‘Black Swan’ murder trial: Ashley Benefield convicted of manslaughter in death of husband

Ashley Benefield, the girl on the middle of the “Black Swan” homicide trial was convicted of manslaughter on Tuesday night time.

The jury within the trial of the ballerina who had been accused of killing her husband, Doug Benefield, returned its verdict late Tuesday night time in a Florida courtroom.

She faces as much as 30 years in jail. Her sentencing date has but to be decided.

Ashley Benefield’s lawyer argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship, stating that Doug Benefield was a manipulative, controlling and abusive man. She had argued she killed her husband in self-defense. Prosecutors had accused Ashley of wanting sole custody of the couple’s daughter Emerson.

“This case is a couple of girl who, very early on in her being pregnant, determined she needed to be a single mom,” prosecutor Suzanne O’Donnell stated. “Her husband and the whole lot she did from that time on was to achieve that purpose and he or she would cease at nothing to achieve that purpose. When there was no different possibility, she shoots him and kills him and claims self-defense.”

Based on court docket paperwork filed by the protection, Ashley claims Doug struck her in an incident on Sept. 27, 2020, hitting her on the aspect of her head, after which tried to maintain her from leaving the room.

Ashley claims she feared for her life, shot Doug a number of occasions in self-defense, after which ran to her neighbor’s home.