A romance novelist accused of killing her husband previously wrote an essay entitled "How To Murder Your Husband," The Oregonian reported on Tuesday. Nancy Crampton Brophy, 68, was accused of killing her husband, Daniel Brophy, 63, last week.
Crampton Brophy apparently wrote the guide to murdering one's spouse in 2011, according to The Oregonian. The essay spanned some 700 words and was published on the website See Jane Publish. The since-deleted piece reportedly included sections on motives and possible weapons.
"As a romantic suspense writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about murder, and, consequently, about police procedure," one portion read, according to the paper. "After all, if the murder is supposed to set me free, I certainly don't want to spend any time in jail."
"I find it easier to wish people dead than to actually kill them," another portion said, according to The Oregonian. "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."
Before her arrest, Crampton Brophy had self-published romance novels including Hell on the Heart and The Wrong Husband. She is accused of shooting and killing her husband, a chef at the Oregon Culinary Institute, on June 2. His body was found by students at the school, WPTV-TV reported.
Brophy was arrested last week and faced charges of murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Portland Police did not immediately disclose a potential motive for the crime.
The author has also made other now-seemingly eerie comments in the past. In an interview in 2012, Crampton Brophy told the blog "Romancing the Genres" what drew her to the genre she chose to write.
"Murder, mayhem and gore seem to come naturally to me," she said at the time, according to People magazine. "Which means my husband has learned to sleep with one eye open."
Prior to her arrest, Crampton Brophy apparently mourned the loss of her husband in a Facebook post, writing that she was "struggling to make sense of everything right now," according to People.
"I've known her 30 years, I can't imagine," said Tania Medlin, a friend of the couple, according to WPTV. "I just don't think she's capable."
On her website, Crampton Brophy wrote that she is "married to a Chef whose mantra is: life is a science project." The website includes an anecdote about when she decided to marry her husband and when she knew he was "Mr. Right."
"Like all marriages, we've had our ups and downs, more good times and bad," the website says.
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