A romantic novelist whose husband was brutally gunned down at the college where he worked is standing trial for murder.

Nancy Crampton-Brophy, author of “How to Murder Your Husband” has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her husband, Daniel Brophy.

At around 7:30 a.m. on June 2, 2018, Brophy was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds at the Oregon Culinary Institute where he worked.

He should have been alone in a kitchen when he was killed, and there were no obvious suspects.

There were no signs of a struggle and no signs of robbery, a police report said. Brophy still had his wallet, phone, and car keys with him, when he was found.

The following day, Crampton-Brophy, wrote on Facebook: “For my Facebook friends and family, I have sad news to relate. My husband and best friend, Chef Dan Brophy was killed yesterday morning.”

She told police she had been at home when her husband was killed, but was later arrested after police found evidence that she had been near the college

According to court documents Crampton-Brophy, 71, stood to gain $1.4million (£1.07m) from her husband’s death. She had allegedly asked cops to provide her with a letter confirming that she wasn’t a suspect in her husband’s murder so she could collect on his life insurance policy.

A police report suggests that the couple had been struggling financially at the time of Brophy’s death.

In court this week, Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Shawn Overstreet told the jury that Crampton Brophy had been "motivated by greed and a $1.4 million insurance policy".

Speaking for the defence, Lisa Maxfield said Crampton Brophy had suffered greatly over the past couple of years, and that there was no substance to the prosecution's claim that she had profited from her husband's death.

At the start of the trial this week, Judge Christopher Ramras ordered that Crampton-Brophy’s essay, “How to Murder Your Husband” would be excluded from evidence.

In the 2011 essay, she wrote: “As a romantic suspense writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about murder and, consequently, about police procedure.

"After all, if the murder is supposed to set me free, I certainly don’t want to spend any time in jail.”

But Judge Ramras said: ”Any minimal probative value of an article written that long ago is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice and confusion of the issues”.

The trial is expected to last seven weeks in Portland, Oregon.

A man who managed to fight off four crocodiles after he fell into a pond at a sewage farm in Zimbabwe believes he may have killed one of them.

Alexander Chimedza, from Nyamunga in Kariba, was trying to collect worms to use as fishing bait and, as he put his hand into a clump of weeds to look for some, he was grabbed by a waiting croc.

"The crocodiles must have been waiting for me because the moment I just touched the weeds, I was attacked,” he said.

“First, one of them tried to grab my left hand, but I instinctively dodged, but another one grabbed my right hand."

Alexander was pulled into the murky water, where one of the crocodiles tried to kill him with the notorious “death roll” manoeuvre.

"I realised that my hand would break if I resisted,” he told All Africa,

“So, I allowed my hand to go in the direction it turned."

A third beast latched onto Alexander’s thigh and a fourth croc joined in the feeding frenzy, biting his ankle and destroying his achilles tendon.

Luckily some of Alexander’s fishing buddies were nearby and they tried to help out, pelting the crocodiles with rocks.

Meanwhile, Alexander was trying to get his hand into one of the crocodiles’ throats. Crocodiles have a “palatal valve” that prevents water from flooding their stomachs when they dive.

While experts recommend going for the croc’s eyes if you are bitten, an attack on the palatal valve is an effective last resort.

"As I thrust my hand into the crocodile's mouth, some of the stones that were being thrown from outside must have hit the crocodile," Alexander said.

"That, coupled with the large volumes of water that flowed into its mouth must have led to its death because it let me go and I saw it seeming lifeless afterward."

After he had managed to shrug off the crocodile that had hold of his arm, Alexander made his way closer to the bank where his mates were able to pull him to safety.

By a lucky coincidence, an ambulance was passing by and the group managed to flag it down so Alexander could be taken to Mutenderi Hospital, just across the Zambian border.

He underwent emergency surgery, having five metal plates inserted into his body to help knit his broken bones. Most of them will be removed once the bones are healed but one, a platinum plate in his shoulder, will be a permanent reminder of his lucky escape.

He had numerous other procedures during his 40-day hospital stay, including extensive reconstructive surgery on his achilles tendon.

Alexander has now returned home, where his wife Primrose is looking after him while he tries to regain his mobility.

Very few people will be able to boast that they were set upon by four crocodiles and survive, and to successfully fight one to the death is a rare and possibly unique achievement.

nairamaniac:
Op ogbiwa, was hulk Hogan in rocky 3?

MadamVanessa:






It's not a big deal. I have lost count of how many times I have sent money , huge amount to him when I was doing that shit called boyfriend. But men are not to be trusted. I rather use my money and got myself quality dildos. Dildos has never disappointed me yet, and there's sign that it going to disappoint me. Maximum orgasm is what I am getting.

Victory in Toronto means Canada are assured of finishing in one of the top three places in the final stage of Concacaf qualifying for Qatar 2022.

Their last World Cup appearance came at Mexico 1986, where they finished bottom of their group without scoring.

Cyle Larin and Tajon Buchanan put Canada 2-0 up at half-time before Junior Hoilett and an Adrian Mariappa own goal sealed the victory.

It led to joyous celebrations from the sell-out crowd at BMO Field as Canada clinched World Cup qualification for only the second time.

English coach John Herdman, who led the Canadian women's team to successive Olympic bronze medals in 2012 and 2016, has guided Les Rouges to Qatar in his first qualifying campaign in charge.

"We just qualified for the World Cup, this is a legit football country," said Herdman, who last worked in England as an academy coach at Sunderland more than 20 years ago.

"When I first took over and I said, 'We're going to qualify for the World Cup', I don't think they believed us. I'm happy for them because all of these fans have waited and waited and waited, and hung in with us - and we're going.

"I think this country never believed in us because we've given them nothing to believe in. They believe now.

"This is the time for everyone to get behind football and unite because we can be a powerhouse."

The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama are all in contention for the final two automatic Concacaf qualification spots for the 2022 World Cup, which starts on 21 November.

Mexico and the US, who face El Salvador and Costa Rica respectively on Wednesday, need only a draw from their final qualification game to book their spots in Qatar.

Costa Rica, in fourth place, would need a big win against the US and for results to go their way to finish in the top three.

The fourth-placed country in the eight-team table earns a play-off against the winner of Wednesday's final of Oceania qualifying between the Solomon Islands and New Zealand.

MadamVanessa:



So for this period of months she was pregnant was she still menstruating, didn't she observed that things were changing in her body? I am confused

A Cardiff mum claims she didn't know she was pregnant until she woke up needing to go to the toilet then gave birth in the middle of the night.

Nicola Thomas had gone to bed the night before after experiencing some discomfort but put it down to her period, which had continued to have throughout her surprise pregnancy.

The 36-year-old took some paracetamol, continued with household chores like doing the washing, and put the children to bed before going to sleep herself, Wales Online reports.

But at around 3am on March 15, when she woke up was woken up by her three-year-old daughter Blayke needing to go to the bathroom, things took an unexpected turn.

It was only when she started pushing where she was that she was quickly confronted with the reality of the situation: she was in labour.

She said: "I just put my hands down there and felt the baby's head."

Nicola then had to ask Blayke to wake her 14-year-old sister Ellis in order to help deliver the baby.

Nicola said: "She delivered the baby, checked the cord wasn't wrapped around her neck. I'm hoping she'll be a midwife now when she's older."

Despite Nicola's hopes for her eldest's future she said Ellis was far too shocked and put off by the experience to ever repeat the situation but successfully delivered her new sister Baylee-Rae who weighed in at 6lb 15oz.

An ambulance swiftly arrived at the home where the paramedics also shared their disbelief at the surprise birth.

After a five-day stint in hospital, completing all necessary checks as Nicola hadn't known to attend pre-natal scans, mother and baby are both well and home adjusting to their new life.

Nicola said: "I just had no idea. With the other two [pregnancies] I was so unwell – I had morning sickness, I was just sick so much with the first two, and this time nothing. It's just nuts it is.

"I'm staying with my mum this week just getting used to it, having a three-year-old going back and forth to nursery as well."

Nicola's family have all been quick to get on board and help out following the surprise delivery, buying all new baby clothes and items that most parents have months to get together.

"I'd chucked it all [from before] out so my family members have been rushing around getting everything."