Clara got parole, Betty didn't

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For those who don't remember these cases, here's a quick synopsis:

Clara Harris was a very successful dentist in Texas operation a practice with her husband David (also a dentist). They had 2 children. David was having an affair with the receptionist at his office. In 2002 Clara ran over him several times with her Mercedes in the parking lot of a hotel and killed him. She was sentenced to 20 yrs, denied parole twice, and after serving 15, she was released in November 2017.

More details here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_David_Lynn_Harris

Betty Broderick was married to wealthy successful California lawyer Dan Broderick. They had 4 children. He had an affair with his legal assistant and married her in 1989. Later that same year, Betty entered their home while they were sleeping and shot both of them, killing them. She was sentenced to 32 yrs to life. She was denied parole several times (most recent was in January 2017) and won't be eligible for parole again until 2032 when she will be 85 ys old.

More details here;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Broderick#Engagement_and_marriage
 

Make no mistake, I deplore what both of these women did - killing their cheating husbands.
I think the time Clara served is about right.
But I also feel that after 26 yrs Betty should have been paroled.
 
I remember both cases. Now that you have my attention, I may need to come back later and read up on them. Funny, I had thought Betty had been paroled. Guess I was wrong

 

Yes, I remember both. I wonder why Clara got a lesser sentence. Was anything due to pre-meditation? I know Betty did some planning, but I'm not aware how much planning Clara did. Guess I'll go read the articles.
 
I remember watching Betty Broderick murder trial on Court TV in the early 90's. When Betty testified,never believed her when she claimed,she didn't know how the gun went off. She's had a couple disciplinary problems while she's been in prison,not surprised she wasn't paroled.
There was a TV movie made a couple years after the trial,starring Meredith Baxter as Broderick.

.
 
RadishRose said:
Yes, I remember both. I wonder why Clara got a lesser sentence. Was anything due to pre-meditation? I know Betty did some planning, but I'm not aware how much planning Clara did. Guess I'll go read the articles.
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I think Betty's sentence was longer because despite what she claimed, the killings were premeditated and she killed two people. From what I read, the main reason for parole denial was lack or remorse and not acknowledging wrongdoing.

OTOH Clara went into the hotel and confronted/attacked husband and mistress, then went to her car and upon seeing them come out together, flipped out and ran over husband, several times (it was on video).
 
applecruncher said:
I think Betty's sentence was longer because despite what she claimed, the killings were premeditated and she killed two people. From what I read, the main reason for parole denial was lack or remorse and not acknowledging wrongdoing.

OTOH Clara went into the hotel and confronted/attacked husband and mistress, then went to her car and upon seeing them come out together, flipped out and ran over husband, several times (it was on video).
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After reading the articles, I agree! I remember the TV movie with Meredith Baxter, too.They both went off their rockers, but Betty was worse.
 
Here's the Betty Broderick movie: (parts 1 and 2 - part 1 is life before the murders, part 2 is the two trials and sentencing)

 
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I watched Betty Broderick's actual trial as well as the movie version. She really was a nasty women, to her husband and children. It really is sad.
And I watched the parole hearing. Broderick can never admit she is ever wrong. And I don't believe she ever said she was sorry. No sympathy for that woman .

Clara, I also saw her interview. I don't know. I guess you could say she had a temporary insanity moment. She didn't know if she hit her husband with the
car she said. Clara is a more sympathetic figure.
 
Olivia said:
I watched Betty Broderick's actual trial as well as the movie version. She really was a nasty women, to her husband and children. It really is sad.
And I watched the parole hearing. Broderick can never admit she is ever wrong. And I don't believe she ever said she was sorry. No sympathy for that woman .

Clara, I also saw her interview. I don't know. I guess you could say she had a temporary insanity moment. She didn't know if she hit her husband with the
car she said. Clara is a more sympathetic figure.
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Of the two, Clara is the more sympathetic figure, BUT she backed up and ran over him again. His body had tire marks - it's all on video. The teen-aged stepdaughter was also in the car.

Regarding Betty, I remember seeing a segment on 20/20 a long time ago showing that she had some behavior & discipline issues in prison.
 
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I grow weary of woman and men who kill their spouses/former spouses. People Please! Do not kill your children's Other parent!

However IIRC Broderick's crime was premeditated and she murdered two people.

Harris seemed more a real crime of passion:

as in I killed my husband and his lover, when upon returning from target practice with my still loaded oops 45, I found them in our marital bed.
 
