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[Music] morning and now the trial of the former ballerina accused of shooting and
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killing her arranged husband is set to begin Ashley Benfield is on trial for the murder of her husband in the
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so-called Black Swan murder case after so long since the murder I was really excited a little bit anxious about the
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trial that we were finally going to get some answers okay bring the jury when you think of the term Black Swan
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you think of the movie Black Swan I definitely think it was app for this case because you have somebody who
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the prosecution is claiming is a f FAL the former ballerina and bikini model married 54-year-old Doug Benfield
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after a whirlwind 13-day romance on the early evening of September 27th 2020 Ashley Benfield was
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scared to death and felt she had no choice but to defend herself I could see how upset he was getting I was trying to
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get him to leave he is simmering when he arrives at Ashley's home he's on a slow
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boil actually because he knows that this relationship is over he started screaming at me he said I don't have to
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leave I can stay and spend the night if I want to cuz I'm your husband Doug Benfield viewed Ashley Benfield as his
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property he said you can't fing leave me then what happens he hit me in the side of the
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head I ran where to my room Ashley did you have anything in your room that could protect you I had my
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gun Doug was standing in the doorway his face was red like the veins were bulging in his
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neck way he was looking at me he didn't even look like Doug I held the gun like in front of me and I I said
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stop he started coming towards me and then he lunged at me there was a effort by the defense to paint Ashley as the
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victim and the thing is dog is the victim in this case dog was the one that was murdered you say he slapped you
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he hit me was his hand open or closed I don't remember this was an act you grab your
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firearm is it in a holster uh I don't remember somebody has a story and when it's not true and you
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call them on the details they often say I don't remember so he lunched was his fist up when he lch I don't
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want I believe Ashley Beni was an abused woman she just came over her strength husband attacked her and she says she
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shot him deadly force was absolutely Justified under the circumstances whenever the defendant
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takes a stand in a criminal case it is always a huge risk it's either you are acquitted or you walk yourself right
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into prison I thought he was going to kill me there was nowhere to go I was trapped
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[Music] [Music] after nearly 4 years the trial of Ashley Benefield the former ballerina charged
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with second-degree murder for shooting her estranged husband Doug began in the summer of 2024
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Ashley in the leadup to the trial a small group appeared near the courthouse to support Ashley's claims of
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self-defense we stand with Ashley outside the manity county courthouse this morning a group showing solidarity
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for Ashley Benfield among the supporters was Ashley's mother Alicia and Ashley and
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Doug's six-year-old daughter Emerson who stopped to speak to a reporter it feels
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like I'm standing up for the right thing and but I'm doing the right thing for her Emerson's public show of support
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caught the attention of her half sister Doug's daughter Eva Benfield well there's a lot of things that I could say
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Eva known as Eva the freaking Diva on Tik Tok let her half million followers know just how she felt so I think that
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we should probably stop shoving cameras in six-year-olds faces when they have no
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idea what's going on lead prosecutor suzan O'Donnell say she believes Ashley killed Doug to guarantee she'd always be
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number one in Emerson's life I think Ashley wanted sole custody of her child and was very afraid that she was going
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to lose custody altogether in her opening statement to jurors odonnell outlined the state's theory of the case
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this was a custody battle that this mother was going to win at all costs and the cost was the life of Doug
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Benfield and that is murder there were allegations defense lawyer Neil Taylor Made his argument that Ashley shot Doug
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in self-defense after he physically assaulted her Douglas Benfield was a violent
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abuser Ashley benfield's efforts to Plate him was absolutely consistent with what Abused women do for
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the first time ever Ashley would tell a jury what she says happened that night how are you feeling this morning Ashley
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nervous all right try the best you can relax and we'll get through this okay the trial took place in Bradenton
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Florida near where Ashley was living with her mother when she killed Doug it was the culmination of a long and
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complicated relationship and it goes all the way back to when they met back in 2016 in 2016 Doug was living in
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Charleston South Carolina and was a consultant for technology companies at 54 years old Doug was 30 years older
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than Ashley but as she told the jury she was still smitten with him he was funny uh very
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smart Charming um we just instantly clicked the couple met at a political dinner at the time Ashley was working in
