Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina, was convicted of the manslaughter of her husband Doug Benefield. They are reported to have had a conflict of interest less than one year into their marriage. Ashley Benefield accused Doug of domestic abuse which was never substantiated by authorities.
Doug was 58 at the time of his death. He was a retired military man having had the status of a lieutenant commander and concurrently transitioned to the civil service where he got a job as a consultant in the security and defense within the government.
Douglas "Doug" Glass Benefield was born on October 2, 1961, in Palo Alto, California. He grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, attending Huntsville High School. He completed his first degree in 1980 then joined Texas A&M University in 1984 where he received a B.S. degree in Biology.
After college, Doug entered the U.S. Navy, where he completed Aviation Officer Candidate School and became a Naval Flight Officer. His assignments included three years on aircraft carriers and duty as a Mine Warfare Instructor and in Navy Intelligence. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander (O-4) in 1999.
Later, he became a private consultant in government security and defense. Doug founded a number of consulting companies based on advanced technologies. He is one of the owners of a restaurant called Kiva Han in Charleston, South Carolina. Doug had been previously married twice before marrying Ashley Benefield; he was father to daughter Eva through his second wife, Renee Cousar Benefield, who passed away suddenly in 2015.
How did Doug Benefield meet Ashley Benefield?
Doug, 54 years old at the time, met Ashley Benefield, 24 years old, during a Republican campaign event in August 2016. Thirteen days later, they were married, but there was a series of incredible challenges.
Their marriage was unfortunately riddled with mutual accusations of abuse, which led to a tragic incident on September 27, 2020. In another ugly argument, this time in preparation to move to Maryland, Ashley Benefield shot Doug, claiming self-defense. He died shortly after from his injuries.
The "Black Swan Murder" trial
The case was widely covered by the media because of the emotionally provocative story and the reference to the movie Black Swan which touches upon the question of the darker side of passion and psyche in ballet.
Ashley and Doug Benefield were moving to Maryland on September 27, 2020, and were packing to move to Ashley Bnefield’s mother’s house in Florida when an altercation occurred. It was during this confrontation that Ashley Benefield shot Doug, claiming self-defense. She testified that after becoming aggressive, Doug hit her with a moving box and adopted a fighting stance as he approached her.
Investigators concluded that Doug had been shot twice– once in the leg and once in the arm. The fatal shot had entered his chest as he was turning away from her, which suggests that he was not approaching her at the time.
The couple had a history of allegations of abuse against each other. Thirteen days from the day they met, they got married, and their marriage quickly soured amidst accusations of control and manipulation. Ashley Benefield had sought a domestic violence injunction against Doug back in 2017, which was denied.
Ashley Benefield was charged with second-degree murder but later convicted of manslaughter in July 2024 after almost seven hours of jury deliberation. The prosecution argued that it was a premeditated action on the part of Ashley to get full custody of their daughter, while on the other side, her plea described her as a victim of domestic violence who acted in fear for her life.
On December 3, 2024, she was to be jailed for 20 years and, thereafter, spent another 10 years on probation. The judge refused her application for a new trial on grounds of misconduct by jurors. The sentencing hearing saw Doug's family declaring their pain and resentment while his daughter, Eva Benefield, directly asked Ashley why she shot her father. She was quoted by Fox 13 stating:
"Ashley, since the day you shot my father, I only have one question to ask you. Why?"
Everybody described Doug as a really nice person who was generous and who would be missed by his family.
"Doug Benefield was kind to a fault. He was smart. He was strong. And most importantly, he was generous. His generosity is what got him killed," Eva added.
Doug’s brother, David Benefield, was also quoted by the news outlet stating:
"Ashley, I want you to know that I forgive you. You have caused me the greatest loss that I have experienced."
Doug’s cousin, Tommy Benefield, highlighted:
Trending
"The sentencing means we know what it's going to cost her, finally, as opposed to what it’s cost their daughter, Ashley and Doug's daughter, what it’s cost Eva every day in her life to miss her dad the way that only he could do."
The trial involved complicated issues of domestic violence, mental health, and the legal meaning of self-defense. As for the accusations against Doug, Ashley Benefield’s defense stated that she has PTSD because of what happened. The prosecutors accused her of exaggerating the situation. For his part, Ashley’s lawyer said that an appeal to the sentence would be filed after the conviction.
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