48 Hours - The Case of the Black Swan Part 2

Episode Date: September 10, 2024

For the first time the former ballerina dubbed ‘The Black Swan” tells her story of why she shot and killed her estranged husband. Jim Axelrod reports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. And now, the trial of the former ballerina accused of shooting and killing her estranged husband is set to begin. Ashley Benefield is on trial for the murder of her husband in the so-called Black Swan murder case.

After so long since the murder, I was really excited, a little bit anxious about the trial that we were finally going to get some answers. Okay, bring the jury. When you think of the term Black Swan, you think of the movie Black Swan. I definitely think it was apt for this case because you have somebody who the prosecution is claiming is a femme fatale. The former ballerina and bikini model married 54-year-old Doug Benefield after a whirlwind 13-day romance. On the early evening of September 27, 2020,

Ashley Benefield was 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 get him to leave. He is simmering when he arrives at Ashley's home. He's on a slow boil, actually, because he knows that this relationship is over. He started screaming at me. He said, I don't have to leave. I can stay and spend the night if I want to because I'm her husband.

Doug Benefield viewed Ashley Benefield as his property. He said, you can't f***ing leave me. Then what happens? He hit me in the side of the head. I ran. Where? To my room. Ashley, did you have anything in your room that could protect you?

I had my gun. Doug was standing in the doorway. His face was red. Like the veins were bulging in his neck. The way he was looking at me, he didn't even look like Doug. I held the gun, like, in front of me, and I said, Stop. He started coming towards me, and then he lunged at me.

There was an effort by the defense to paint Ashley as the victim. And the thing is, Doug is the victim in this case. Doug was the one that was murdered. You say he slapped you? He hit me. Was his hand open or closed? I don't remember. This was an act.

You grabbed your firearm. Is it in a holster? I don't remember. Somebody has a story and when it's not true and you call them on the details, they often say, I don't remember. So he lunged, was his fist up when he lunged? I believe Ashley Benefield was an abused woman. She just came over, her strange husband attacked her, and she says she shot him. Deadly force was absolutely justified under the circumstances. Whenever the defendant takes a stand in a criminal case,

it is always a huge risk. It's either you are acquitted or you walk yourself right into prison. I thought he was going to kill me. There was nowhere to go. I was trapped. Jim Axelrod reports, The Case of the Black Swan, Part 2. After nearly four years, the trial of Ashley Benefiel, the former ballerina charged with second-degree murder for shooting her estranged husband Doug, began in the summer of 2024. In the lead-up to the trial, a small group appeared near the courthouse

to support Ashley's claims of self-defense. We stand with Ashley! Outside the Manatee County Courthouse this morning, a group showing solidarity for Ashley Benefield. Among the supporters was Ashley's mother, Alicia, and Ashley and Doug's six-year-old daughter, Emerson, who stopped to speak to a reporter. It feels like I'm standing up for the right thing and that I'm doing the right thing for her.

Emerson's public show of support caught the attention of her half-sister, Doug's daughter, Eva Benefield. Well, there's a lot of things that I could say. Eva, known as Eva the Freakin' Diva on TikTok, let her half-million followers know just how she felt. So I think that we should probably stop shoving cameras in six-year-olds' faces when they have no idea what's going on. Lead prosecutor Suzanne O'Donnell says she believes Ashley killed Doug to guarantee she'd always be number one in Emerson's life. I think Ashley wanted sole custody of her child and was very afraid that she was going

to lose custody altogether. In her opening statement to jurors, O'Donnell outlined the state's theory of the case. This was a custody battle that this mother was going to win at all costs. And the cost was the life of Doug Benefield. And that is murder. There were allegations. Defense lawyer Neil Taylor made his argument that Ashley shot Doug in self-defense after he physically assaulted her. Douglas Benefield was a violent abuser.

Ashley Benefield's efforts to placate him was absolutely consistent with what abused women do. For the first time ever, Ashley would tell a jury

what she says happened that night. How are you feeling this morning, Ashley? Nervous. All right, try as best you can to relax, and we'll get through this. Okay. The trial took place in Bradenton, Florida, near where Ashley was living with her mother when she killed Doug. It was the culmination of a long and complicated relationship.

