TRAGIC TALE
Where is Dirty John’s Betty Broderick now?
DIRTY John 2 has already got people talking with its real life tragic tale of double murderer Betty Broderick.
But her story isn't as straight forward as her being just a killer and as her trial also brought up the issue of 'gaslighting' by her ex husband.
Betty Broderick is a double murderer
Who is Betty Broderick?
Betty's story begins with her and husband Dan as college sweethearts building a life together, getting married and having four children.
Their love story came crashing down with a bad divorce, with Dan getting together with his young secretary, Linda Kolkena, and smearing Betty's name and even putting her in a mental hospital.
Then on November 5, 1989, after Linda and Dan officially got married, Betty snuck into their house and killed them with a revolver.
In 1991, Betty was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 32 years to life in jail.
Where is Betty Broderick now?
Betty is currently serving her sentence at the California Institution for Women and is now 72 years old.
In 2017, California's parole board denied her request for parole because she did not show remorse or admit to wrongdoing.
Betty will not be eligible for parole again until January 2032.
However, this date may change depending on factors such as good behaviour.
What has 'gaslighting' got to do with the Betty Broderick case?
For much of Dirty John 2, Betty (played by Amanda Peet) seems like just another “scorned” woman who in 1989 murders her rich ex-husband, Daniel (Christian Slater), and his younger new wife, Linda (Rachel Keller), after years of his infidelity and a merciless divorce settlement.
Then it adds a layer to her story when the possibility of “gaslighting” is introduced in Betty’s defence during her criminal trial, prompting audiences to consider another provocation of her violence.
Dirty John aims to question her mental fitness prior to the murders.
Did Daniel constantly accusing Betty of being “crazy” whenever she justifiably confronted him about his affair with Linda during their marriage—and throughout their divorce when she rages out against his lies and seizing custody of their children—contribute to her unravelling?
According to Tarra Bates-Duford, a forensic psychologist specializing in severe mental illness as well as a marriage and family therapist, the answer is a categorical yes.
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“Gaslighting is a form of psychological and emotional manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual, making them question their memory, perception, and sanity,” she explained to .
"In Betty’s case, that was compounded by a preexisting personality disorder that barely gets a mention in the series. “She was already a malignant narcissist,” Bates-Duford said.
“She had a need for order. When she was being gaslighted by her husband, it created a loss of control for her, which exacerbated her underlying issues.”
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