A jury has found romance novelist Nancy Crampton-Brophy guilty of murder in the second degree in the death of her husband, 63-year-old Daniel Brophy, a chef at the Oregon Culinary Institute in 2018.
She will be sentenced on Monday, June 13.
Family members say they are feeing relief that the trial is finally over, and that justice has been served. However, they say it has been especially hard for them since both Daniel and Nancy were part of the family.
"I had a struggle believing Nancy," Daniel's mother, Karen Brophy, said. "She was our daughter in law for a long time. When she was arrested it was a surprise to us. Until we found out she hadn't been truthful with us either."
There was very little reaction from Crampton Brophy when Multnomah County Judge Christopher Ramras announced the jury's verdict.
Family members were in the courtroom to hear the verdict.
"That was our prayer. We had a lof of people praying for us. All over the country. I'm very very grateful," said Karen Brophy, Daniel's mother.
While challenging, Karen Brophy says the trial also has been a heartwarming experience, letting people know what a great guy her son was, and learning so many people in Portland thought of him that way.
"Very very thankful everything has turned out the way it has. It's been a long three and a half years," Karen Brophy said.
Defense Attorney Kristn Winemiller said during closing arguments that prosecutors presented an interesting theory about what happened, but had no hard evidence.
You can watch the verdict below:
The prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments in the trial on Monday after 25 days of testimony.
Investigators say students and staff found Brophy's body at the Oregon Culinary Institute on the morning of June 2, 2018.
Two days later, hundreds showed up at a vigil to honor the Beaverton man. Crampton-Brophy was there, too. She spoke about her late husband, saying, "Dan was one of the very few people I've known that did exactly what he wanted in life and loved doing it."
Police arrested Nancy and charged her with Daniel's murder three months later. She pleaded not guilty.
After a lengthy delay during the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial began in early April.
While on the stand, Crampton-Brophy discussed the night of her husband's death as well as the time of her arrest.
Crampton-Brophy originally said she was home at the time of the killing, but prosecutors showed surveillance video of her minivan driving near the institute around the time her husband was shot and killed in June 2018.
Her lawyers say they plan to appeal.