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the Sarasota campaign office of Donald Trump and sometimes helped stir up the crowds at his
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rallies Ashley had also done some swimsuit modeling and for a time had danced with the Marilyn Youth
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Ballet only 13 days after meeting they married a lot of people ask why did he marry her so fast Doug's civil attorney
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Stephanie Murphy I mean come on when Doug first met her she was every single bit as beautiful as those modeling
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photos will show she was a knockout describe for us the man you thought you'd marry um he was very loving and
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attentive um we led a lot and he made me feel very special and loved Doug invited almost no one to the
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wedding not even his teenage daughter Eva he loves this girl his 15-year-old daughter he goes and gets married and
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doesn't even tell her yep Tommy Benfield is Doug's cousin it's bewildering I would have talked him out
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of it Eva certainly would have talked him out of it Eva was still dealing with an un
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unable trauma 9 months earlier her mother Doug's then wife had died it was Eva who discovered the body of
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56-year-old Renee Benfield in their home dead from an undiagnosed heart ailment after my mom died he really took
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kind of a motherly role along with a fatherly role and he made his daughter a promise and I said are you going to
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remarry are you going to start dating are you going to have other kids it's like what's going to happen and he said
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no Eva I'm here for you I don't plan on doing any of that but just 9 months later Doug told
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his daughter he had married his new girlfriend that's a lot it is a lot Doug encouraged Ashley to try to mother a
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reluctant Eva who was only 9 years younger he basically told her that I needed somebody I needed a motherly role
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in my life and I didn't think that I needed that Ashley would later tell jurors there was tension in the house
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and just months into their marriage the couple had a major argument about Eva he
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pulled the gun out and held it to his head he said that he was going to blow his brains out and I was going to have
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to watch him and he pulled the trigger and he shut a hole in the ceiling in the kitchen Doug's friend trip cormany
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remembers was Doug being embarrassed when he told trip that he fired a gun in the house in his words he said I I did
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the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life but even that did not end the relationship instead 2 days later Doug
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and Ashley went ahead with a formal wedding reception the newlyweds were also planning for the future Ashley had
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a grand plan to create a National Ballet company I don't know the Doug could spell ballet before he met Ashley and
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they wanted to start a family you know when you love somebody what do you want to do you want to make her
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[Music] happy even though there was a growing tension at home between between Ashley
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and Eva he promised me that things things were going to be okay eventually Doug went ahead with helping
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Ashley follow her dream establishing a ballet company in Charleston with a unique
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Mission Athena nicolopoulos interviewed with Ashley and loved what she heard about her vision for the new company the
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American national ballet she didn't want a cookie cutter company she wanted girls
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that were tall girls that were short as they worked to get the company off the ground Ashley focused on her other
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dream becoming a mother there was one problem Doug had a vasectomy but he agreed to have It reversed and before
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long Ashley was pregnant how did that sit with you it didn't sit well at all he said he wasn't
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planning on doing any of that so this kind of felt like another stab in the back
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in the summer of 2017 some 40 dancers from all over the world began arriving in Charleston to work with Ashley but
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Ashley was nowhere to be found we get there and we're like where is she and Doug announces that she's bedridden with
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a really difficult pregnancy at the end of August Ashley went back to Florida to
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live with her mother while Doug tried to make the ballet work in Charleston we decided together he said that he
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couldn't take care of me he was too busy and that my mom could take care of me better so I was happy to go but one
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September evening when Doug was out Ashley and her mother came back to the house in Charleston Ashley would tell
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the jury about that night I had decided that I was going to leave him and so I went back to get my things and left him
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a letter saying why I was leaving in the letter Ashley called dug possessive controlling and manipulating she wrote
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about that incident where he'd shot a hole in the ceiling in the kitchen and wrote that his behavior has left me
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fearful for my life and safety as well as that of my unborn child she told the jury why she was so
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afraid of him he would throw things or break things or smash things he would come at me like he was
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going to hit me he told me I was lucky that he punched walls instead of me nearly a year after
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Doug's death we spoke to his family lawyer Stephanie Murphy about the letter Ashley left duck I really think that
