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The Murder Of Linda Kolkena, a Bride Killed By Her husband’s Ex-Wife
Linda Kolkena and LDan Broderick were fatally shot by his ex-wife Betty Broderick in a fit of jealous anger, they were a happy young couple.
While serving as Dan Broderick’s secretary at his San Diego law practice in 1983, Linda Kolkena, an aspirant housewife and mother, fell in love.
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Inside Dan Broderick And Linda Kolkena’s Relationship
Linda Kolkena was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 26, 1961, as the fourth of four sisters. Danish immigrants who had come to the United States in the 1950s raised them as Catholics.
When Kolkena’s mother passed away from cancer when she was 11 years old, her father soon remarried. Maggie Seats, Kolkena’s older sister, described how they prayed before each meal.
The Kolkena girls were taught that they just needed a high school education because they were raised to be housewives.
Our goal was to mature and start a family, said Seats. “You didn’t work to have a career; you worked to work. That wasn’t how we were raised. The man would always provide for the family.
Linda Kolkena joined Delta Airlines as a stewardess in 1981, but she was reportedly sacked for “behavior unbecoming a Delta employee” the following year.
Kolkena and her four pals were reportedly skiing while off-duty when a male passenger and she were caught kissing and entering the restroom covertly.
Kolkena followed a boyfriend to San Diego, California after doing a brief stint of work for an attorney in Atlanta. The 21-year-old first met Dan Broderick while working at his law company at this location.
At that time, he had been married to Betty since the middle of the 1950s. Betty, a devout Catholic, had supported her husband while he was through law and medical school, and the Brodericks had everything by this point.
Dan Broderick, who made over $1 million a year, used his income to pay for three children, country club dues, a La Jolla estate, a ski condo, a boat, and a Corvette.
But when Betty overheard her husband complimenting Kolkena, his new secretary, to a friend at a party, the marriage started to disintegrate.
A few weeks later, Broderick hired Kolkena as his legal assistant despite the fact that she was unable to type, which made the marriage even worse.
While Broderick tried to hide the relationship from his wife, the two enjoyed lengthy, unhurried lunches together. Coworkers and even Betty herself were whispering about how much Kolkena resembled a younger Betty. Betty burned her husband’s clothes and even tossed a stereo at him in retaliation for the infidelity.
Betty Broderick’s Escalating Rage And Linda Broderick’s Turbulent Marriage
Kolkena did not find herself in a love scenario with Dan despite the fact that the Brodericks were starting to split up. In 1984, when they moved in together, Betty broke into their home and decorated their bedroom with spray paint.
Kolkena was in the midst of the Brodericks’ relentless abuse. Betty responded to Dan’s request for a restraining order by sending angry messages on his answering machine. Later, Betty asserted that Kolkena was not faultless herself.
Betty attributed the prank to Kolkena after she received an anonymous letter in the mail with a picture of Dan and Kolkena and the lines, “Eat your heart out, bitch.” Additionally, she believed Kolkena had sent her weight-loss and anti-wrinkle product advertisements.
When the Broderick divorce was officially formalized in 1986, Dan was given custody of the children, was given the house, and was obligated to give Betty a stipend. Betty rammed her car into Dan and Linda’s front door as retribution. She was detained in psychiatric care for 72 hours while carrying a knife.
The murder of Linda Kolkena
On November 5, 1989, about 5:30 in the morning, Betty Broderick broke into Dan and Linda Broderick’s home using a key she had taken from one of her children.
She crept upstairs to the couple’s bedroom with a.38-caliber handgun she had bought eight months previously. Screaming, Linda Broderick awoke.
Betty fired five shots, killing Linda by striking her in the head and torso twice. Before passing away from a single lung wound, Dan said, “OK, you shot me.
I’m gone. Betty tore the phone off the wall, ran away, and hours later surrendered to La Jolla police. Fall 1990 saw the start of Betty Broderick’s trial.
Linda Kolkena’s screams shocked Broderick into shooting her gun, despite her claims that her only intention was to shoot herself and have the newlyweds watch, forcing her to change her mind.
But the prosecution played messages she had left on the couple’s answering machine as proof of her intention to kill. Betty Broderick received two consecutive sentences of 15 years to life after being proven guilty.
Over 600 people attended Dan and Linda Broderick’s burial at St. Joseph’s Cathedral five days following their passing.
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