Ladyjustice believes that the name Betty Broderick could be synonymous with snake venom. Dan, in turn, was a psychological manipulator and a philanderer. Betty exacted what she thought was the ultimate revenge… and received 32 years to life for second degree murder in the killings of her ex-husband ,Dan Broderick and his new wife Linda as they slept in their bedroom. Both used their children as pawns in a dangerous game of cat and mouse…. San Diego would never be the same…
The landscape of this case is so convoluted, so volatile, and so contentious that a blog would be pages and pages long to capture the story in its full scope. Rather, this author chooses to present a particular focus and “fascinating facts” to leave the reader hopefully wanting more… In addition, we will visit one authority on “the female narcissist.”
To begin with, Betty was not deprived in any material sense. She was the third of six children, whose father was a successful New York building contractor. Hired help was the standard in addition to private Catholic schools. Dan Broderick was the oldest of nine children, a Navy reared, strict Catholic family as well. Betty and Dan married in 1969.
Betty was very intelligent, but appeared to buy into the 1950-60’s housewife and mother fantasy, supporting her man. However, the sacrifice wasn’t worth the final outcome. So the story goes… Betty did everything a good Catholic wife should do. She climbed the social ladder with her husband’s occupational prominence as a physician and later a malpractice attorney with Betty working several jobs as the breadwinner prior to making his fortune.
Dan got bored and his eye wandered to a younger model. No one could have predicted the extent of Betty’s wrath. After 16 years of marriage, Betty was tossed aside. Dan continually lied to her regarding an affair, saying she was crazy…. Concerning his relationship with a newly hired assistant. She was told she was “old, fat, stupid and boring.” A suicide attempt… ‘Attempts at perfection to please her husband. Betty became that crazy person Dan told friends about…
Craziness…she rammed her car into his home, scrawled “God” on court documents where his name should appear, and left obscene phone messages for her 11 year old son to hear.
Support payments were hefty, after a four year ferocious court battle orchestrated by Dan, Betty was relentless in her harassment. Dan fined her $100 for every obscene word used. She was jailed and briefly committed to a mental hospital. Dan was the head of the San Diego Bar Association during their troubles, and consequently Betty had difficulty finding someone to represent her… in addition to her narcissistic personality and irrepressible anger.
Betty had four living children, one baby who died and three miscarriages with Dan. As horrible she was, Dan harassed Betty for years using his knowledge of the medical and the legal system to his best advantage.
Epstein credits refer to a California law encompassing the time period until a divorce is finalized. During that time, one of the spouses will pay all expenses incurred regarding community property. After the decree, the spouse who paid the expenses is allowed to request reimbursement for half of the monies spent, beginning at the date of separation. Reportedly, due to Dan’s legal ploys and delays, the judge took Dan’s word for the final accounting, with another $5,000 deducted at show cause hearings for use of bad language. Half of Dan’s pension -$240,000, could not be claimed until age 65. Her final award from her “multi-millionaire hubby” was less than $30,000.
Media accounts such as the “American Justice” program and the TV movie “A Woman Scorned” portray the destructive antics of Betty very heavily and paint Dan as “Mr. Clean.” However, it becomes perfectly clear that when actual videotapes are seen of the real Betty testifying, she appears self-centered and stark-raving mad…deflecting ALL responsibility toward her ex-husband. In truth, whether she was mentally ill or “crazy like a fox,” it was tit for tat with each spouse creating the toxic relationship. Dan even predicted his own murder…
BUT… What can be said about the Female Narcissist? Sam Vaknin, (author of Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited provides comprehensive information on narcissism and the narcissist).writing and videotaping for the HealthyPlace: Trusted Mental Health Information on Gender and Narcissism , states that most narcissists are males (75%) with very few gender differences noted.
The primary role of the narcissist is to use everything around them for their narcissistic supply.
According to Vaknin, female narcissists focus on their physical appearance-flaunting their attributes and culturally determined role. He goes on to say that they… “Secure their narcissistic supply through their more traditional gender role via taking care of the home, children, suitable careers (“the wife of___”), their feminine traits and role in society. They depend so much on the opinions of others around them that, with time, they transform into ultrasensitive seismographs of public opinion, barometers of prevailing winds and guardians of conformity. Narcissists cannot afford to seriously alienate others in the process of reflecting their false self… The very proper and continuous functioning of their ego depends upon the goodwill and collaboration of their human environment.”
Some narcissists feel guilt and wish to be punished, playing out roles such as the “bad girl” (which fall within traditional expectations) as a means of getting attention. Female narcissists tend to resort to therapy and admit psychological problems. They also treat children as extensions of themselves and Mr. Vaknin believes that female version fights to maintain control and dependence in her children, because she has limited options compared to men. Male narcissists tend to view children as a nuisance…. It’s all about filling her insatiable narcissistic supply.
After reviewing many sources, Ladyjustice concludes that:
- Dan and Betty Broderick were their own worst enemies- both flawed at minimum and perhaps sociopathic at the other end of the spectrum;
- Given Dan’s selfishness, manipulation and role as a user of younger women, Betty could NEVER have resumed her self-defined trophy wife status. She was yesterday’s news in his life;
- Their four children were the saddest victims in this entire ordeal. Split 50-50 at Betty’s 2010 parole hearing, Betty used them as pawns, never caring about how the couple’s destructive behavior impacted them. NOR did she express any remorse even after 20 years of incarceration!
