“How to Murder Your Husband” author Nancy Crampton-Brophy, was found guilty of second-degree murder on May 26, 2022, in the 2018 death of her husband.
A 12-person jury found Crampton-Brophy, 71, guilty of shooting chef Daniel Brophy with a Glock 9mm pistol at the culinary school where he teaches cooking lessons. Detectives found two 9mm shell casings at the scene, but they never uncovered the untraceable and unregistered firearm.
Crampton-Brophy was devoid of emotion when the verdict was read in a Portland, Oregon, courtroom.
Investigators found two 9mm shell casings at the scene, but they never uncovered the untraceable and unregistered firearms.
Crampton-Brophy’s self-published books were not lucrative. Prosecutors argued the couple was floundering with debt, and her husband’s death could have left her with $1.5 million from assets and numerous life insurance policies. Detectives also uncovered she was the sole beneficiary of her husband’s insurance policies.
When Crampton-Brophy took the witness stand, she denied the allegations. She also swore that she had no recollection of the details from the morning her husband was murdered. That morning, her minivan’s sighting around the culinary school was a sheer coincidence.
She said she bought a gun as part of research for a new book, but the jury didn’t believe it. Crampton-Brophy faces a minimum of 25 years in prison, and her sentencing is set for June 13.
How to Murder Your Husband Book
Crampton-Brophy’s books were tales of lust, infidelity, crime, and attempted murder. Her stories are about strong women and pretty men, families that don’t always work, and the joy of finding love and keeping it.
The couple lived in a Portland suburb where he raised chickens and turkeys, cultivated a vegetable garden, and loved to whip up sumptuous meals for her.
Then when someone shot Daniel Brophy on the morning of June 2, 2018, the notion of the couple’s happy marriage collapsed.
Students found Brophy bleeding on the floor. Court documents said he had been shot once on the back and the second in the chest at close range. There was no sign of forced entry or robbery because Brophy’s cash and credit card wallet was still with him.
The Slaying Remained a Public Mystery for Months
Prosecutors alleged that the Brophys were facing monetary problems and had exhausted their retirement fund two years before the shooting.
At Brophy’s death, he was alone. The school premises have no security cameras. But traffic cameras nearby showed the Toyota minivan of Crampton-Brophy near the institute around the shooting.
Dan Brophy was worth over $1 million to Nancy Brophy if he was dead, but defense attorney Lisa Maxfield dubbed the state’s case circumstantial.
Crampton-Brophy loved her husband and had nothing to do with the murder. The defense argued that the couple had taken several romantic getaways before Brophy’s death and planned a summer trip to Mount Rushmore.
Crampton Brophy said she had no reason to kill her husband. They have mainly solved their problems by cashing in a part of Brophy’s retirement savings plan.
Lisa Maxfield, one of Crampton Brophy’s attorneys, said the defense team is preparing to appeal.
Since her detention in September 2018, Crampton Brophy remained in captivity for several months after her husband was shot.
Written by Janet Grace Ortigas
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: She once wrote an essay on how to murder your husband. This week a jury found her guilty of murdering her husband; by Faith Karimi
The Guardian: How to Murder Your Husband writer found guilty of murdering husband; Oliver Holmes
NBC News: Woman who wrote essay on ‘How to Murder Your Husband’ convicted of murdering her husband
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Karen Neoh’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Bill Bradford’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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