Dateline NBC “Murder in Kitchen One” November 25 2023 Recap & Preview
Dateline’s upcoming one-hour episode, titled “Murder in Kitchen One,” is scheduled to air on Saturday, November 25 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT. The episode delves into the case of Nancy Brophy, a romance novelist from Oregon, who was charged with the murder of her husband, Chef Dan Brophy, several years after she had written a blog post titled “How To Murder Your Husband.”
The report will be presented by Josh Mankiewicz and will feature interviews with key individuals involved in the case, including Portland Detectives Anthony Merrill and Darren Posey, Multnomah County Prosecutors Nicole Hermann and Shawn Overstreet, Dan Brophy’s son Nathaniel Stillwater, and more.
The events under scrutiny took place in Portland, Oregon, and the episode will provide a closer look at the investigation and the circumstances surrounding this intriguing case.
What Happened to Dan Brophy & Killer Nancy Brophy?
Daniel Craig Brophy was an American chef and culinary instructor. Tragically, he was found murdered at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, on June 2, 2018. His wife, Nancy Crampton-Brophy, faced charges related to his death and was ultimately found guilty of second-degree murder on May 25, 2022. She was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
The morning of June 2, 2018, saw Daniel Brophy leaving for work at the Oregon Culinary Institute, where he served as an instructor. Students later discovered his lifeless body in a kitchen, having fallen victim to two gunshots. His death was treated as a homicide.
Daniel Brophy’s murder involved him being shot at close range with a Glock pistol, which aligned with Crampton-Brophy’s purchase of gun parts. Video footage also showed her minivan near the crime scene, although she claimed no recollection of the trip due to retrograde amnesia stemming from the trauma of her husband’s murder.
Suspicion eventually turned toward Nancy Crampton-Brophy. She had relocated to Oregon in the early 1990s and attended the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland, where she met Daniel Brophy. During the initial investigation, she initially stated that she had walked the dogs and showered on the morning of the incident. However, in 2020, investigators uncovered traffic camera footage that showed her driving to and from the culinary school during a 13-minute window when the homicide occurred. Crampton-Brophy revised her account, claiming no memory of such a drive, suggesting it was possibly related to a forgotten coffee run due to the stress of the day’s events.
Nancy Crampton-Brophy’s background included a career as a novelist, with several self-published works. Intriguingly, she had authored an essay titled “How to Murder Your Husband” in which she explored various motives and methods for murder. This essay, while excluded from trial, was cited by the prosecution to illustrate themes related to the case.
Nancy Crampton-Brophy was indicted and brought to trial for her husband’s murder in April 2022. The prosecution built its case on circumstantial evidence, contending that her false statements about her whereabouts on the morning of the murder undermined her credibility. Prosecutors argued that she had financial motives, aiming to collect life insurance policies worth around $1.4 million and gain sole ownership of their $300,000 home. Forensic evidence indicated that Daniel Brophy had been shot by two bullets from a Glock pistol. The prosecution introduced evidence of Crampton-Brophy’s purchase of gun components, although she asserted that the purchases were made with her husband’s support and intended for research on a novel.
During the trial, Daniel Brophy’s son, Nathaniel Stillwater, testified, describing his father as an affectionate grandfather with a dry sense of humor. He mentioned that his father and stepmother appeared to have a good marriage and that they never discussed their relationship or finances with him.
Ultimately, Nancy Crampton-Brophy was convicted of second-degree murder on May 25, 2022, and received a life imprisonment sentence on June 14, 2022.
