Episode 174: Romance Novelist Murder Trial

Dan Brophy, 63, was a well-known chef and popular teacher at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon. In the morning of June 2, 2018, Dan was gunned down while he was prepping for the day’s work in the school’s kitchen. He had no known enemies. However, Dan and his wife, Nancy, were having serious financial problems and to shore up the couple’s finances, Nancy, a self-published romance novelist, had taken a job selling life insurance. Friends of the couple testified that their marriage was strong and stable; others noted that Nancy was tired of Dan’s hoarding and messiness.

During the trial, it was revealed that Dan was heavily insured, and Nancy had recently purchased a “ghost gun” kit online (for “research purposes,” she said). In addition, Nancy’s van was seen near the scene of the crime. And although the judge did not allow the issue to be raised at trial, she’d also published an essay on her blog entitled “How to Murder Your Husband”.

Nancy Crampton Brophy, 71, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. This episode includes testimony from friend and fellow chef Tania Medlin, Nancy’s cellmate Anndrea Jacobs, and Nancy herself, whose rambling responses did her no favors.