I was watching some of this the other day.
Betty was getting $16,000/month alimony in 1989. That's over $33,000 in today's dollars. Per MONTH. Wowza. She also had a house, and a car.
Okay, I know California was/is expensive, and I know their marriage had other issues, but still...

 
I think they both should be paroled.........when the victims are paroled. Which of course is never....they will be in the ground for eternity.

Infidelity should not be a capital crime......

Send that message & maybe, just maybe these spouses will think twice in the future before pulling the trigger,...or starting the car as it were.....
 
rgp said:
I think they both should be paroled.........when the victims are paroled. Which of course is never....they will be in the ground for eternity.

Infidelity should not be a capital crime......

Send that message & maybe, just maybe these spouses will think twice in the future before pulling the trigger,...or starting the car as it were.....
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Agreed, neither of these psycho "B's" should ever see the outside of a prison. But some people are a bit confused. Betty Broderick murdered her ex husband and his wife - not girlfriend/lover. They were already married at the time.

For those women who have sympathy for these two murderers, would you have the same sympathy if the men murdered their cheating spouses? My wife cheated on me, so I divorced her....I wouldn't think of harming her; she's not worth my freedom & she's certainly not worth the $.75 for the bullet.
 
I followed both cases - the movies and the trial. I still remember part of Betty Broderick's testimony - "I didn't intend to kill them; I stood by the bed, someone moved, then I moved & it was over."

I haven't heard anything that stupid in a long time.
 
Betty’s defense was based on being a battered wife having been the subject of years of mental, physical and psychological abuse. Also, her defense mentioned that at the moment of the shootings that she was suffering from temporary insanity. This is really a difficult defense to get the jury to accept. When you pickup the gun and drive to the victim’s home, that’s a lot of time to think about what you are about to do. But, she was found guilty of two counts of second degree murder.

She did get the benefit of doubt by having her first trial ending with a hung jury.
 
I have a hard time with thinking anyone who kills should get parole. But as 911 says if she was a battered woman and suffering and insane at the time I think maybe she served her time.
 
She did get the benefit of doubt by having her first trial ending with a hung jury.
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The holdout on the jury in the first trial was a man who was on Betty' side. As he left the court house, he said "What took her so long?"

However, the movie was definitely pro-Dan and he was portrayed as being battered by Betty.
 
Part of the lyrics of Cell Block Tango, from "Chicago":

[Velma, spoken]​
My sister, Veronica and I had this double act. And my husband, Charlie, traveled around with us.
With the last number in our act, we did 20 acrobatic tricks in a row--one two three four five, splits, spread eagles, back flips, flip flops, one right after the other! Well, this one night before the show we were down at the hotel in ​
Cicero
, the three of us, ​
boozing
and having a few laughs. And we ran out of ice, so I went out to get some
I come back, open the door…​
There's Veronica and Charlie doing number seventeen… the spread eagle!
Well, I was in such a state of shock, I completely blacked out. I can't remember a thing. It wasn't until later,
​
when I was washing the blood off my hands
, I even knew they were dead!

[Velma]
They had it coming, they had it coming!
They had it coming all along!​
I didn't do it, but if I done it
How could you tell me that I was wrong?


[Mona, spoken]
I loved Alvin ​
Lipschitz
more than I could possibly say. He was a real artistic guy, sensitive, a painter. But he was always trying to “find himself”. ​
He'd go out every night looking for himself
, and on the way, he found…​
Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary and Irving
.
I guess you can say we broke up because of ​
artistic differences
. He saw himself as alive
And I saw him dead!​
​

[Women]​
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum!
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum!

They had it coming, they had it coming
They had it coming all along!
'Cause if they ​
used us, and they abused us
How could they tell us that we were wrong?
 
applecruncher said:
The holdout on the jury in the first trial was a man who was on Betty' side. As he left the court house, he said "What took her so long?"

However, the movie was definitely pro-Dan and he was portrayed as being battered by Betty.
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And since he's dead...we'll never know. We have only her word.
 
rgp said:
And since he's dead...we'll never know. We have only her word.
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"We"? "Only her word?"

Betty's own children testified against her.
Many of Betty's former friends turned against her because of things she was doing.
There were police reports when Betty crashed into Dan/Linda's house with her car...the kids witnessed that.
There was court evidence of all the times Betty violated restraining orders (plural).

Betty killed 2 people; that's why she's been in prison for 30 yrs and will remain in prison until she is at least 85 yrs old, if she lives that long.
 

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