And it goes all the way back to when they met, back in 2016. In 2016, Doug was living in Charleston, South Carolina, and was a consultant for technology companies. At 54 years old, Doug was 30 years older than Ashley. But as she told the jury, she was still smitten with him. He was funny, very smart, charming. We just instantly clicked. The couple met at a political dinner. At the time, Ashley was working in the Sarasota campaign office of Donald Trump and sometimes helped stir up the crowds at his rallies.

Ashley had also done some swimsuit modeling and, for a time, had danced with the Maryland Youth Ballet. Only 13 days after meeting, they married A lot of people ask, why did he marry her so fast? Doug's civil attorney, Stephanie Murphy I mean, come on When Doug first met her, she was every single bit as beautiful as those modeling photos will show She was a knockout

Describe for us the man you thought you'd marry. He was very loving and attentive. We laughed a lot. And he made me feel very special and loved. Doug invited almost no one to the wedding, not even his teenage daughter, Eva. He loves this girl, his 15-year-old daughter.

He goes and gets married and doesn't even tell her. Yep. Tommy Benefield is Doug's cousin. It's bewildering. I would have talked him out of it. Eva certainly would have talked him out of it.

Eva was still dealing with an unspeakable trauma. Nine months earlier, her mother, Doug's then wife, had died. It was Eva who discovered the body of 56-year-old Renee Benefield in their home, dead from an undiagnosed heart ailment. After my mom died, he really took kind of a motherly role along with a fatherly role. And he made his daughter a promise. And I said, are you going to remarry? Are you going to start dating? Are you going to have other kids? Like, what's going to happen?

And he said, no, Eva, I'm here for you. I don't plan on doing any of that. But just nine months later, Doug told his daughter he had married his new girlfriend. That's a lot. It is a lot. Doug encouraged Ashley to try to mother a reluctant Eva, who was only nine years younger. He basically told her that I needed somebody.

I needed a motherly role in my life. And I didn't think that I needed somebody. I needed a motherly role in my life. And I didn't think that I needed that. Ashley would later tell jurors there was tension in the house. And just months into their marriage, the couple had a major argument about Eva. He 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 to watch head. He said that he was going to blow his brains out and I was going to have to watch him. And he pulled the trigger and he shot a hole

in the ceiling in the kitchen. Doug's friend, Tripp Cormany, remembers Doug being embarrassed when he told Tripp that he fired a gun in the house. In his words, he said, I did the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life. But even that did not end the relationship. Instead, two days later, Doug and Ashley went ahead with a formal wedding reception.

The newlyweds were also planning for the future. Ashley had a grand plan to create a national ballet company. I don't know that Doug could spell ballet before he met Ashley. And they wanted to start a family. You know, when you love somebody, what do you want to do? You want to make her happy. I'm Erin Moriarty of 48 Hours, and of all the cases I've covered, this is the one that troubles me most. Listen to Murder in the Orange Grove, the trouble case against Carlsley Green, early and ad-free on Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal.

There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still a virgin. It just happens to all of us. that we're still a virgin. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years, I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with.

In the Pitcairn trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Even though there was a growing tension at home between Ashley and Eva... He promised me that things were going to be okay eventually. Doug went ahead with helping Ashley follow her dream, establishing a ballet company in Charleston with a unique mission. Athena Nicolacopoulos interviewed with Ashley and loved what she heard about her vision for

the new company, the American National Ballet. She didn't want a cookie cutter company. She wanted girls that were tall, girls that were short. As they worked to get the company off the ground, Ashley focused on her other dream, becoming a mother. There was one problem. Doug had a vasectomy, but he agreed to have it reversed. Then before long, Ashley was pregnant. How did that sit with you? It didn't sit well at all. He said he wasn't

planning on doing any of that. So this kind of felt like another stab in the back. In the summer of 2017, some 40 dancers from all over the world began arriving in Charleston to work with Ashley. But Ashley was nowhere to be found. We get there and we're like, where is she? And Doug announces that she's bedridden with a really difficult pregnancy. At the end of August, Ashley went back to Florida to live with her mother while Doug tried to make the ballet work in Charleston. We decided together, he said that he 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 September evening when Doug was out, Ashley and her mother came back to the house in Charleston. Ashley would tell 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 a letter saying why I was leaving. In the letter, Ashley called Doug possessive, controlling, and manipulating. She wrote about that incident where he'd shot a hole in the ceiling in the kitchen and wrote that his behavior

has left me fearful for my life and safety, as well as that of my unborn child. She told the jury why she was so afraid of him. He would throw things or break things or smash things. He would come at me like he was going to hit me. He told me I was lucky that he punched walls instead of me. Nearly a year after Doug's death, we spoke to his family lawyer, Stephanie Murphy, about the letter Ashley left Doug.