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Ashley thought that that was going to be it just pack up her stuff leave a note and it was going to be over but the
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letter didn't deter Doug he sent text after text begging Ashley to reconsider instead she reported Doug to the
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authorities she got Child Protective Services involved from Florida Ashley told police
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that Doug had anger issues and was violent investigators interviewed Eva I was constantly having people come
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up to my door and questioning if my dad was a good dad and it just made me so angry because he
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was after an investigation Doug was cleared but Ashley began asking questions about the death of Doug's
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previous wife wife Eva's mother Renee Ashley texted Doug wait what did she die of again Doug told her that
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Renee had a 75% artery blockage Ashley I thought I have heard you say something about medications or something like bad
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drugs Doug's cousin Tommy says Ashley told him she thought Doug had poisoned Renee what was your reaction you must
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have been like why it's out of left field I've read the autopsy report it's clear died of a heart attack essentially
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but Ashley who said she was more nauseous than she would have expected as a pregnant woman was
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suspicious ashy believe that Doug has been poisoning her while she was pregnant with their daughter they were
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both big tea fans and she hearkened back to the times that Doug was bringing her
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tea in bed after she left him Doug sent her a package of tea for her birthday when I opened it there's an
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overwhelming smell like a real strong chemical smell and I got like an instant headache did you reported to the police
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yes according to a detective it was determined that the substance that was mailed to the victim was just tea what
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was the result no charges by the start of 2018 Doug closed the ballet and was out of communication with
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Ashley but he wanted to be part of his new baby's life and asked Stephanie to send Ashley a letter allowing him to be
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there for the birth instead the next day Ashley checked into the hospital without
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telling Doug it was 3 weeks before her due date she was at Tampa General Hospital claiming the child had been
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exposed to heavy metals in utero because her husband had poisoned her Ashley told
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Hospital staffers that when Doug learned she was pregnant he hit her and locked her in a room back in Charleston she
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also said Doug had stalked her in Florida no charges were filed but the hospital took precautions
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and registered her under her middle name Christina 3 Days Later doctors performed
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a C-section and Ashley gave birth to a b baby girl Doug was not notified I think that Ashley's proposal
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from the very beginning was you'll have nothing to do with this [Music] child the news that Ashley had given
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birth to a baby girl in March 2018 took more than a month to reach Doug Ashley said she still believed he
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had poisoned her and the baby so she signed them up for 26 consecutive days of treatment in this hyperbaric chamber
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it can detox the body of heavy metals and other toxins safety director Robert cedaro says Ashley and her
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three-month-old daughter Emerson spent 40 hours in total in the chamber she was the youngest patient ever treated here
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Ashley's daughter was really small so we ended up taking this um ring and we put
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it around her waist it was like she was like a little ballerina and so her half of her body was actually inside of the
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hood in the summer of 2018 the poisoning allegations came to a head when the benafield squared off in a Bradenton
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Florida courtroom Doug wanted to see his daughter and Ashley was requesting an injunction to keep him far away okay
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let's go ahead and go on the record of Benfield versus benold case an audio recording was made of the proceeding
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Ashley accused Doug of poisoning her and told the judge about that incident when
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Doug fired a gun into the ceiling if you'd Begin by St your full name for us please Douglas Glass Benfield Doug
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admitted to firing the gun and explained to Ashley's attorney that during an argument he wanted Ashley to stop
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speaking so at this point you decide that the next way that you're going to do to keep her from talking about
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anything is to shoot the gun yeah there's not a lot of great ways to to figure out what I was
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thinking it was definitely to put a stop to the conversation but Doug denied poisoning
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Ashley in September of 2018 the judge ruled in Doug's favor granting joint custody she said she didn't believe
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anything Ashley had to say there is absolutely not a single cintilla of credibility that I'm attaching to
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anything that was testified to at least in this hearing of Miss Benefield days later Doug and Ashley met
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at the sheriff's office so he could see his six-month-old daughter for the first
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time Stephanie says Ashley suggested that the three of them Doug Ashley and Emerson spend time together and Doug
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said okay sure because Doug wanted want to make the transition as easy for his daughter as possible because to her he
