Ballerina Murder: A Claim Of Self-Defense

Ashley Benefield, a former ballet dancer, stands accused of the murder of her husband, Douglas Benefield. Ballerina murder has garnered attention due to two days of motion hearings related to a stand-your-ground defense.

Ashley claimed self-defense, stating that she shot Douglas after he attacked her. However, investigations revealed that Douglas likely had his back turned to Ashley at the time of the shooting.

Although Ashley claims self-defense, investigations have not yielded any evidence to substantiate her allegations of abuse.

The court proceedings will determine the outcome of this tragic incident and whether Ashley’s self-defense argument will be upheld.

The allegations and defense strategy

In her coming murder trial, former professional ballerina Ashley Benefield, 31, will depend on a self-defense defense.

Douglas Benefield, Ashley’s lifetime friend of 59 years, is accused of attacking and attempting to poison her.

Ashley’s defense team submitted a motion to a Florida judge asking for the second-degree murder charges to be withdrawn.

They said Ashley shot Douglas in self-defense because she felt mistreated as a wife.

The couple had already filed for divorce and were engaged in a contentious custody dispute over their two-year-old daughter at the time of the event on September 28, 2020.

The fatal shooting incident

Ashley claims that the deadly shooting occurred due to a domestic argument at their Lakewood, Florida, home.

She maintains that she acted in self-defense when she shot and killed Douglas.

After five weeks of investigation, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office could not find evidence supporting Ashley’s claims of assault.

After being released on a $100,000 bail, Ashley lives with her mother and their five-year-old child.

She must follow the court-imposed curfew, though, and she must wear an ankle bracelet.

The motion for dismissal and supporting depositions

In February 2023, Ashley’s defense team filed a comprehensive 105-page motion for dismissal.

The motion sheds light on her side of the story leading up to the tragic shooting. Attached to the motion are depositions that reveal a series of admissions regarding Douglas’s violent behavior.

One such admission recounts an incident from July 2018 when Douglas allegedly pulled a gun out of its sleeve and fired it at the ceiling.

Reportedly, he resorted to throwing the gun against the wall to intimidate Ashley during an argument.

Furthermore, the depositions highlight additional claims made by Ashley regarding Douglas’s behavior.

According to allegations, Douglas is said to have admitted to hitting their dog and punching a hole in the wall during one of their disputes.

In his deposition, he confessed, “My fist went through the sheetrock and sort of hit the outside.” Law & Crime reported that Ashley was the instigator of the argument in this particular incident.

According to investigators, Ashley and Douglas were the only people in the home at the time of the incident.At the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Ashley later surrendered herself.

History of domestic violence claims

County court records reveal that Ashley had filed several petitions accusing her husband of domestic violence on various occasions.

However, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Randy Warren explained that thorough investigations into such claims require time.

He claimed that they concluded there was no abuse in this particular instance since they could not locate any proof of it.