I really think that 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 letter didn't deter Doug. He sent text after text begging Ashley to reconsider. Instead, she reported Doug to the authorities. She got Child Protective Services involved from Florida. Ashley told police that Doug had anger issues and was violent. Investigators interviewed Eva.

I was constantly having people come up to my door and questioning if my dad was a good dad. And it just made me so angry because he was. After an investigation, Doug was cleared. But Ashley began asking questions about the death of Doug's previous wife, Eva's mother, Renee. Ashley texted Doug,

Wait, what did she die of again? Doug told her that Renee had a 75% artery blockage. Ashley, I thought I have heard you say something about medications or something. Like bad drugs? Doug's cousin Tommy says Ashley told him she thought Doug had poisoned Renee. What was your reaction? You must 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.

But Ashley, who said she was more nauseous than she would have expected as a pregnant woman, was suspicious. Ashley believed that Doug has been poisoning her while she was pregnant with their daughter. They were both big tea fans, and she hearkened back to the times that Doug was bringing her tea in bed. After she left him, Doug sent her a package of tea for her birthday. When I opened it, there was an overwhelming smell, like a real strong chemical smell, and I got like an instant headache.

Did you report it to the police? Yes. According to a detective, it was determined that the substance that was mailed to the victim was just tea. What was the result? No charges. By the start of 2018, Doug closed the ballet and was out of communication with 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 there for the birth. Instead, the next day, Ashley checked into the hospital without telling Doug. It was three weeks before her due date. She was at Tampa General Hospital claiming the child had been exposed to heavy metals in utero because her husband had poisoned her. Ashley told hospital staffers that when Doug learned she was pregnant, he hit her and locked her in a room back in Charleston. She also said Doug had stalked her in Florida.

No charges were filed, but the hospital took precautions and registered her under her middle name, Christina. Three days later, doctors performed a C-section and Ashley gave birth to a baby girl. Doug was not notified. I think that Ashley's proposal from the very beginning was, you'll have nothing to do with this child. The news that Ashley had given birth to a baby girl in March 2018 took more than a month to reach Doug. Ashley said she still believed he had poisoned her and the baby So she signed them up for 26 consecutive days of treatment in this hyperbaric chamber

It can detox the body of heavy metals and other toxins Safety director Robert Cedaroth says Ashley and her three-month-old daughter Emerson spent 40 hours in total in the chamber. She was the youngest patient ever treated here. Ashley's daughter was really small, so we ended up taking this ring and we put it around her waist. It was like she was like a little ballerina, and so half of her body was actually inside of the hood. inside of the hood. In the summer of 2018, the poisoning allegations came to a head when the Benefield squared off in a Bradenton, Florida courtroom. Doug wanted to see his daughter, and Ashley was requesting an injunction to keep him far away. Okay, let's go ahead and go on the record of Benefield versus Benefield.

An audio recording was made of the proceeding. Ashley accused Doug of poisoning her and told the judge about that incident when Doug fired a gun into the ceiling. Doug admitted to firing the gun and explained to Ashley's attorney that during an argument, he wanted Ashley to stop speaking. So at this point, you decide that the next way that you're going to do to keep her from talking about anything is to shoot the gun? Yeah. There's not a lot of great ways to figure out what I was thinking. It was definitely to put a stop to the conversation. But Doug denied poisoning Ashley. In September of 2018, the judge ruled in Doug's favor, granting joint custody.

She said she didn't believe anything Ashley had to say. There is absolutely not a single scintilla of credibility that I'm attaching to anything that was testified to, at least in this hearing of Ms. Benefield. Days later, Doug and Ashley met at the sheriff's office so he could see his six-month-old daughter for the first time. Stephanie says Ashley suggested that the three of them, Doug, Ashley, and Emerson, spend time together. And Doug said, okay, sure, because Doug wanted to make the transition as easy for his daughter as possible. Because to her, he was a stranger. Over the next year, the three of them were together frequently. Doug thought they were back together, that they were doing what they were supposed to do in the beginning, which was to slowly get to know each other, be a family.

