A former ballerina, Ashley Benefield has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting death of her estranged husband, Doug Benefield, in 2020.
This sentencing came after a jury found Benefield guilty of manslaughter, having originally faced charges of second-degree murder.
The jury deliberated for around seven hours before arriving at their decision.
The fatal shooting took place following a heated argument between Ashley, 33 and Doug Benefield, 58, during which Ashley grabbed a gun in what she claimed was self-defense.
Court documents reveal that Doug had become physical with Ashley, blocking her exit and pursuing her into her bedroom. When he allegedly moved toward her, she fired.
After the incident, Ashley Benefield, clearly distraught, ran to a neighbor’s house with the gun still in her possession.
During the trial, Benefield’s defense argued that she acted in self-defense, highlighting the abusive nature of their relationship.
They pointed to past incidents of domestic violence, including Doug’s history of carrying firearms and his intimidating behavior.
Ashley also revealed that she sought injunctions in 2018 and 2020 to prevent her husband from seeing their child, citing abuse allegations.
No criminal charges were filed against Doug Benefield, and the latter case against him was ongoing at the time of his death.
The highly publicized trial, referred to as the “Black Swan trial,” raised questions about whether the act was intentional or truly self-defense.
However, prosecutors contended that the shooting was not justified.During the trial, the defense raised two claims of juror misconduct: one juror allegedly failed to disclose information that could indicate bias, while another was accused of sharing trial information via cell phone.
Circuit court judge Matthew Whyte dismissed both claims.
Ashley Benefield was found not guilty of murder but was convicted of manslaughter, which comes with a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Along with the prison sentence, Judge Whyte ordered 10 years of probation for Benefield, during which she is required to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment.
The court also mandated the forfeiture of the gun used in the shooting.
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