32-Year-Old Ballerina Found Guilty of Manslaughter in “Black Swan” Murder Trial: Sentenced to Up to 30 Years in Prison

The 32-year-old ballerina Ashley Benefield was found guilty of manslaughter in connection with her husband Douglas Benefield’s deadly shooting. Benefield who was first accused of second-degree murder might spend the next 30 years behind bars during the “Black Swan” murder trial. The “Black Swan” murder trial which has garnered a lot of attention is centered around an incident that happened on September 27, 2020, according to True Crime News. Benefield told police that after her husband attacked her she shot him in self-defense. The prosecution countered that the shooting was planned and a part of a larger scheme to get rid of her husband. Douglas Benefield was discovered with gunshot wounds to his right leg, arm, and chest, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He didn’t make it to the hospital despite being rushed there. Douglas Benefield was not facing Ashley when she shot him according to the criminal complaint and he had not reacted defensively. Although Ashley Benefield had previously leveled multiple accusations against her husband none of them were prosecuted.

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32-Year-Old Ballerina Found Guilty of Manslaughter in “Black Swan” Murder Trial: Sentenced to Up to 30 Years in Prison (PHOTO: True Crime News)

During the “Black Swan” murder trial, Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell claimed that Ashley Benefield’s primary goal was to become a single mother and keep her husband away from their child. She argued that Ashley’s actions were driven by this goal rather than genuine self-defense. On the other hand, Benefield’s defense attorney argued that she was a victim of domestic violence and that her husband was a disturbed individual. Ashley and Douglas Benefield had a troubled relationship. They married just 13 days after meeting in 2016 and had a daughter together. They founded a ballet company that never took off and their relationship became increasingly strained. Tensions came to a head on the night of the shooting while they were packing to move back to Maryland though they planned to live separately. A judge had previously denied Benefield’s request for a restraining order that would have prevented Douglas from seeing their daughter. Following the verdict, Douglas Benefield’s 23-year-old daughter expressed her frustration with how the case was handled. She said “I apologize to all the women who have gone through domestic violence situations. I think what Ashley was doing was unfair to them. They deserve justice and I’m very happy that my dad got the justice he deserves.”

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