I thought everything was going to be OK. But things were not OK. And Doug was in for a big surprise, Stephanie says. In August 2019, Doug found out Ashley was dating another man. Doug filed for divorce, and Ashley lodged a new round of accusations about him. Ashley accused Doug of sexually abusing his daughter. She accused him of a whole litany of things. Bye-bye.

Bye-bye. Doug vehemently denied the allegations, and the sheriff's office seemed to agree. They investigated and closed all of the cases regarding allegations of abuse without filing charges. I want to be clear about something. Was Doug ever charged with any crime? No, sir. In the summer of 2020, Ashley made plans to move to Maryland with her mother and daughter. Despite the difficulties in their relationship, Doug chose to join them.

Doug told friends he still wanted to be part of his daughter's life and continued to hope he could reconcile with Ashley and have a fresh start in Maryland. hope he could reconcile with Ashley and have a fresh start in Maryland. There's nothing I can say that could possibly turn him around on this. He's going to do this if it kills him. It was September 27, 2020, the day the turbulent relationship between the Benefields finally boiled over. Doug arrived at Ashley and her mother Alicia's home to help pack for the move.

Alicia decided to take the baby for a walk down to the neighborhood park. Ashley stayed behind with Doug. It was shortly thereafter when Ashley ran to her next-door neighbor, sobbing and carrying her.45 caliber gun. And he called 911. It's right next door neighbor sobbing and carrying her.45 caliber gun. And he called 911. It was right next door to me. She just came over. Her strange husband attacked her and she says she shot 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 her at the sheriff's office

detectives began investigating ashley's claim of self-defense but they'd have to do it without her she didn't speak to detectives at all but after a month of investigation in november of 2020 ashley benefield was charged with second-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty. After 17 days in jail, Ashley posted a $100,000 bond. It was nearly three years later, in July of 2023, Next week is her first in-person hearing, that there was a key hearing in the case that brought everyone together, including Doug's daughter Eva. Which means I'm going to see her in person for the first time since she killed my dad.

Ashley's team had asked for the case to be dismissed, claiming she had shot Doug in self-defense. And prosecutors were fighting it. Did you do the autopsy of Doug Benefield? Yes, I did. Eva wasn't fully prepared to hear the details of her father's death. The projectile path went through the chest wall on the right side, and then it hit the right lung. It's talking about my dad in a way

that doesn't feel very humane. They referred to the murder, the shooting as the incident. And they pulled up pictures of his body. And they referred to my dad as the victim. Did you, 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 then hearing about it over again and over again and over again. It's just, it's a lot.

The judge denied Ashley's motion to dismiss the case. Ashley would have to stand trial for killing Doug. And that is when Ashley would tell the jury her version of what happened that night. I said, I'm done and you need to leave now. He said, you can't f***ing leave me. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X.

In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informants Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch.

It was called Candyman. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, early and ad-free on Wondery Plus and the Wondery app. One of the first witnesses at Ashley's murder trial was Doug's 23-year-old daughter. Please state your name. Eva Benefield. year old daughter. Please state your name. Eva Benefield. Eva had lived with Doug and Ashley when they were newlyweds and saw firsthand how 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? No. Did you ever see

or hear your dad get physical with her? No. Prosecutors next called John Sant to the stand. He is the neighbor Ashley ran to after shooting Doug. His 911 call was played for the jury. Calm down, honey, calm down. She's with me now, quite upset. The weapon is here. He attacked her and she shot him. Prosecutors asked Sant if he had noticed

any bruises on Ashley that night. At any time during this interaction with Ashley, did she appear to have any injuries? No. The next morning, prosecutors called Ashley's mother, Alicia Byers, to the stand. Good morning. She swore that Ashley had never discussed with her details of the shooting. To this day, you've never talked about it? No. Prosecutor Rebecca Friel found that curious. She never said, 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 who's probably the closest to her in the world was unaware of those things. To show how Ashley behaved when she didn't get her way, prosecutors called Detective Chris Gillum. Where do you work? Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Detective Gillum testified that Ashley once demanded that he arrest Doug in court before a sitting judge for contacting her when he was not supposed to. Gillum refused.

