The Black Swan Murder Trial Has Ended With a Guilty Verdict — When Is the Sentencing?
Ashley Benefield barely moved a muscle as the the guilty verdict was read in court.
Published July 31 2024, 12:37 p.m. ET
After legal proceedings that lasted less than seven days, the jury for the Black Swan murder trial handed down a guilty verdict for former ballerina Ashley Benefield. In September 2020, she killed her estranged husband Doug Benefield, claiming it was self-defense. The state argued that Ashley was singularly focused on being a single parent, and did not want Doug involved in the life of their then 2-year-old daughter.
Obviously the jury felt the prosecution presented a case strong enough to possibly send Ashley to prison for quite some time. It should be noted that the trial was held in the state of Florida, which has the death penalty. Here's what we know about Ashley Benefield's sentence, and whether or not she could be headed for death row.
Ashley Benefield's sentence won't be light.
According to NBC News, Ashley was remanded to the custody of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. She was previously out on a $100,000 bond which was revoked. A date for her sentencing has not yet been set.
Doug's daughter Eva, from his first marriage, took to TikTok in order to celebrate what was undoubtedly a bittersweet victory. While walking to her car from the courthouse, the 23-year-old smiled while sharing the news. "After four years of waiting, my dad got the justice that he deserves," she said. Eva then promised to check back in after she had some time to process the trial.
In Florida, a manslaughter sentence is no joke.
Under Florida Statute 782.07(1), manslaughter falls under one of three defintions. Ashley was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, which was bumped down from second-degree murder. It's defined as "committing an intentional act that was neither excusable, nor justified that resulted in the death of another person," per the Hornsby Law Firm.
Because the weapon used in the murder was a gun, the crime is now classified as a felony of the first degree. This is punishable for up to 30 years in prison as well as a $10,000 fine. The death penalty is likely off the table as a manslaughter conviction isn't one of the aggravating factors that lead to capital punishment.
