This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A self-published romance writer has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of her husband.

Nancy Crampton Brophy, 68, was arrested last week in the killing of her husband of 27 years, Daniel Brophy, at the Oregon Culinary Institute in June.

In November 2011 Crampton Brophy, the author of a series of novels about “wrong” love affairs, wrote a blogpost titled How to Murder Your Husband.

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Its introduction read: “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. And let me say clearly for the record, I don’t like jumpsuits and orange isn’t my color.”

The Multnomah county district attorney, Rod Underhill, announced on Friday that a grand jury had returned the indictment against Crampton Brophy.

Daniel Brophy, 63, was a well-liked instructor at the OCI. He was alone in a kitchen early on 2 June when he was shot. There were no obvious suspects.

On Facebook on 3 June, his wife wrote: “I have sad news to relate. My husband and best friend, Chef Dan Brophy was killed yesterday morning. For those of you who are close to me and feel this deserved a phone call, you are right, but I’m struggling to make sense of everything right now.”

In her 2011 blogpost, she had written: “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. But the thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough.”

Crampton Brophy’s attorney, Jane Marie Claus, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. She has previously declined to discuss the case.