Her tone turned from the crying to very aggressive, and she says, you will effing arrest him in front of the judge, and I will make sure you do it. What did you say to that? I said, it's not going to happen. She started crying again and came out with a comment, something of the effect of, I can't believe you're willing to allow Doug to kill me and the baby. The prosecution presented this video found on Doug's phone to show that Ashley was never afraid of Doug. It was taken just one week before the shooting. Doug is recording himself playing a game

with Ashley, her mother, and Emerson. But maybe the prosecution's most important witness was medical examiner Dr. Russell Vega. And that's the chest injury, just to the right side of his right nipple. He testified about the two bullets that hit Doug in the leg and chest. Would you be so kind as to stand up and kind of point on your body to where the entrance one would be? Certainly. Thank you, sir. You're welcome.

Because prosecutors say Doug was shot in the side, they theorize that he was likely turning to run away when he saw Ashley point the gun. Your Honor, this time you take rest. It was defense lawyer Neil Taylor's turn. The defense calls Ashley Benefield. He called Ashley to the stand and asked about the times she was afraid of Doug. Sometimes he would drive really scary, yelling and screaming at me, like running up on curbs. One time he almost hit a tree.

He would get in my face and he'd yell at me. He'd come at me like he was going to hit me. And Ashley said Doug once punched the family dog, Sully. You punched him in the face so hard that he knocked him out. I just remember screaming because I thought he had killed him. At an earlier hearing, Doug was asked about Sully. You also punched the dog the day that you discharged the firearm? He jumped up. He's a big dog.

And he jumped up in my lap. And, yeah, I mean, I admit I hit him. I didn't hit him like you would, you know, hit a punching bag or anything, but I hit him. Taylor asked Ashley to tell jurors her version of the night she shot and killed Doug. Ashley testified that as the couple packed for their move to Maryland, Doug became agitated because Ashley had insisted Doug get his own apartment. I tried to change the subject. I could see how upset he was getting. Ashley told 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 leave. Then she said she ran into a bedroom where Doug followed her, and that is when she grabbed her nearby.45 caliber gun, one of three in the home. I held the gun like in front of me, and I said, stop. And he like turned, and he into this, like, like a fighting stance. He started, like, moving his arms and his hands around. He started coming towards me. And then he lunged at me. And I started pulling the trigger. Ashley, tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury

why you shot Doug. I was scared to death. I thought he was going to kill me. As you sit here today, Ashley, how do you feel about what happened? Horrible. He's the father of my

child. So I'm going to have to explain it all to her. After a break, Ashley returned to the stand. Taylor then produced an old text from Doug's previous wife, Renee. It was undated, but Ashley said she found it on an old cell phone. He read aloud what Renee wrote to Doug. I was deeply disappointed that you distorted the truth about who you really were when I married you. I loved you, though finding out you weren't really what you pretended to be.

You kicking me so hard on New Year's Eve on our honeymoon because you were having trouble functioning in certain areas. You holding a gun to your head twice in my home. When you hear that text message, it helps Ashley Benefield's case. Criminal defense lawyer Matt Timpanek, who attended and followed this trial, says he feels that text supports Ashley's contention that Doug was abusive. This isn't the first woman he has potentially abused. Doug's divorce attorney, Stephanie Murphy, says she once asked Doug about that text,

and he confirmed Renee had sent it to him. Doug said that, yes, they had some struggles, and yes, there was an incident during their honeymoon, but it was not at all as Renee was describing it. Ashley's lawyer ended her direct testimony. Where was your firearm? Ashley would now have to go head-to-head with lead prosecutor Suzanne O'Donnell, who had a surprise in store. Judge, if I could have her step down so she can demonstrate.

What do you make of Ashley's testimony? Chat now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and X. Chat now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and X. T-Boy, about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bolder risk takers who brought them to life. Like, did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye? Or, Jack, that the idea for the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mom in Guatemala? From Pez dispensers to Levi's 501s to Air Jordans. Discover the surprising stories of the most viral products. Plus, we guarantee that after listening, you're going to dominate your next dinner party. So follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. It's just The best idea yet. Good afternoon. We're back on the record in State v. Ashley Benefield. Ashley Benefield walked back into courtroom 6A after a lunch break. She'd spent two hours that morning testifying about the alleged abuse at the hands of her husband, Doug. I state you may begin your cross-examination. But now, as she took the stand again... I would like to just start with a couple of issues. It was prosecutor Suzanne O'Donnell's turn.

It was prosecutor Suzanne O'Donnell's turn, and Ashley admitted Doug never physically abused her before he allegedly hit her the night of the shooting. Doug Benefield never punched you, ever. Correct? Um, yeah, I'd say that's correct. Doug Benefield never choked you, ever? Uh, no. He never kicked you?

