Did Ashley Benefield shoot Douglas in self-defense? Ballerina claims ex-husband was violent and hit their dog during fights
LAKEWOOD, FLORIDA: Former ballerina and swimsuit model, Ashley Benefield is set to enter trial for the shooting death of her husband Douglas Benefield on September 28, 2020. She is accused of fatally shooting her husband during a domestic dispute in their Lakewood, Florida home, in what Benefield claims was self-defense. The American National Ballet founder said she pulled the trigger to protect herself in fear for her own life and alleged that her late husband was violent, claiming he punched a hole in the wall and even hit their dog during an argument.
Following Douglas' death, detectives from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office conducted a five-week investigation but were unable to find any proof that could support Benefield's claims of abuse. The latter was previously arrested and charged with second-degree murder before being released after she posted a $100,000 bond. Despite not being in custody, Benefield is under a court-issued curfew and is required to wear an ankle bracelet, the Daily Mail reported. It is yet to be proved if Benefield shot her husband in self-defense. However, the ex-Ballerina has continued to argue self-defense since the shooting and is expected to claim the same in court during her trial.
Ashley Benefield's claims against Douglas
While Benefield claimed that she shot her husband in self-defense, no evidence about the incident that led to Douglas' death has been made available to the public. Benefield and Douglas married 13 days after they first met in 2016. The former also became pregnant with their child by 2017. However, the couple soon started having arguments over Douglas' daughter Eva, whom he shared with his late first wife Renee, and her tensions with Benefield. Reports suggest that Douglas even fired a gun at the ceiling of their home during one of their arguments about Eva.
Douglas called it the "dumbest thing" he ever did in his life, his close friend Cormeny later said. In the middle of her pregnancy, Benefield moved to Florida to stay with her mother. While Douglas agreed to the decision, Benefield returned home one night and wrote a four-page letter listing her husband's inadequacies. She reportedly called Douglas "possessive" and "controlling" and said that the gun-firing incident left her "fearful for her life and the safety of her unborn child." Over the next few months, Benefield accused Douglas of poisoning her with tea.
She also alleged that Douglas killed his first wife by poisoning her, even though reports revealed she died of an undiagnosed heart condition. Benefield also did not let Douglas meet their daughter after she was born in 2018. Even though the pair reconciled for a year, Benefield decided to move to Maryland with their tthen-two-year-olddaughter and her mother, Alicia. Douglas reportedly agreed to the decision and even helped his wife pack the family's possessions.
However, on September 28, 2020, the couple reportedly had an argument inside their home, which ended in Benefield fatally shooting her husband. She immediately ran to her neighbor and confessed but claimed she shot Douglas in self-defense. Benefield also turned herself in at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. County court records showed Benefield filed petitions and accused her husband of domestic violence on several occasions.
Following her arrest, her mother Alicia and lawyer Faith Brown said Benefield was living in fear of Douglas for three-and-a-half years. They claimed that the ballerina also attempted to get help from authorities but no criminal charges were filed against Douglas as he "knows how to play the game." Brown alleged that Benefield planned to move away from her husband once and for all and even had an escape plan. She claimed that Benefield already arranged a safe place to stay, a burner phone, and a rental car rented under a different name.
The lawyer said Benefield wanted to execute the plan the next day because she was afraid Douglas had "gotten wind of it." Investigators said that they could not find any evidence that could confirm Benefield suffering abuse at the hands of her husband. The former model spent two weeks in jail before being released on bond and pled not guilty to the charges.
Ashley Benefield's lawyers file motion to drop second-degree murder charges
On Thursday, June 6, the defense team filed a motion asking the judge to drop the second-degree murder charge. The team argued that Douglas battered his wife and the latter had to shoot her husband in self-defense. The 105-page motion for dismissal was filed in February 2023 and provides Benefield's side of the story that led up to Douglas' murder. The defense also attached depositions with their filings that contained several admissions where Douglas admitted to showing violent behavior, including pulling a gun out and firing it at the ceiling of their home.
Douglas reportedly said that he threw the gun against the wall as a way to quiet Benefield during an argument. The deposition also mentioned that Douglas admitted to hitting their dog and punching a hole in their wall. "My fist went through the sheetrock and sort of hit the outside," he reportedly said, adding that his wife was the reason for the argument, as per Law & Crime Network. However, investigators could not find any evidence hinting toward potential abuse.
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Randy Warren told WFLA-TV that these things "take a little bit of time." "We really have to look to make sure there is no evidence she had been abused and that just did not exist in this case. We are looking for injuries, we are looking for torn clothing, we are looking for a sign of struggle, things that were inside that residence," he explained. "In each of these cases, it did not appear that she was being abused. We could not find anything there that would have led us to arrest her husband for whatever these claims were, even some involving their child," Warren added.