PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Prosecutors said they have evidence showing murder mystery novelist Nancy Crampton Brophy — accused of killing her husband, chef Daniel Brophy — “has engaged in ongoing criminal behavior while in custody.”
In a court hearing Monday, Multnomah County prosecutors told the judge they believe the 68-year-old novelist “is possibly being visited by individuals that are assisting her in that ongoing criminal behavior. The state should have every right and ability to know who is visiting Ms. Crampton-Brophy for that fact.”
Her lawyers asked the judge to seal her jail visitor log.
The judge listened to the arguments and will make a ruling within 2 weeks.
Brophy was found dead in his classroom at the Oregon Culinary Institute on June 2, where he was a beloved instructor.
The day after Brophy was found dead, Crampton Brophy posted on Facebook, saying in part,
Crampton Brophy wrote murder-mystery romance novels, including several where husbands were murdered. She also wrote a blog post titled “How to Murder Your Husband.“
In the blog posted, she listed five motives for murder:
- Financial: Divorce is expensive, and do you really want to split your possessions?
- Lying, cheating b*****d: This is a crime of passion. In anger, you bash his head in or stab him with a kitchen knife.
- Fell in love with someone else: Let’s say your Church frowns on divorce. You need to be a widow, so you won’t fall out of favor with your religion.
- Abuser: This one is tough. Anybody can claim abuse. What is abuse?
- It’s your profession: Now we’re talking. You already possess both skill and knowledge. You have the moral ambiguity necessary to carry it off.
Crampton Brophy was arrested on Sept. 5 for unlawful use of a weapon and murder. She pleaded not guilty later that month.