Daniel Brophy
Chef Daniel Brophy was murdered at the Oregon Culinary Institute. His wife Nancy, a romance novelist who wrote an essay called 'How to Murder Your Husband,' was convicted of his murder.
- Status
- Conviction
- Type
- Homicide
- Date
- June 2, 2018
- Location
- Portland, Oregon
- Age
- 63
- Gender
- Male
- Decade
- 2010s
- Open
- Partly resolved
- Charges or trial
- ClosedConviction
At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
Case background and investigation
On June 2, 2018, chef and instructor Daniel Brophy was found shot dead in the kitchen of the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland where he taught early morning classes.
Investigation revealed that his wife Nancy Crampton Brophy, a self-published romance novelist, had purchased a gun and a ghost gun kit in the months before the murder. Surveillance footage placed her near the culinary school at the time of the killing.
Nancy had written a blog post in 2011 titled 'How to Murder Your Husband,' in which she discussed various methods and motives for spousal murder. The trial judge excluded the essay from evidence, ruling it inadmissible on the first day of trial.
Nancy Brophy was convicted of second-degree murder on May 25, 2022 and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Prosecutors argued the motive was financial, pointing to life insurance policies totaling about $1.4 million.
Timeline
-
June 2, 2018Daniel Brophy found shot at Oregon Culinary Institute.
-
May 25, 2022Nancy Brophy convicted of murder.
Sources
References used for this entry. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information. To report an error, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
About this entry
This case is recorded as conviction and is kept in the index for its historical and investigative significance. At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Entry last updated September 29, 2026.
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