Nancy Crampton Brophy is the author of a powerful essay entitled How to Murder Your Husband. Now, at 71, she is on trial in the United States accused of killing her husband Daniel Brophy, who was shot dead at the age of 63.
The death
Daniel was a chef and according to a report in the Oregonian newspaper, he was found dead on June 2, 2018 by students going to his class at the Oregon Culinary Institute. The man fired two shots. His death remained a mystery until the arrest of his wife that same year. Since then, no other suspects have been released by US authorities.
Daniel Brophy was found dead after being shot twice. His wife Nancy was reversed in the case. (Photo: Personal Archive)
According to the indictment, Nancy shot her husband while he was getting ready for work. Investigators indicated that there was no sign of struggle, resistance or a robbery on the cook. The documents show that the victim was also found with his car keys, cell phone and wallet. The author would have used a gun she bought on eBay, the barrel of which was never found.
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the texts
Nancy owns a saga called Wrong Never Felt So Right, which includes stories like The Wrong Husband and The Wrong Lover. In her work, which is still available online, in which she talks about the “murder of a husband”, the author reveals motivations and ways to get rid of a spouse.
In the lyrics, she even touches on subjects like firearms, but notes that these are “loud, dirty, and require some skill.” The author even underscores opinions about murder. “But what I do know about murder is that if you squeeze it hard enough, all of us will have it,” he said. In another excerpt from a post, she writes, “If murder is finally going to set me free, I certainly don’t want to spend time in prison.” Brophy even considers incarceration, citing the inmate’s clothing: “I don’t like overalls and orange isn’t mine Color.”
The judgment
Nancy’s trial has been dragging on for several weeks. Surveillance footage emerged in court showing the author’s minivan outside the Culinary Institute at the same time her husband died. “You were there at the same time someone shot your husband … with the same type of gun you own, which is now mysteriously missing,” prosecutor Shawn Overstreet said.
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However, the author denied having been there. “I think if I had shot I would have known all the details,” said the defendant. She asserted that she did not remember the events, but admitted that it must have been because of the filming. The defendant insisted that she would drive around the region in search of story inspiration. Experts summoned by the defense testified that Nancy suffered retrograde amnesia that morning from the shock of hearing the news of her husband’s death and therefore forgot the details of her experience.
Nancy has been in prison since 2018 and pleaded innocent at trial. (Photo: Playback/Fox 12)
Despite an extensive search, police have not found the barrel of the pistol that may have been used in the murder and would provide clues as to what happened. While investigators accuse her of buying the murder weapon on eBay, Nancy assumes she bought a Glock pistol over the internet. However, its justification is that the artifact served the husband to protect himself while he was gathering mushrooms in the forest, and that the missing pipe was bought as part of a quest for an unfinished novel.
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What would be the motivation?
In court, the prosecutor said the 71yearold writer was struggling to pay the mortgage on her home. So, according to the Associated Press, the murder was allegedly motivated by the various life insurance policies Nancy had. In the event of Daniel’s death, the insurance would have a total value of US$1.4 million (approx. R$6.75 million).
The author’s attorney, in turn, stated that Nancy gained nothing after her husband’s death. She dismissed arguments that the defendant was seeking monetary compensation from insurance. “I was better off financially with Dan alive than with Dan dead,” Brophy said in his statement, according to the Oregonian. “If you are asked what is the motivation? An editor would laugh and say, ‘You need to work more on the story, there’s a big hole in there,'” he added.
Nancy Crampton Brophy has been in prison since 2018, her trial is scheduled to end next Monday (30) after around seven weeks. She pleaded not guilty to the jury.