Broderick’s ‘control’ was lost
Linda kolkena : Spencer Busby has always wondered what would have happened if his friend Dan Broderick and his new spouse Linda Kolkena hadn’t gotten married.
Broderick’s ex-wife Betty Broderick shot and killed the successful attorney, 44, and his legal assistant, 28, in 1989.
The socialite broke into his home in San Diego, California, with their daughter’s key and a Smith & Wesson pistol.
She then opened fire on a sleeping couple in their bed. Kolkena was shot twice in the head and chest, killing her instantaneously, according to People magazine.
Broderick’s chest was pierced by one bullet. He died not long after that.
The tragic killings garnered headlines and were the subject of two TV dramas, “A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story” and “Her Final Fury,” both starring Meredith Baxter, that were released in 1992.
The historic case was resurrected three decades later in the dramatised USA series “Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story,” which aired its finale Tuesday night and starred Amanda Peet and Christian Slater.
Oxygen’s long-running true crime docu-series “Snapped” will delve more into the slayings on Wednesday night.
It will include interviews with Broderick family friends, as well as former cop Terry Degelder and Betty’s lawyer Jack Farley.
Busby, who was friends with Broderick and Kolkena, took part in the special as well.
Busby told Fox News that Dan was ready to move on with his life. “His marriage to Linda was a clear indication that he intended to begin a new chapter in his life.
And he was split between two options. He had been married to Betty for about 16 years, so they had a lot of history together.
And he did not make his decision to move forward with his life on the spur of the moment.
He was devoted to his family. However, he desired to assist in the improvement of his children’s position.
And Betty’s situation was only getting worse.”
“I guess I could understand some of the emotions Betty had, having that lengthy marriage, investing in that relationship,” he continued.
“However, you just cannot condone such behaviour. With a pistol, you can’t enter someone’s home and expect them to talk to you.”
People stated that Broderick met Betty Bisceglia, a freshman at Mount Saint Vincent College, while he was a senior at Notre Dame in 1965, just before the slayings.
Broderick was a medical student at Cornell at the time, and the pair married in 1969.
Broderick, who had a Harvard legal degree as well as a medical degree, established his own medical-malpractice law business ten years later, according to the outlet.
Despite appearing to have achieved the American ideal, Betty resented Broderick’s attention on his work at the expense of her and their children.
Betty suspected her husband of having an affair with Kolkena, his newly recruited legal assistant, in 1983, when the marriage was dissolving.
Over the years, some have claimed that Kolkena resembled a much younger Betty.
Betty was going to surprise Broderick for his birthday at his office when she spotted the ruins of a party.
She went home and built a bonfire using her husband’s clothes when the receptionist informed her that Broderick and Kolkena had gone out for the day.
Broderick didn’t file for divorce until 1985, and it was a long time coming.
Their ugly divorce, however, became a local legend over the course of nearly five years, according to E! News. He married Kolkena in 1989.
Busby said, “From my experience, I would describe their relationship as one of love.”
“He was completely enthralled by her. Yes, she was lovely, but she was also quite amusing.
Her sense of humour was nasty. Dan was a quiet, controlled individual in general.
Within the community, he was well-liked and respected.”
He went on to say, “He would sometimes open up when we were drinking cocktails, but he was a very private person.”
“Linda was friendly and amusing. That was my memory of her. However, if you saw them together, you could see they had a true bond.
Many things have been said about them, but after you get to know them, you’ll see that those remarks were unjust.”
Busby claimed that the couple rarely mentioned Betty and that he believed they were “embarrassed” by the ongoing feud.
“Dan was attempting to figure out how to deal with Betty’s refusal to let go,” he explained.
“As a lawyer, he was taught to defer to the legal system. It was, however, a battle. She would leave angry messages for the kids, complete with curse language.
For the sake of her children, I suppose he hoped she would move on as well.”
Busby claimed he was taken aback when he learned of the couple’s murder.
“I was taken aback,” he said. “Everyone constantly said Dan needed to be careful, but I felt particularly sorry for Linda.
She was a young woman with her entire life ahead of her. However, she found herself caught in the thick of a crossfire that she couldn’t escape. You never want to imagine someone could be so enraged.”
Betty was 41 years old when she shot her husband and his six-month-old wife.
Betty has never denied the murder, but has claimed that she was pushed to it by years of physical and psychological abuse from Broderick, which continued even after their divorce.
According to People, she was found guilty of two charges of second-degree murder and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.
Betty, who is now 72 years old, is incarcerated in the California Institute for Women.
Her request for parole was refused in 2017. She won’t be eligible for release again until she’s 84 years old in 2032.
Betty penned a four-page handwritten letter to Katie Dunn, the producer of “Murder Made Me Famous,” in which she conveyed her dissatisfaction with her continued incarceration.
Betty wrote at the time, as reported by People, “I have no one to speak for me.”
“This was a case of domestic violence: a pattern of coercive control that lasted from the beginning of my marriage until the day I murdered them…
Now I’m just a political detainee. They have no grounds to refuse my request for parole.”
According to Busby, there are no winners in this tragic storey. And he hopes that’s the only takeaway from the upcoming show for fans.
“You know, no one is perfect,” Busby added. “However, they deserved the chance to have a family.
It was cut short, which is a tragedy. After the divorce, Betty could have made a new start and found happiness.
She had lost control in this situation. The children, on the other hand, are the ones who have suffered the most.
They had both of their parents pass away. That’s quite sad. So much else could have happened in this situation. “There are no winners in this game.”
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