Oregon romance novelist takes stand in murder trial, explains why she was near scene at time of husband’s death in Portland

The Oregon romance novelist accused of gunning down her husband in 2018 spoke in courtroom Monday for the primary time since her homicide trial started seven weeks in the past, acknowledging she was caught on video driving close to the crime scene on the time of the killing.

Nancy Crampton Brophy initially informed investigators she was writing in mattress when her husband, Oregon Culinary Institute chef Dan Brophy, left to supervise college students simulating a restaurant kitchen early on the morning of June 2, 2018.

Brophy, 63, was discovered lifeless about 7:30 a.m. — shot as soon as within the again and once more by means of the lungs and backbone as he lay dying on a classroom ground, detectives stated.

Inside hours of the killing, investigators positioned surveillance footage exhibiting a silver Toyota minivan that matched Cramton Brophy’s. It was cruising the streets outdoors the culinary faculty in the course of the 15-minute window between when police imagine her husband arrived on the now-defunct culinary faculty and when college students found his physique.

On the stand, Crampton Brophy stated she had “completely no reminiscence” of the 6.5-mile journey she took from the couple’s Beaverton dwelling to Portland’s Goose Hole neighborhood till an lawyer introduced her with video exhibiting her minivan within the space.

“How can this have occurred and me not keep in mind this?” Crampton Brophy testified, recalling her psychological state when she noticed the footage. “My thoughts sort of goes clean with the horror of it.”

Multnomah County prosecutors have argued that Crampton Brophy purposely hid the journey throughout interviews with detectives as a part of a plot to gather $1.4 million from 10 life insurance coverage insurance policies and reverse a ruinous monetary scenario. The state’s case lacks a intact homicide weapon or eyewitnesses to the killing.

Patricia Warford, a psychologist employed by the protection, informed jurors final week that traumatic experiences can erase recollections for hours earlier than and after the occasion, and that Crampton Brophy was possible affected by “retrograde amnesia” in not recalling the journey.

The 71-year-old Crampton Brophy stated the surveillance footage finally triggered a proof for her presence close to the varsity then — by mere coincidence, she had parked her automotive within the space to place pen to paper. She felt secure writing in a neighborhood car parking zone regardless of rising homelessness and drug exercise, she stated.

“It was a spot that I might have felt very comfy writing, and so I’m positive that it’s a real reminiscence,” she stated.

Crampton Brophy stated she returned dwelling after writing and shortly discovered of a capturing on the culinary faculty from tv information studies. She stated she felt an awesome sense of panic after her husband didn’t reply to a cellphone name or textual content message.

The author stated she then drove to the varsity once more, her arms as chilly as ice and her coronary heart thumping in her chest.

When she arrived, Crampton Brophy stated a police officer hugged her as she fruitlessly scanned for her husband within the crowd of individuals milling about outdoors.

“That’s the precise second once I knew” that it was her accomplice of 24 years who had been killed, she stated.

Crampton Brophy broke down in tears and paused a number of occasions all through the complete day spent on the stand, typically directing her speech throughout the room to the 12 jurors and 5 remaining alternates.

At different occasions, her testimony was punctuated with jokes. Protection lawyer Lisa Maxfield frivolously chastised her consumer to keep away from “rabbit holes” and different digressions.

The half-full courtroom gallery included Daniel Brophy’s mom, his son from a earlier relationship, in addition to the lead detective who investigated the case.

Now infamous for a 2012 essay titled “Learn how to Homicide Your Husband,” Crampton Brophy made little cash from her half-dozen self-published romance suspense novels, prosecutors stated. After greater than a decade operating a profitable catering firm, Crampton Brophy had been promoting life insurance coverage and Medicare insurance policies within the years earlier than her husband’s loss of life.

Crampton Brophy stated she thinks of husband on daily basis and even talks to him.

“Dan was shiny. He was humorous. He was numerous issues. However he was additionally humble,” she stated. “I used to be his cheerleader, and this was not a one-way road. He was mine as effectively.”

Crampton Brophy is scheduled to remain on the stand Tuesday as cross-examination by prosecutors continues.

The trial will characteristic a minimum of yet one more twist earlier than it’s tentatively set to conclude Friday. After a listening to final week, Multnomah County Circuit Decide Christopher Ramras allowed prosecutors to name up a last-minute rebuttal witness after the protection rests.

The shock witness, Andrea Jacobs, is predicted to testify that Crampton Brophy inadvertently admitted to capturing Brophy whereas the 2 ladies have been incarcerated collectively on the Multnomah County Detention Middle.

Crampton Brophy has remained behind bars ever since her arrest in September 2018. If convicted, she faces the prospect of life in jail with a minimal of 25 years behind bars.

Because the day neared its finish, Crampton Brophy’s lawyer posed a remaining query. “Did you kill Dan Brophy?” Maxfield requested.

“No, I didn’t,” Crampton Brophy replied.

— Zane Sparling; zsparling@oregonian.com; 503-319-7083; @pdxzane