Late Tuesday, a former ballerina was found guilty of manslaughter for the fatal shooting of her husband. The jury deliberated for hours before reaching the verdict, carefully weighing her defense that the shooting, which occurred four years ago, was an act of self-defense.
Ashley Benefield, 33, at first had to deal with second-degree murder penalties yet was eventually indicted for the lesser accusation of homicide. This decision originates from the deadly shooting of her significant other, Doug Benefield, on September 27, 2020.
Last week in a Florida courtroom, Ashley Benefield shared her emotional testimony. She recounted fearing for her life when she shot Doug during a frightening altercation at her home just south of Tampa.
The prosecutors disputed Ashley Benefield’s testimony, asserting that the evidence from the day of the shooting did not support her narrative. They accused her of fabricating allegations of domestic abuse to strengthen her case for sole custody of their child.
Read More: Two Children Killed in ‘Ferocious’ Stabbing at UK Dance Event; 17-Year-Old Arrested
In her closing argument on Tuesday, Suzanne O’Donnell, the assistant state attorney for Florida’s 12th Judicial District, argued, “Ashley didn’t need to shoot him. She had a plan and executed it to get what she wanted.
In a profound declaration last week, Ashley related how Doug kept her from leaving their home, hit her in the face, and charged at her as she held a weapon and beseeched him to stop.
During his closing argument on Tuesday, Taylor defended his client, stating that she had taken every step a law-abiding citizen could with an abusive partner. “She filed complaint after complaint, repeatedly alerting authorities to Doug Benefield’s behavior, but received no help. She sought relief countless times, all to no avail.”
Read More: Kamala Harris Rolls Out $50 Million Ad Campaign for Presidential Bid
When Ashley fatally shot Doug, no one else was present in her home, and there was no video evidence of the confrontation. However, O’Donnell argued that there was no proof Ashley had been hit in the face and characterized her account of the incident as evasive.
O’Donnell pointed out that the trajectory of the fatal bullet, which passed sideways through Doug Benefield’s body, seemed to contradict Ashley’s claim that he was moving toward her when she fired.
Ashley portrayed Doug as controlling and flighty in her declaration. She guaranteed that during one warmed contention, he shot a weapon into their roof while taking steps to end it all, tossed a stacked firearm at her, and, surprisingly, hit their canine with such power that it thumped the creature oblivious.