Elisabeth Anne Broderick, known as Betty, was born on November 7, 1947, in Bronxville, New York. She was the third of six children in the Bisceglia family. Her parents were Frank and Marita Bisceglia. Frank was an Italian American and ran a successful plastering business. Marita was of Irish American descent. The family upbringing was strict. Betty felt she was raised with clear expectations. She was taught to be a housewife and to follow a traditional path. This included attending Catholic schools and finding a Catholic husband. Betty noted that her friends had similar upbringings, which made it hard for her to rebel.

Betty attended Maria Regina High School and later graduated from Eastchester High School in 1965. She continued her education at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, where she earned a degree in early childhood education. She also received a minor in English through an accelerated program.

In 1965, Betty met her future husband, Dan Broderick, at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Dan was a medical student at the time, and they connected at a dance. Betty was 17 years old, studying at the College of St. Mary. They got married on April 12, 1969, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Tuckahoe, New York. Soon after their wedding, they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Kim, followed by four more children.

As Dan completed his medical degree, Betty supported the family while he attended law school. They eventually moved to San Diego, California. Betty worked part-time, sometimes selling products like Tupperware and Avon, while raising their children.

On November 5, 1989, Elisabeth Anne Broderick, known as Betty, committed a double murder. She drove to the home of her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena, in San Diego early in the morning. Betty used a key she had taken from her daughter to enter their home while they were asleep.

At 5:30 a.m., she shot Linda twice, hitting her in the head and chest. Linda died instantly. Dan was shot once in the chest while attempting to call for help. Evidence later showed that Betty had removed a phone and answering machine so Dan could not call for assistance. Medical examination indicated that Dan did not die immediately, and Betty claimed she spoke to him after shooting him.

After the murders, Betty contacted her daughter and turned herself in to the police. She did not deny pulling the trigger. During her trials, she claimed that the killings were not premeditated and that she was startled by Linda's scream before she fired the gun. Both Dan and Linda were buried together at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego.

The trials that followed were highly publicized. Betty's defense argued that she was a battered wife who had suffered years of abuse from Dan. Conversely, the prosecution portrayed her as a calculating murderer who planned the killings. A jury initially could not reach a decision, resulting in a hung jury and a mistrial.

In her second trial, the same evidence and arguments were presented. This time, the jury found Betty guilty of two counts of second-degree murder. She received a sentence of 32 years to life in prison. Betty Broderick has remained incarcerated since the day of the murders. She was denied parole multiple times, with her next opportunity for parole set for January 2032.