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Verdict expected Wednesday morning in trial of romance novelist Nancy Crampton Brophy

The trial of Nancy Crampton Brophy is wrapping up. Jury deliberations started Tuesday, after the defense and prosecution gave closing arguments.

PORTLAND, Ore. — A verdict is expected at 11:40 a.m. Wednesday in the trial of romance novelist Nancy Crampton Brophy, according to an announcement from the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The trial began to wrap up up this week, with jury deliberations starting Tuesday. The prosecution finished their rebuttal to the defense's closing arguments Tuesday morning.

In the last few weeks, jurors have heard from law enforcement, friends of the Brophys, family members and doctors in Crampton Brophy's trial. The jury also heard from an inmate who had been incarcerated with Crampton Brophy, who testified that the romance novelist seemed to slip up when describing how her husband was killed.

The prosecution outlined what they think is the motive in the murder of Daniel Brophy — primarily money, they argued. The state says that Crampton Brophy was set to gain a large amount of life insurance money from her husband's death.

"Nancy is guilty of murdering her husband and it's now up to you to deliver the justice for chef Dan Brophy and the rest of the Brophy family," prosecutor Shawn Overstreet said.

RELATED: Nancy Brophy's testimony in murder trial ends after prosecution questioning

The defense told jurors the couple did not have lingering money issues, arguing that Crampton Brophy loved her husband too much to murder him.

"The love that Nancy and Dan had for each other, it was no mere possibility, it was the best proven fact in the trial," defense attorney Kristen Winemiller said.

Daniel Brophy was shot and killed back in June of 2018 while he was working at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Surveillance videos caught Crampton Brophy's van in the area of the culinary institute the morning of the murder. Crampton Brophy later admitted to being in the area on the morning of the murder, but told jurors repeatedly she did not kill her husband — attributing much of the circumstantial evidence in the case to her research for a book she planned to write.

The judge told jurors in order to get a guilty verdict, the votes have to be unanimous.

RELATED: Nancy Crampton Brophy discusses financial troubles, 'ghost gun' research during murder trial testimony

 

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