Former ballerina Ashley Benefield has been found guilty of manslaughter after she was arrested for her husband’s murder. The verdict was announced in a Florida court, with a sentencing hearing set for a later time. The former ballerina has now been dubbed the “Black Swan.”
As the trial swept the nation’s headlines, it is now mostly referred to as the “Black Swan Murder Trial.” The moniker came from the 2010 film “Black Swan,” in which American actress Natalie Portman played the protagonist. The movie plot focuses on a ballerina who is in the middle of a psychological breakdown.
The Jury’s Decision in the Ashley Benefield Case
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Benefield was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury of peers in a Manatee County courtroom. When Ashley Benefield was originally arrested for the death of her husband, she was charged with second-degree homicide.
However, upon trial, a jury found her innocent of murder charges but guilty of manslaughter charges. After the verdict was announced, Benefield was ordered to remain in the custody of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office until her sentencing was passed. Additionally, the court removed the $100,000 bond it had issued earlier.
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For context, in September 2020, during the lockdown, Ashley Benefield was arrested for shooting her husband, Doug Benefield. The incident had happened in Benefield’s mother’s Lakewood Ranch home.
The Prosecutors’ Argument in Ashley Benefield’s Trial
According to prosecutors, Ashley Benefield had murdered her husband over their child’s custody. The prosecutor stated that Benefield, who was already separated from her husband, wanted sole custody of them. They claimed this was because she no longer wanted Doug to be involved in either her or their child’s life.
During the opening arguments of the trial, Suzanne O’Donnell, the Assistant State Attorney, said, “This case is about a woman who very early on in her pregnancy decided she wanted to be a single mother.”
Facing the jury, O’Donnell added, “And she did not want the father of this child to have any visitation [and] … she would not stop at nothing to obtain that goal.” Prosecutors further claimed that Benefield wanted to rid her of Doug, which prompted her accusations of Doug being an emotional manipulator.
They also claimed that this was the reason behind Benefield’s claim that Doug allegedly poisoned her with heavy metals.
The Defense Statement
In response to the allegations by the prosecutors, Benefield’s attorney, Neil Taylor, claimed that the fatal shooting was born out of self-defense and wasn’t premeditated. Taylor said, “Thirty years older than Ashley, he was obsessed with her, and he successfully portrayed himself as he was not to win her hand in marriage.”
Additionally, Taylor claimed that although Doug presented himself as a gentleman, he was the exact opposite. Taylor described Doug as a manipulative and abusive man who pushed for complete control over Ashley Benefield’s life.
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According to reports, Doug and Ashley Benefield met for the first time in 2016 at a Republican party fundraiser. When they met, Benefield was a ballet dancer while Doug was a Navy veteran and technology consultant.
They got married 13 days after they met. At the time, Ashley Benefield was 24 years old, while Doug was 54. Subsequently, after their wedding, Benefield became pregnant with their child. However, this was to be the couple’s high point as things began going downhill.
Prosecutors claimed that when Benefield gave birth, Doug was kept out of the loop until she filed a restraining order against him. According to court documents, Benefield and Doug had battled for visitation rights until he was granted in July 2018.
What Happened to Ashley Benefield’s Husband?
On September 27, 2020, Doug visited Benefield’s mother’s home in Central Park, Florida, to assist his estranged wife in relocating. Benefield was planning to relocate to Maryland with their daughter, and so was Doug.
Soon after, police responded to a 911 call and found Doug fatally shot on a bedroom floor, bleeding in three places. Ashley told police her husband had tried to attack her, and she had shot him in self-defense. The authorities stated that the incident, where Benefield shot Doug multiple times, occurred around 7 p.m.
After shooting Doug, Benefield went to her neighbor’s house, where the 911 call was made. Subsequently, when the Manatee Sheriff’s deputies discovered Doug alive in a bedroom with two gunshot wounds, one in his leg and one in his chest.
According to the criminal complaint, the bullet also slightly injured Doug’s right arm. The wall contained four .45 caliber handgun casings and two more bullets embedded in it. Following his transfer to a nearby hospital, Doug passed away from his wounds.
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Who is Ashley Benefield?
Ashley Benefield is the founder of the now-defunct American National Ballet in Charleston, South Carolina. She made headlines after she was arrested for the murder of her estranged husband.
Ashley Benefield attended the Maryland Youth Ballet and graduated. After the guilty verdict, Doug’s cousin said, “The sound was as good as the sight, and she was put in handcuffs.”
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