Betty Broderick, convicted in 1989 killings of ex-husband and his new wife, dies aged 78

Betty Broderick, who became infamous for the 1989 killings of her former husband and his new wife in a case that shocked the country and inspired movies and books, has died at the age of 78 while still serving a life sentence. Representatives from the California department of corrections and rehabilitation confirmed to NBC News that Elizabeth A Broderick was moved from the California prison where she had been transferred to a medical center on 18 April. She died the following Friday. The medical examiner’s office initially determined the cause of death to be natural causes, though the San Bernardino county coroner will carry out a formal investigation, according to NBC. Broderick became nationally recognized after fatally shooting her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena, on 5 November 1989. In 1991 she was found guilty of second-degree murder in connection with their deaths and received a prison sentence of 32 years to life. Betty and Dan Broderick married in 1969 and had four children together. During the early 1980s, Dan began a relationship with Kolkena, a former flight attendant he had hired as a legal assistant while his marriage to Betty was deteriorating. Although Dan denied the relationship when Betty first became suspicious, he later separated from her and filed for divorce in 1985. The divorce proceedings involved disputes over selling the family residence and determining custody arrangements for their four children. …