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was a stranger over the next year the three of them were together frequently Doug
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thought they were back together that they were doing what they were supposed to do in the beginning which was to
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slowly get to know each other um be a family I thought everything was going to be
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okay but things were not okay and Doug was in for a big surprise Stephanie said says in August 2019 Doug found out
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Ashley was dating another man Doug filed for divorce and Ashley lodged a new round of accusations about him Ashley
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accused Doug of sexually abusing his daughter she accused him of a whole Litany of things byebye bye-bye Doug
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vehemently denied the allegations and the Sheriff's Office seemed to agree they investigated and closed all of the
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cases regard regarding allegations of abuse without filing charges I want to be clear about something was Doug ever
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charged with any crime no sir in the summer of 2020 Ashley made plans to move to Maryland with her mother and
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daughter despite the difficulties in their relationship Doug chose to join them Doug told friends he still wanted
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to be part of his daughter's life and continued to hope he could reconcile with Ashley and have a fresh start in
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Maryland there's nothing I can say that could possibly turn him around on this he's going to do this if it kills
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him it was September 27th 2020 the day the turbulent relationship between the benfields finally boiled
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over Doug arrived at Ashley and her mother Alicia's home to help pack for the move
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Alicia decides to take the baby for a walk down to the neighborhood park Ashley stayed behind with Doug it was
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shortly thereafter when Ashley ran to her nextd door neighbor sobbing and carrying her 45 caliber gun and he
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called 911 it's right next door to me she just came over her strange husband attacked her and she says she shot
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him Doug had been shot in the leg and chest he lived for an hour but died at a nearby hospital Ashley's attorney met
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her at the Sheriff's Office detectives began investigating Ashley's claim of self-defense but they'd have to do it
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without her she didn't speak to detectives at all but after a month of Investigation in November of 2020 Ashley
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Benfield was charged with second deegree Murder She pleaded not guilty after 17 days in jail Ashley posted a $100,000
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bond it was nearly 3 years later in July of 2023 next week is her first in-person
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hearing that there was a key Hearing in the case that brought everyone together including Doug's daughter Eva which
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means I'm going to see her in person for the first time since she killed my dad Ashley's team had had asked for the case
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to be dismissed claiming she had shot Doug in self-defense and prosecutors were fighting it did you do the autopsy of
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Doug Benfield yes I did Eva wasn't fully prepared to hear the details of her father's death the the projectile path
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went through the chest wall on the right side and then it hit the right lung it's
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talking about my dad in a way that doesn't feel very Humane they refer to the the murder or the shooting is the
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incident and they they pulled up pictures of his body and you know they referred to my dad as the victim did you
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in fact process the victim's shirt in this case I did it's been difficult for me to kind of grasp what's going on and
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then hearing about it over again and over again and over again it's just it's a hot the judge denied Ashley's motion to
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dismiss the case Ashley would have to stand trial for killing Doug and that is when Ashley would tell the
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jury her version of what happened that night I said I'm done and you need to leave now he said you can't leave
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[Music] [Music] me one of the first Witnesses at Ashley's murder trial was Doug's 23-year-old daughter please
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state your name Eva Benfield Eva had lived with Doug and Ashley when they were newly wits and saw firsthand how
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they interacted did you ever hear your dad at any time yell at him no did you ever see or hear your dad threaten her
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no did you ever see or hear your dad get physical with her no prosecutors next called John sent to
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the stand you saw my Square he is the neighbor Ashley ran to after shooting Doug his 911 call was played for the
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jury calm down honey calm down she's with me now quite upset the weapon is here said he attacked her and she shot
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him prosecutors asked s if he had noticed any bruises on Ashley that night at any time during this um interaction
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with Ashley did she appear to have any injuries no the next morning prosecutors called
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Ashley's mother Alicia buers to the stand good morning she swore that Ashley had never discussed with her details of
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the shooting to this day you've never talked about it no prosecutor Rebecca Friel found that curious she never said
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Mama he beat me or he was coming at me or any of those things we thought that was important to show that the person
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who's probably the closest to her in the world was unaware of those things to show how Ashley behaved when
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she didn't get her way prosecutors called Detective Chris Gillum where do you work Manatee County Sheriff's Office
