Ashley Benefield was found guilty in ‘Black Swan’ manslaughter trial in death of husband

A jury found Ashley Benefield guilty on the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Ashley is facing 30 years in prison.

The courtroom was tense late Tuesday as former ballerina Ashley Benefield stood stony-faced, facing the jury’s verdict. She was found guilty of manslaughter in the case of her wealthy GOP donor husband, Doug Benefield, in what has become known as the “Black Swan murder” trial, according to Court TV.

After nearly seven hours of deliberation, the Manatee County jury concluded that the 33-year-old discharged the firearm that ended her estranged husband’s life on September 27, 2020, in what they deemed self-defence. Prosecutors had argued that she premeditated the murder, but the jury found her guilty of the lesser charge. The victim’s daughter, Eva, was seen in tears as the verdict was read.

Ashley Benefield maintained throughout the trial that her Navy veteran husband had attacked her the night of the shooting after arriving unannounced at her mother’s Lakewood Ranch home. The couple had met at a political event in August 2016, when Ashley was 24 and Doug, a professional in the defense and private equity sectors, was 54.

Their whirlwind romance led to marriage just 13 days later. Eva Benefield testified that the couple was inseparable, describing them as “very lovey-dovey” and constantly together at public events. However, the marriage quickly soured.

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About a year after tying the knot, the couple started a ballet company, which, according to Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell, was Ashley’s “dream.” Unfortunately, the business venture quickly collapsed. Ashley also became pregnant around the same time.

O’Donnell detailed the swift disintegration of their relationship during Ashley’s pregnancy. She moved from their South Carolina home to Florida to live with her mother, initiating a long-distance relationship that soon became strained. Ashley began lodging complaints of non-physical domestic abuse against Doug with local law enforcement.

Her defence attorney, Neil Taylor, painted a picture of a controlling and abusive Doug Benefield, alleging that he manipulated and intimidated Ashley. He claimed Doug once fired a gun into the ceiling to silence her, punched their dog unconscious, and carried a concealed firearm.

The situation escalated when Ashley did not inform Doug of their daughter Emerson’s birth, preventing him from seeing the child for six months, which led to a contentious custody battle. Doug was eventually granted visitation rights in July 2018, but the relationship remained irreparably damaged.

On the day of the incident, Doug was helping Ashley pack for a move to Maryland. According to the defense, the visit turned violent, with Doug allegedly angry over the impending end of their relationship. Ashley claimed he threatened and shoved her, prompting her to flee to a bedroom where she retrieved a gun. She testified that she shot Doug in self-defense as he advanced towards her, fearing for her life.

However, investigators found no evidence of physical abuse or immediate danger, noting that Doug was not facing Ashley when the shots were fired. Prosecutors argued that Ashley Benefield’s actions were not justifiable as self-defense. They suggested she killed Doug to gain sole custody of their daughter.

In the closing arguments, O’Donnell urged the jury to consider whether Ashley’s actions were “reasonable” and “necessary” for self-defense. The prosecution asserted that Ashley manipulated domestic violence claims to secure her goal of obtaining sole custody.

After the verdict was announced, the judge revoked Ashley Benefield’s $100,000 bond, remanding her into the custody of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date, with manslaughter in Florida carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.