Romance novelist Nancy Crampton Brophy, who is accused of murdering her husband in June, once wrote an essay entitled “How To Murder Your Husband,” The Oregonian is reporting.
On June 2, as The Oregonian reported at the time, Chef Daniel Brophy was found dead at his workplace, the Oregon Culinary Institute. The chef, described by local media as “beloved” by his students, died of a single gunshot wound.
At first, there were no suspects. And while the chef’s wife, Nancy, attended a candlelight vigil with students, faculty, and community members, witnesses say the romance novelist showed little emotion after her husband’s death.
Last week, however, authorities arrested the 68-year-old self-published romance novelist in connection with Brophy’s death. As of this writing, police are not saying how they connected Nancy to her husband’s murder nor are they discussing a motive.
Brophy’s “steamy” self-published novels include rugged heroes portrayed by models with chiseled abs on the cover and generally end happily. Some of her titles include The Wrong Cop , The Wrong Lover , and The Wrong Husband .
As it turns out, in 2011 Mrs. Brophy wrote an essay about murdering one’s spouse. The title, aptly enough, is “How To Murder Your Husband.”
“As a romantic suspense writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about murder and, consequently, about police procedure. After all, if the murder is supposed to set me free, I certainly don’t want to spend any time in jail.”
Nancy Crampton-Brophy writes romance-novels-turned-murder-mysteries — now she’s accused of killing her husband. https://t.co/8gaAK71u4F pic.twitter.com/yRCY1oMI1g
— 48 Hours (@48hours) September 7, 2018
The essay, which is no longer published but is archived online and will not be linked to here, discusses various motives that would drive a woman to kill her husband, including adultery or financial gain (“divorce is expensive, and do you really want to split your possessions?”).
“I find it is easier to wish people dead than to actually kill them. I don’t want to worry about blood and brains splattered on my walls. And really, I’m not good at remembering lies.”
She also lists a variety of murder weapons, including poison, firearms, knives, or even hiring hitmen.
“What if killing didn’t produce the right results? Would they do it again? Could they do it again? What if they liked it?”
By all accounts, Mr. and Mrs. Brophy lived a quiet life in the Portland suburbs, where they gardened and raised chickens. Friends and relatives are stunned that the elderly couple’s marriage could end in murder, Crampton-Brophy’s sister, Holly Crampton, said via People .
“None of us believe it. It’s craziness and it’s just not true.”
