A former ballerina involved in the notorious “Black Swan murder” trial has been found guilty of manslaughter.
On Tuesday night, 33-year-old Ashley Benefield was convicted by a jury in Manatee County, Florida.
The conviction for manslaughter is a lesser charge compared to the second-degree murder accusation that was initially brought against Benefield following the death of her husband in 2020.
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Ashley Benefield, 31, has been convicted of manslaughter after shooting her husband, Doug Benefield, in her home in Florida in 2020. She claimed he hit her during a domestic dispute. (Facebook)
Benefield asserts that she shot Doug Benefield in self-defense. Her legal team submitted a motion last year, stating that she fired in response to his alleged physical assault after she asked him to leave her residence.
This motion references Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which permits individuals to use deadly force without retreating in cases of imminent threat or serious crime.
Ashley and Doug lived in Charleston, South Carolina, until Ashley became pregnant and relocated to Florida to stay with her mother. After their child was born, Doug came to live in Florida but they maintained separate residences.
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The charges state that Ashley had made numerous claims of psychological abuse against Doug, aiming to secure full custody of their daughter, although these claims were never proven.
During the Thursday hearing, an attorney representing Doug’s family, Stephanie Murphy, testified regarding the custody struggle and Ashley’s allegations that Doug had poisoned her with heavy metals during her pregnancy, fired a weapon inside their home, and physically harmed their dog.
Ashley Benefield, 31, was initially charged with second-degree murder after the lethal encounter, which gained significant media attention dubbed the “Black Swan murder” case by Doug’s family’s lawyer. (Facebook)
“To Doug, Ashley appears as this innocent, pure White Swan,” Murphy recounted in a previous statement to CBS’s “48 Hours.”
“But beneath those white feathers, she reveals a darker side… she embodies the Black Swan,” Murphy stated.
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Following the verdict, Eva Benefield, Doug’s daughter from a previous marriage and Ashley’s stepdaughter, expressed her joy on social media.
“She was convicted of manslaughter,” Eva Benefield shared in a TikTok video after the verdict. “After four long years, my dad has finally received the justice he deserved.”
A date for sentencing has yet to be announced.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
