Love is a beautiful thing. It’s the feeling that makes us want to do anything for our partner and gives meaning to our lives. But sometimes love can be more than we can handle—and that’s when things get dangerous.
In this list, we’ll look at 10 cases where love caused someone to kill.
Related: Top 10 Murderous Wives Ever
10 The Case of Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, 1960
The story of Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati is one of the most famous cases in India’s history. In 1959, an Indian naval commander named Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati shot and killed his wife’s lover. The case went to trial, and the Supreme Court found that Nanavati had committed premeditated murder.
This is what happened:
Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati and Sylvia Nanavati were married with two children. Being a commander in the Indian navy, Nanavati was usually away from home to fulfill his duties. On April 27, 1959, Nanavati returned home after work. His wife was acting weird and being distant. When Nanavati asked what was bothering her, Sylvia confessed that she was having an affair with another man named Ahuja.
Later that evening, Nanavati dropped off his family at a cinema before returning to his ship to retrieve a pistol. He then set off so he could confront Ahuja. He first went to Ahuja’s office. Not finding him there, he continued the search at Ahuja’s home, where an altercation happened.
Nanavati fired several shots, and Ahuja dropped dead. Nanavati turned himself into the Provost Marshal of the Western Naval Command, then the Deputy Commissioner of Police. The jury didn’t find him guilty of murder, but the Bombay High Court dismissed that decision and found him guilty of the murder of Prem Ahuja.
Nanavati filed an appeal before India’s Supreme Court. The issue, in this case, lies in whether it was a premeditated murder. The Supreme Court decided it was a pre-planned murder, sentencing Nanavati to life in prison.[1]
9 The Murder of Shradha Walkar, 2022
We should always be careful of who we trust. Shraddha Walkar’s partner, Aaftab Poonawala, murdered her. He allegedly dismembered her body and scattered the 35 pieces around Delhi forests.
Ever since the beginning of their relationship, Walkar’s family strongly opposed it. Poonawala, 28, and Walkar, 26, moved in together during the early stages of their relationship after initially meeting on a dating app. One day, in their shared home in South Delhi, the two had a heated argument regarding marriage. Days after that argument, Poonawala killed Walkar.
The case has become a media sensation, with the horrific details of the murder and dismemberment, police and family interviews, and news reporters inundating the news stories.[2]
8 The Murder of Kanpur Jyoti, 2014
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In 2014, Piyush Shyamadasani called the police to inform them that some unknown assailants on motorcycles had taken his wife, Kanpur Jyoti, away. Later, the police found a car with Jyoti in it at 2 am. She was lying there lifeless with 17 stab wounds.
Soon after, Shyamadasani admitted to the crime. He was arrested right after his confession. He had planned to do it earlier but was delayed because of the bad weather. Shyamadasani himself hired the “unknown assailants.” Awadesh, Renu, Sonu, and Ashish drove away with Jyoti and killed her in a secluded area. This was done to “free” Shyamadasani from his marriage so he could be with Makhija, his girlfriend.
On October 21, 2022, approximately eight years later, the Kanpur district court sentenced the four hired men, Shyamadasani, and Makhija to life in prison for murder, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence. This was another case in India that rocked the public, with a lot of media coverage over the callousness of the husband and the elaborate plan he concocted.[3]
7 The Case of Nikki Entzel, 2020
Nikki Entzel was accused of murder. The crime? Killing her husband, Chad Entzel, so she could be with her lover, Earl Howard. And to collect the insurance payout, of course. It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, but the girl is married, so girl and boy commit murder for love.
On January 2, 2020, Chad Entzel was found in his burning home. His body was found next to a propane heater. Nikki Entzel gave an alibi, claiming she was at a hotel when she called 911 to report the fire. Later, it was discovered that she was staying in the hotel with her lover, Earl Howard.
The autopsy revealed that Chad Entzel was already deceased when the home caught on fire. He sustained two fatal gunshot wounds. With the help of surveillance footage and phone records, the police determined that Nikki and Earl were involved in the crime. However, Nikki claimed that Howard was the sole killer, as she wasn’t in the room when the crime happened.
Howard was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Nikki was found guilty in October 2022 and sentenced to life in prison in February 2023. [4]
6 Ex-Spouse Crashes Thanksgiving Dinner, 2022
It’s the most beautiful time of the year… usually. Thanksgiving. Families gathered around to eat their favorite foods and give thanks for the blessings in their lives. But for one family in Houston, Thanksgiving turned into a nightmare when an ex-spouse fatally shot two people and injured two others at a holiday dinner.
According to Houston Police Chief Patricia Cantu, a man and a woman were declared dead at the scene. Another man was found in critical condition, and a 15-year-old was injured but, thankfully, was quickly hospitalized in stable condition.
According to Cantu, the family was attacked right after they finished their meal. The families were celebrating. The suspect was identified as the ex-husband of one of the victims. He had entered the house through the back door and opened fire. Police did not identify the suspect or make an immediate arrest. Still, according to Cantu, they believe that the perpetrator was formerly married to—and possibly in a dispute with—the woman who died.
Four other people were inside the house during the shooting, but fortunately, they were spared, and none were hurt. The shooter shot multiple rounds and even reloaded his weapon during the horrific crime.[5]
5 Lexington Man Arrested after Killing Wife, 2022
In this world, love is indeed a double-edged sword. It can make you feel like you’re walking on air and give you the strength to take on any challenge that comes your way. But sometimes, love can be so powerful that it causes people to do things they never thought they’d do—things that might even cost them their life.
On Wednesday, November 23, police received a call from a man named Stephon Henderson. He said he had shot his wife.
Once the police arrived at the scene, they found a woman’s body with multiple gunshot wounds. Henderson has been charged with murder-domestic violence and illegally possessing a firearm. It was later revealed that 47-year-old Talina Henderson had sought out an emergency protective order just days before her murder. However, it had yet to be granted.
Stephon Henderson pled not guilty to the charges in February 2023; his trial is still pending.[6]
4 An Author Who Wrote about a Murder Committed Murder, 2018
A true story of love and murder, told by an author who killed her husband.
Nancy Crampton Brophy, a romance author, was sentenced to life in prison in Oregon after being found guilty of killing her husband. She had written an essay titled “How to Murder Your Husband,” which described her exact crime. Her late husband, Daniel Brophy, was shot twice in the kitchen in June 2018.
The motive? A 1.5-million-dollar insurance payout. The jury argued that Nancy Crampton Brophy had the motive and means to murder her partner, as they showed that the couple was in financial trouble. She stood to profit financially from his death—with a big insurance payout. Although they never found the murder weapon, she was seen to have purchased a gun that matched the shells at the crime scene.
Nancy Crampton Brophy was a self-published author whose novels include The Wrong Husband and The Wrong Lover. Her steamy romance and suspense books were published online before she shot her husband.[7]
3 The Murder of John T. Conlin, 1931
One of the most effective ways to get away with murder is to convince someone else to do it. Sometimes, though, those conspiracy theories aren’t that far off from reality—like when a woman conspires with her lover to kill her husband so they can be together.
John T. Conlin, 45, was shot in the spine, crippling him, only a short distance from his apartment. After being discovered, doctors offered him a best-case scenario of 30 days to live, but he slipped into a coma.
As soon as his wife, Amy,40, learned of his shooting, she sobbed hysterically. However, it would soon be revealed that it was all an act. The discovery of letters written by another man and addressed to Amy by investigators resulted in the capture of a suspect. James De Pew, 22, admitted to having an extramarital affair with Amy to the police.
A few months later, Conlin woke from his coma and was able to identify De Pew as the man who shot him. However, he would not fully recover, dying from his wounds about seven months after the shooting.
Armed with the victim’s identification and the letters, De Pew eventually admitted to shooting Conlin during a fake robbery to fund his and Amy’s eventual escape. Although John De Pew and Amy Conlin were accused of shooting her husband, Amy left the court scot-free. De Pew was sentenced to 30 years to life.[8]
2 Woman Killed after Exposing Husband’s Affair, 2022
A 38-year-old mechanic was arrested on Monday after he allegedly murdered his wife for exposing an affair that he had been having.
Police said the woman, who was 28 years old when she died, had been taken to Kajang Hospital unconscious by her husband on Raya eve. She passed away later that evening. The medical officer filed a police report after finding the death suspicious. Kajang district police chief, Zaid Hassan, said that the woman had bruises all over her body. She also sustained blunt-force trauma to the head.
He said the husband was angry with his wife for exposing his affair on social media, and the police had uncovered evidence of this during their investigation. The case is still pending in a Malaysian court.[9]
1 Singapore Man Beats Wife to Death, 2020
Cui Bingtao, a Singaporean man, was found guilty of the murder of his wife, Liang Hsiao-ying. His case is just one example of how love can cause people to do the unthinkable.
Twenty-five-year-old Cui Huan was given a seven-year prison term and nine canings. He pulled his wife to the ground and then pummeled her as she curled up on the concrete; he was furious that she was having an affair with a work colleague.
He kicked Liang three or four times in the back of the head and neck, causing her to fall and smash her head on the ground. During the beating, he threatened to divorce her once he returned to China. The woman suddenly stopped breathing, and the doctors later declared her dead on arrival.[1]