No. The prosecutor called Ashley down from the witness stand to demonstrate what happened that night. And I hope he got out in front of me and didn't stop. And he got into this, like, fighting pose where he, like, turned sideways. And he was, like, moving around with his, like, arms in his hands. And he started, like, inching forward towards me. I think it's invaluable in a case like this that the jury see what her version of events is.

So he's standing there, he turns like this, and starts moving his arms around. Like that. Well, show me, what was he doing? He was like, I really got like this, and he was making like fighting motions. I don't know, I? He was like, I don't know, he got like this. And he was like making like fighting motions. I don't know, I'm not a fighter, I don't know. I don't know that it came off as genuine as she expected it to.

We have to look at what she said versus the physical evidence and see if it matches. When he lunged at me, he came really quickly. Okay, so he lunged. Was his fist up when he lunged? I don't remember. The state insists Ashley's story didn't match with the medical examiner's testimony that Doug was shot in the side. Doug's cousin Tommy agrees. If Doug was really lunging at her the way she said,

he would have been presenting the front of his body. That's not how he was shot. She's the kind of person who eventually believes her own lies. But just because someone believes what they're saying doesn't make it true. But the defense continued to portray the idea that Doug was abusive. They made this all about Doug. They cast Doug in the worst possible light. Did you counsel Douglas Benefield? I did, yes.

Both Ashley and Doug. They called Dr. Jason Quintel, a trauma counselor who worked with the couple in the months before the shooting. Doug occurred as someone who was domineering and at times would be super controlling. Did you conclude whether there was an intimidation issue present? Ashley stated that she was scared of Doug. Mr. Taylor, call your next witness. Defense calls Bruce Ferris. Domestic violence expert Bruce Ferris met with Ashley after the

shooting and said her behavior was consistent with having suffered abuse. He addressed that video of Ashley, her mother, and Doug laughing just a week before she killed him. Ferris said victims of domestic violence often appease their abusers to keep the peace. We've all heard the term walking on eggshells. They're trying to avoid aggression by their partner because they've grown to believe that there's a threat here. Taylor says Ashley was only pretending to get along with Doug so he wouldn't harm her or Emerson.

Are you saying to me that Ashley was 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 you. Domestic violence is absolutely a real problem. People that feel like they cannot get out, they have no way to get out. That is not this defendant. But in closing arguments, Prosecutor O'Donnell told the jury Ashley was not afraid of Doug,

not the day of the video, and not the day she killed him. She did not have to shoot him. She had an agenda, and it worked for what she wanted, and she got what she wanted. Sole custody of the child. And that's murder.

Thank you. But in his closing, Ashley's attorney reminded the jury Ashley spent years trying to get authorities to protect her and Emerson from Doug. She filed complaint after complaint after complaint, calling Doug Benefield's behavior to the attention of the authorities with no result. He insisted Ashley only about Doug at the time they took place, to show you that her action in using deadly force was reasonable. We're confident you will return a verdict of not guilty in this case. The jury began deliberating in the afternoon

and continued late into the night. After nearly seven hours... I've been informed there's a verdict. Lawyers, friends, and family returned to the courtroom to hear the jury's decision. The defendant is guilty of manslaughter for lesser included offense. Guilty of manslaughter for lesser included effects. Guilty of manslaughter, but not second-degree murder.

Murder, too, requires some kind of intent. Manslaughter doesn't require that. It's more of heat of passion. The jury is essentially saying, we don't think she preplanned this, but we also don't think she was justified in doing it. Any conviction that will put Ashley in prison comes as a welcome relief to Doug's family and friends. The highlight of the trial for me personally was hearing the verdict read out loud.

The second best thing was hearing the click of the handcuffs. We are walking to my car from the courthouse. Eva updated her followers about the verdict. My dad got the justice that he deserves. She's hoping one day to play a role in the life of Emerson, who is still 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 get to know her and explain to her who her father was and show her all the pictures and videos and just really tell her how life should have been.

Ashley faces up to 30 years in prison. State Attorney Ed Brodsky, who runs the prosecutor's office, says they will ask the judge to sentence her to the maximum. This was an example of someone that wanted to take the law into her own hands, and that was the bridge that she crossed too far. Someone that wanted to take the law into her own hands. And that was the bridge that she crossed too far. As the years have gone by and the colors fade,

you see that she's actually the black swan and always has been. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey.