'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
71-year-old romance novelist, Nancy Crampton Brophy, who penned the essay How to Murder Your Husband, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday, for the murder of her husband.
On May 26, she was convicted of killing her husband by a court in Portland, Oregon. According to the BBC, a jury of 12, found Nancy guilty of second-degree murder.
Nancy Crampton Brophy was accused of killing her husband, Daniel Brophy, on June 2, 2018. Daniel, a 63-year-old chef who taught at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Southwest Portland, was allegedly shot in the back by his wife, as he was preparing for class in his workplace kitchen.
According to CNN, prosecutors allege that Nancy followed her husband to his workplace while armed with a Glock handgun. She was also found to have been in possession of a “ghost gun” assembly kit, which allows one to craft untraceable firearms.
Exploring the details of Nancy Crampton Brophy's trial
According to Fox Oregon, Nancy Crampton Brophy was motivated to commit the act, owing to the financial issues that she was facing. She allegedly wanted to claim $1.4 million in life insurance upon the death of her husband. According to CNN, the couple had several debts, and the money-making works self-published by Nancy were not sufficient to pay them off.
However, she denied this theory to the jury, claiming that by the time of Daniel’s death, the couple had already solved most of their financial problems by cashing in a part of his retirement savings.
Nancy claimed that contrary to the narrative prosecutors were putting forth, she was far more financially unstable after her husband’s shooting. Despite this, jurors were convinced by several pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors.
As per CBS, Brophy owned the same make and model of firearm that had been used in Daniel Brophy’s murder. Additionally, surveillance footage from the culinary institute showed her entering the building around the time he was killed.
The now infamous essay by Nancy, titled How to Murder your Husband, was not, however, permitted to be used as evidence during the trial. Judge Christopher Ramras, who presided over the trial, explained why:
“Any minimal probative value of an article written that long ago is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice and confusion of the issues.”
It was the provocative title of the essay that propelled Nancy Crampton Brophy to international renown.
Responses from the family
Ahead of the sentencing, Daniel Brophy’s relatives delivered official statements.
Nathaniel Stillwater, Daniel’s son from another marriage, admonished Nancy for her part in his father's murder.
He said:
“You opted to lie, cheat, steal, defraud and ultimately kill the man that was your biggest fan. You were - to borrow from your catalogue - the wrong wife.”
He continued:
“You are a monster and I’m ashamed that I have to admit to my children that people like you walk among us undetected. You lived in the shadow of a great human being.”
Upon receiving her life sentence, Nancy Crampton Brophy was told that there would be a possibility of parole in 25 years. According to outlets, her lawyers said that they are planning to appeal.