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detective Gillum testified that Ashley once demanded that he arrest Doug in court before a sitting judge for
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contacting her when he was not supposed to Gillum refused her tone turned from the crying to very aggressive and
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she says you will iing arrest him in front of the judge and I will make sure you do it what did you say to that I
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said it's not going to happen she started crying again and came out with a comment something
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the fact of I can't believe you're willing to allow Doug to kill me and the baby the prosecution presented this
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video found on Doug's phone to show that Ashley was never afraid of Doug it was taken just one week before the shooting
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Doug is recording himself playing a game with Ashley her mother and Emerson but maybe the prosecution's most
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important witness was medical examiner Dr Russell Vega and that's the chest injury just to the right side of his
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right nipple he testified about the two bullets that hit Doug in the leg and chest would you be so kind as to stand
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up and kind of point on your body to where the entrance room would be certainly thanks sir
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thank you sir you're welcome because prosecutors say Doug was shot in the side they theorized that he was likely
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turning to run away when he saw Ashley point the gun your honor at this time is dat
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rest it was defense lawyer Neil Taylor's turn the defense calls Ashley Benfield he called Ashley to the stand and asked
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about the times she was afraid of duve sometimes he would drive really a scary yelling screaming at me like
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running up on curbs one time he almost hit a tree he would get in my face he'd yell at me he'd come at me like he was
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going to hit me and Ashley said Doug once punched the family dog Sully he punched him in the face so hard that he
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knocked him out I just remember screaming cuz I thought he had killed him at an earlier
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hearing Doug was asked about Sully you also punched the dog the day that you discharge the
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firearm he jumped up he's a big dog and he jumped up in my lap and yeah I mean I
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admit I hit him I didn't hit him like you would you know hit a punching back or anything but I hit
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him Taylor asked Ashley to tell jur her version of the night she shot and killed
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Doug Ashley testified that as the couple packed for their move to Maryland Doug became agitated because Ashley had
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insisted Doug get his own apartment I tried to change the subject I could see how upset he was getting Ashley told
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jurors that Doug bumped into her and pushed a box into her side she said he hit her in the face when she tried to
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leave then she said she ran into a bedroom where Doug followed her and that is when she grabbed her nearby 45
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caliber gun one of three in the home I I held the gun like in front of me I I said
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stop and he like turned and he got into this like like a fighting stance he started like moving his arms
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and his hands around he started coming towards me and then he lunged at me and I start pulling the trigger actually
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tell ladies and gentlemen of the jury why you shot dog I was scared to death I thought he was going to kill
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me as you sit here today Ashley how do you feel about what happened [Music] horrible he's the father of my
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child I'm going even have to explain it all to her after a break Ashley returned to the
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stand Taylor then produced an old text from Doug's previous wife Renee it was undated but Ashley said she found it on
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an old cell phone he read aloud what Renee wrote to duck I was deeply disappointed that you distorted the
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truth about who you really were when I married you I loved you though finding out you weren't really what you
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pretended to be you kicking me so hard on New Year's Eve on our honeymoon because you were having trouble
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functioning in certain areas you holding a gun to your head twice in my home when
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you hear that text message it helps Ashley benfield's case criminal defense lawyer Matt tanic who attended and
00:32:19
followed this trial says he feels that text supports Ashley's contention that Doug was abusive this isn't the first
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woman he is potentially abused Doug's divorce attorney Stephanie Murphy says she once asked Doug about
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that text and he confirmed Renee had sent it to him Doug said that yes they had some struggles and yes there was an
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incident during there at honeymoon but it was not at all as Renee was describing it Ashley's lawyer ended her
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direct testimony where was your firearm Ashley would now have to go head-to-head
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with lead prosecutor suzan O'Donnell who had a surprise in store judge if I could
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have her St down so she can demonstrate what do you make of Ashley's testimony chat now with the 48 Hours
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team on Facebook and [Music] [Music] X good afternoon we're back on the record in State versus Ashley
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Benfield Ashley Benfield walked back into courtroom 6A after a lunch break she'd spent 2 hours that morning
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testifying about the alleged abuse at the hands of her husband duck State I begin your
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cross-examination but now as she took the stand again I would like to just start with a couple of issues it was
