Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
A Florida ballerina named Ashley Benefield is on trial for killing her husband, Doug Benefield, at her mother’s house in Florida in September 2020. Several outlets reported that she shot Doug multiple times and alleged that he attacked her first. Despite her claims, authorities arrested Ashley Benefield for the murder of her husband. The ongoing trial, which is now being called the Black Swan Murder Trial, came forward with startling details about their married life and how it became sour.
People Magazine reported that Doug met Ashley in 2016 during a Republican party fundraiser and tied the knot just 13 days after meeting each other. At the time, she was a ballerina, while Doug was a Navy veteran and a technology consultant. With the help of her husband, Ashley fulfilled the dream of opening a ballet company called The American National Ballet. However, things didn’t go as planned, and the venture turned out to be a failure. Meanwhile, the former ballerina got pregnant, and their relationship became more complicated.
That’s when Ashley Benefield decided to move to her mother in Florida. Per People Magazine, although the duo maintained a long-distance relationship, their marriage started deteriorating after Ashley’s complaints. Moreover, she didn’t tell him about the child’s birth, and Doug only got to know about his daughter when Ashley filed a restraining order against him. On the day of the murder, Doug reportedly visited Ashley to help her and their daughter to move to Maryland.
Black Swan Murder Trial: What happened to Doug Benefield?
In her testimony, Ashley Benefield stated that Doug Benefield helped her pack before relocating to Maryland. She told her estranged husband that her things should go in last so they could easily get them out of the truck. However, Doug became agitated when Ashley confronted him for mixing their items. She also accused Doug of body-checking her while helping her to pack boxes.
Citing her testimony, FOX13 News stated, “I just blurted it out and said ‘I’m done. And you need to leave now.” However, the situation got tense when Ashley alleged that Doug hit her first. Meanwhile, while cross-examining, the prosecution team had asked her if Doug Benefield hit her before that day, to which she replied, “No.”
The accused also mentioned that she ran to her room and grabbed a gun. The victim was standing in the doorway when Ashley Benefield fired multiple shots and killed him. Moreover, she claimed that she didn’t know the exact number of shots fired that day.
The next hearing in the Black Swan murder trial is reportedly going to take place on Monday, July 29, 2024.
