A former ballerina named Ashley Benefield has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting her estranged husband, Doug Benefield, back in 2020. The case, which made headlines as the “Black Swan murder,” got a lot of attention because of its dramatic twists, even drawing comparisons to the 2010 movie Black Swan.
Ashley, now 32, was found guilty of manslaughter in July. She claimed she acted in self-defense when Doug, 58, allegedly lunged at her during an argument at her mother’s house in Florida. Ashley said she fired the gun because she felt threatened, describing how Doug moved towards her in what she thought was an aggressive way.
Their relationship had been rocky from the start. The couple married just two weeks after meeting—Ashley was 24, and Doug, a widower, was 54. Things didn’t go smoothly. Ashley clashed with Doug’s teenage daughter, their attempt to start a ballet company fell apart, and Ashley even accused Doug of poisoning her, as well as his late wife. Police looked into these claims but didn’t find any evidence.
The pair separated when Ashley was pregnant, with her moving in with her mother and keeping their baby away from Doug for six months. Eventually, a judge stepped in, and the two reconciled, even planning to move to Maryland in 2020.
The tragedy unfolded on September 27, 2020. While packing for their move, the couple got into a heated argument. Ashley’s mother had taken their child to a park, leaving the two alone. A neighbor reported hearing screaming, followed by Ashley showing up at another neighbor’s house holding a gun. She told them she had shot Doug in self-defense.
When police arrived, Doug was still alive but couldn’t speak. He passed away at the hospital about an hour later. Investigators found that he had been shot twice—once in the leg and once in the arm, with the second bullet going into his chest. Evidence suggested he was turning away when the shots were fired.
Ashley’s lawyer later said she had been planning to leave Doug and had a detailed escape plan, including a rental car and burner phone. The lawyer claimed Ashley believed Doug had discovered her plans, which made her fear for her safety.
Five weeks after the shooting, Ashley was arrested. Now, she faces 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. It’s a story full of heartbreak and tragedy, leaving many wondering how things went so wrong.
