Chef and culinary instructor Daniel Brophy was fatally shot at the Oregon Culinary Institute in June 2018; his wife, novelist Nancy Crampton-Brophy, was convicted of second-degree murder in 2022.
Daniel Craig Brophy, an American chef and culinary instructor, was found dead on the morning of June 2, 2018, at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, where he taught. Students arriving that day discovered his body in a kitchen; he had been killed by two gunshots. Authorities investigated the death as a homicide.
Suspicion eventually turned to his wife, Nancy Crampton-Brophy, who had told investigators during the initial investigation that on the morning of the killing she had walked the couple's dogs and showered at home. In 2020, investigators located traffic camera footage showing her vehicle driving to and then away from the culinary school during the same 13-minute window in which the homicide is believed to have occurred. When confronted with this footage, Crampton-Brophy revised her account, stating she had no memory of the drive and speculated she may have been on a coffee run she had forgotten amid the stress of the day.
Crampton-Brophy was indicted for her husband's murder and tried beginning in April 2022 in Multnomah County Circuit Court. She was a self-published novelist, author of works including "The Wrong Husband," and had also written an online essay titled "How to Murder Your Husband," a detail that drew significant public and media attention to the case. Prosecutors built a circumstantial case, arguing that her inconsistent account of her whereabouts on the morning of the murder undermined her credibility. As a motive, prosecutors alleged she was in financial distress and stood to benefit from life insurance policies totaling roughly $1.4 million, as well as sole ownership of the couple's home, valued at about $300,000. Forensic evidence indicated Daniel Brophy was shot with a Glock pistol. Prosecutors introduced evidence that Crampton-Brophy had purchased a receiver blank kit online, and she acknowledged buying a slide and barrel for a Glock via eBay. She testified that the purchases were made with her husband's knowledge, that she had given him the gun for protection while foraging for mushrooms, and that the components were for research toward a novel about a woman who methodically acquires gun parts.
On May 25, 2022, Nancy Crampton-Brophy was convicted of second-degree murder. On June 14, 2022, she was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
The case subsequently drew media attention, including a 2023 Lifetime television film, coverage on the A&E series "Taking the Stand" in January 2023, a 2024 Wondery podcast, and a 2025 Oxygen series episode.
Chef and culinary instructor Daniel Brophy was fatally shot at the Oregon Culinary Institute in June 2018; his wife, novelist Nancy Crampton-Brophy, was convicted of second-degree murder in 2022.
Where did the murder happen?
Oregon Culinary Institute, Portland, Oregon.
Who was convicted?
Nancy Crampton-Brophy (Convicted of second-degree murder of her husband, Daniel Brophy, on May 25, 2022; sentenced to 25 years to life.).
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