American Justice Excerpt: (recording of phone conversation with Betty and her 11 year old son. This is he real Betty …. Even Ladyjustice is shocked! http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Is8vUAUDwZs&feature=endscreen
(***FAST FORWARD to 5 min, 40 seconds and play through 6 min, 24secs)
ENOUGH SAID!
References:
http://www.latimes.com/la-me-broderick3jun0390,0,3558223.story
American Justice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7TtN9k6pUY Parts1-5;
Her Final Fury
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7TtN9k6pUY;
http://www.helathplace.com/perssonalitydisorders/malignanrself-love
Donna R. Gore 
The children are definitely the most pathetic victims in this case. Neither Dan, Betty, nor Linda thought about the kids before they started torturing each other. I will have to say, though, that I understand why Betty killed Dan and Linda-she completely snapped. After reading a lot about this case I have concluded that Dan Broderick was an evil human being. The way he treated Betty was inexcusable.
No one just snaps the way Betty did. Lots of people manage to go through difficult, painful, perhaps unfair divorces without acting like a lunatic for five years, devastating their children, and murdering two people. How far removed from reality are you?
I don’t believe that Betty was the narcissist. If you have ever lived with, and divorced a narcissist you can see that Dan was the narcissist and Betty either was borderline personality or just plain snapped. Narcissist can drive you to the point of insanity, all while remaining calm and seemingly level-headed. They are cruel manipulators, and make the outside world think that you are crazy and they are perfect. No one deserves to die, but I can understand her rage. Narcissist will push you to the brink of insanity. They get tired of the old supply and find a new one, and they move fast. The outside world doesn’t see most of their evil because they perform that behind closed doors. Everyone on the outside thinks they are wonderful. They manipulate courts, friends, and children, all while looking like the “perfect’ parent, and convincing everyone else you are crazy. Narcissist all follow the same pattern. If they had not been killed, Linda would have laser a few years, and then he would have moved on. Sam V. is himself a narcissist. Try to email him for an interview. He will gaslight you and turn the tables on you. I know someone who did this. See how just one interaction with one can make you fuming mad. Then you might be able to see how Betty could do this after years of abuse. My wish is for the legal system and the public to educate themselves about these creatures. Emotional abuse leaves no visible scars, but the emotional scars never heal. There is no fairness when dealing with these creatures of satan.
Betty Broderick has textbook narcissistic personality disorder. She was diagnosed with two personality disorders simultaneously by a real psychiatrist not the armchair kind.
This woman was sick. After she killed two people, one being the father of her children, while they lay sleeping in their beds, she laughed about it later. She is unrepentant to this day. Classic narcissistic behaviour – everything is justified and she is always right.
No one entertains the thought that Dan may have left because there were issues with her before the seperation/divorce.
This woman/child who put her own obsessive, maniacal, and vulgar rage before her kids deserves to rot in prison forever.
How people can defend her is appalling.
Your description of NPD is accurate, but you knew Dan Broderick how? You knew the reality of their marriage how? Oh yes, you watched a made for TV movie or read a book and decided to malign the character of someone murdered in cold blood.
Years of abuse? Must explain why she compulsively stalked, violently harassed, and refused to let go of Dan for five years.
^^So interesting to read the comment above. I agree.
A few years back, I did extensive research on the Broderick case, read every book available on the topic and even conversed (via written letters) with Betty herself for almost 2 years. I agree that she doesn’t have Narcissistic Personality Disorder but much more likely, Borderline Personality Disorder.
The saddest part for me (and the reason I let the pen pal relationship dissipate) was for a lack of hope. I’m not exactly sure what type (if any) resources that Betty has available to her on the inside but they will never be enough to help her truly realize the damage she has done or to be able to understand her own behavior and/or express any remorse. Based on my own torturous 7 year long divorce/custody battle experience, at this point in my life; I’m able to reflect on everything that has happened in my life and assess where I reacted poorly, what I was feeling at the time and most importantly, what I would do differently in the future.
If Betty had the appropriate resources and therapy, she is an intelligent woman whom I am convinced could be productive & peaceful on the outside. Sadly, this process of self awareness, honesty and healing will not happen to her while incarcerated. I feel sad for her and even more so for the now adult children who have been deprived of two parents.
I feel sad for us, American women who chose the wrong man and have to go through the “justice” system. It’s laughable, the judge was laughable, the fact Dan was president of the Bar association and she couldn’t get a lawyer. Dan was a master manipulator and knew how to use our “justice” system to destroy another human being. He and our so called legal system was the monster In this story. Those that think Betty got a fair and just deal prior to shooting her husband, the husband who somehow manipulated the court to give him and his 25 year old who he has sex with in front of the kids and is never home, full custody of kids he hardly saw growing up is enough to drive anyone insane. But welcome to America and the idiot women who have let men get away with this for decades. And those women who so desperately want to join the club like the smiling author who I hope will be treated by her husband the way Betty was. Lawyers are way too powerful, judges are political Cronies – our system is broken and our courts serve only the rich and powerful. Our jails are full of innocent people and most are for profit –