‘How To Murder Your Husband’ Writer’s Trial for Killing Her Husband Paused Due to COVID

The murder trial of a self-published romance novelist accused of killing her husband has been paused because of a COVID-19 exposure in the courtroom.

Nancy Crampton-Brophy, 71, was arrested in 2018 for the fatal shooting of her husband, 63-year-old chef Dan Brophy, at the Oregon Culinary Institute where he worked, as CrimeOnline has previously reported.

Her trial began on April 4, and prosecutors rested their case on Thursday, KOIN said. At that point, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Ramras said the trial would go on break and that the defense would begin its presentation on Wednesday.

But on Friday, the court announced that someone in the courtroom tested positive for COVID and that the trial would not resume until May 2.

Investigators say that Crampton Brophy shot her husband of 27 years twice in the back on June 2, 2018, in order to collect on a more than $1 million insurance payment as her writing career faltered.

Some of her titles have included “The Wrong Husband” and “The Wrong Lover” and a 2011 essay called “How to Murder Your Husband.”

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Nancy Crampton Brophy, left, is seen in court during her trial in Portland, Oregon on April 5, 2022. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP, Pool)]