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prosecutor suzan o'd donal's turn and Ashley admitted Doug never physically abused her before he allegedly hit her
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the night of the shooting Doug Benfield never punched you ever correct um yeah I think that's correct
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Doug Benfield never choked you ever no he never kicked you no the prosecutor called Ashley down from the witness
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stand to demonstrate what happened that night and I hope they G out in front of me
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stop got into this like fighting L like turn sideways he's like moving around with
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his like arms and his hands and he starts like inching forward towards me I think it's invaluable in a case like
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this that the jury see what her version of events is so he's standing there he turns to like this and starts moving his
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arms around that well show me what was he doing kind like I don't know he got like
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this he was like making like fighting motions I don't know I know was like I don't know I don't know that it came off
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as genuine as she expected it to we have to look at what she said versus the physical evidence and see if it matches
00:35:09
he lung at me came very quickly okay so he lunged was his fist up when he L I don't remember the state insists
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Ashley's story didn't match with the medical examiner's testimony that Doug was shot in the side Doug's cousin Tommy
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agrees yeah Doug was really lunging at her the way she said he would have been presenting the front of his body that's
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not how he was shot she's the kind of person who eventually believes her own lies but just because someone believes
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what they're saying doesn't make it true but the defense continued to portray the
00:35:49
idea that Doug was abusive they made this all about Doug they cast Doug in the worst possible POS light did you
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counsel Douglas Benfield I did yes both Ashley and Doug they called Dr Jason Quintel a trauma counselor who worked
00:36:08
with the couple in the months before the shooting Doug occurred as someone who was domineering and at times would be
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super controlling did you conclude whether there was an intimidation issue present Ashley stated that she was
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scared of Doug Mr Taylor call next witness fence calls Bruce Ferris domestic violence expert Bruce Ferris
00:36:32
met with Ashley after the shooting and said her behavior was consistent with having suffered abuse he addressed that
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video of Ashley her mother and Doug laughing just a week before she killed him feris said victims of domestic
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violence often appease their abusers to keep the peace we've all heard the term walking on eggshells they're trying to
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avoid aggression by their partner because they grown to believe that there's a threat here Taylor says Ashley
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was only pretending to get along with Doug so he wouldn't harm her or Emerson are you saying to me that Ashley was
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like I'll just sort of keep him happy so that he doesn't get violent with me that's exactly what I'm saying to
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you domestic violence is absolutely a real problem people that feel like they cannot get out they have no way to get
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out that is not this Defender but in closing arguments prosecutor odonnell told the jury Ashley was not afraid of
00:37:42
Doug not the day of the video and not the day she killed him she did not have to shoot him she had an
00:37:49
agenda and it worked for what she wanted and she got what she wanted so custody of the job
00:37:57
and that's murder thank you but in his closing Ashley's attorney reminded the jury Ashley spent years trying to get
00:38:07
authorities to protect her and Emerson from Duck she filed complaint after complaint after complaint calling Doug
00:38:17
benfield's Behavior to the attention of the authorities with no result he insisted
00:38:24
Ashley only shot doug because her life was in danger that night I've presented to you everything that I possibly could
00:38:34
to show you what Ashley knew about Doug at the time they took place to show you that her action and using deadly force
00:38:45
was reasonable we're confident you will return a verdict of not guilty in this case the jury began deliberating in the
00:38:55
afternoon and continued late into the night after nearly 7 hours I've been informed there is a
00:39:03
verdict lawyers friends and family return to the courtroom to hear the jury's decision the defendant is guilty
00:39:12
of manslaughter the Lesser included effect guilty of manslaughter but not second deegree murder murder too
00:39:20
requires some kind of intent manslaughter doesn't require that it's more of heat of passion the jury's
00:39:26
essentially saying we don't think she pre-planned this but we also don't think she was justified in doing it if you
00:39:33
need some sort of other any conviction that will put Ashley in prison comes as a welcome relief to Doug's family and
00:39:40
friends I also want to adise you the highlight of the trial for me personally was hearing the verdict right out
00:39:49
loud the second best thing was hearing the click of the handcuffs we are walking through my car from the
00:40:03
courthouse Eva updated her followers about the verdict my dad got the justice that he
00:40:13
deserves she's hoping one day to play a role in the life of Emerson who is still
00:40:18
being raised by Ashley's mother Alicia I hope that one day she'll grow into a strong young woman and I'll be able to
00:40:25
get to know her and explain to her who her father was and and show her all the pictures and videos and just really tell
00:40:32
her how how life should have been Ashley faces up to 30 years in prison State Attorney Ed Brodsky who
00:40:41
runs the prosecutor's office says they will ask the judge to sentence her to the maximum this was an example of
00:40:49
someone that wanted to take the law into her own hands and that was the bridge that she crossed too far
00:40:55
[Music] as the years have gone by and the colors fade you see that she's actually the
00:41:05
Black Swan and always has been [Music] don't miss True Crime anytime you want anywhere you go with the 48 Hours
00:41:33
podcast real crimes real lives like a John Grisham novel come to life real Justice there are some questions that
00:41:41
have to be asked and need to be answered listen to 48 Hours on Apple podcasts [Music]