GUILTY FL - Doug Benefield, 58, shot and killed by estranged wife, Manatee County, 27 Sept 2020

[Dotta]

The only evidence of the prior acts of DV came out in the custody hearings, where Doug admitted to the hole in the ceiling, punching the dog and punching a hole in the drywall. I did not hear all the prior hearings motions in this case but I think the Judge and both sides agreed to keep the custody case separate from the murder case. So maybe that is why all the objections about DV?

Very strange IMO.
These actions seemed to lead to this tragedy.

It didn't happen "out of the blue".

This couple wasn't exactly
the "match made in Heaven"


JMO

 

[Derph]

Agree with the violence but also have to say something about a mother that wears guns, and also the day of the murder had at least two other guns hidden in different places in the house.

Means absolutely nothing. I have guns in different areas of my house. Had to bring one out and point it at someone during a home invasion. I keep them loaded now when I never used too before. You never know when you may be inside your home when you might need to access one. I learned that the hard way. I've lived in my current home for over 14 yrs and have had 1 home invasion and another 3 times where I was inside the house and had someone attempt to break in/or caught someone sneaking around outside of it. Have that happen to you a couple of times and you might have different thoughts on firearms.

It AB's constitutional right to own them. Furthermore she also took the proper classes to get her concealed carry permit so she did what she was supposed to do and was schooled in the proper handling of her firearms. If she had a fear of her husband then she was was well within her rights to have them anywhere she chooses to inside her home.

 

[alexwood]

If firing a gun into the ceiling,
throwing things into a wall making a hole there,
and hitting a dog unconcious
is not considered DV,
then...
I don't know what is

Oh,
and tracking the movements of a person.

Not a good home environment to bring up a child IMO.

Hmmm...
I'm not surprised the defendant didn't touch these subjects while in therapy TOGETHER with the husband.

But felt free to talk while alone with a therapist.
Nothing new here.

Just My Opinion.

Just punching the dog and rendering it unconscious was enough for me to say that he got what he deserved (IMO).

 

[Dotta]

This whole marriage seems strange to me.
30 year age gap and eloping Iike teens??
After only 13 days of knowing each other?
Was it so called "love bombing"/gaslighting?
Getting a young, naive and beautiful "trophy wife"?
Hmmm...

JMO

 

[Wishbone]

Means absolutely nothing. I have guns in different areas of my house. Had to bring one out and point it at someone during a home invasion. I keep them loaded now when I never used too before. You never know when you may be inside your home when you might need to access one. I learned that the hard way. I've lived in my current home for over 14 yrs and have had 1 home invasion and another 3 times where I was inside the house and had someone attempt to break in/or caught someone sneaking around outside of it. Have that happen to you a couple of times and you might have different thoughts on firearms.

It AB's constitutional right to own them. Furthermore she also took the proper classes to get her concealed carry permit so she did what she was supposed to do and was schooled in the proper handling of her firearms. If she had a fear of her husband then she was was well within her rights to have them anywhere she chooses to inside her home.

I'm in Texas so you know we love our guns down here. But it will be a really cold day before I start toting my guns around in my bra.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

This whole marriage seems strange to me.
30 year age gap and eloping Iike teens??
After only 13 days of knowing each other?
Was it so called "love bombing"/gaslighting?
Getting a young, naive and beautiful "trophy wife"?
Hmmm...

JMO

With all due respect, I’ve learned it typically takes two.

And how about Getting an older, seemingly accomplished, individual man of what was thought financial means?

Seems they both were possibly ‘gilding the lily’?

And from what has been presented as evidence thus far, it doesn’t IMO appear the defendant is naive. Hope the jury sees clearly too. MOO

 

[Wishbone]

This whole marriage seems strange to me.
30 year age gap and eloping Iike teens??
After only 13 days of knowing each other?
Was it so called "love bombing"/gaslighting?
Getting a young, naive and beautiful "trophy wife"?
Hmmm...

JMO

Or maybe her getting a wealthy meal ticket, or so she thought. Then a child to make sure she got something more out of it.JMOO

 

[arielilane]

Just punching the dog and rendering it unconscious was enough for me to say that he got what he deserved (IMO).

I missed the afternoon trial, but that is really upsetting about horrific violence toward a defenseless animal. moo

 

[Trinitee]

There were definite issues across the board here. IMO one of the parties was truly devastated, desperate, and losing control, the other maliciously selfish.

 

[arielilane]

I'd guess the relationship was infatuation between both parties. moo

 

[Dotta]

Or maybe her getting a wealthy meal ticket, or so she thought. Then a child to make sure she got something more out of it.JMOO

Hmmm...
It seems he was bankrupt, no?
Were the ballerinas employed in failed business paid?

I must dive deeper into the case.

 

[Wishbone]

There were definite issues across the board here. IMO one of the parties was truly devastated and losing control, the other maliciously selfish.

It appears to me they both had a boatload of issues. JMOO

 

[Wishbone]

Hmmm...
It seems he was bankrupt, no?
Were the ballerinas employed in failed business paid?

I must dive deeper into the case.

afaik the ballerina venture did them in financially.

 

[Trinitee]

The venture was not properly funded from the start according to the Vanity Fair article previously posted.

 

[Dotta]

It appears to me they both had a boatload of issues. JMOO

To put it MILDLY
IMO

 

[Derph]

Very interesting read...
(for a newbie to this case, like me)

From 2021

When Doug and Ashley Benefield Started a Ballet Company, It Wasn’t Supposed to End in Death

The Charleston-based evangelicals had much in common: guns, God, Trump. What went wrong, only one of them could say.

www.vanityfair.com

Thanks for posting that. Definitely gives me more insight into the case.

 

[ilovewings]

I have just one question-----who gets married after
13 days??? That is nuts!!!!

 

[Weki]

I didn’t like the victim’s attorney who testified. I think she was unprofessional in her attire and conduct on the stand. She’s an attorney and should know better. She acted like she was walking down the runway every time she came in and out. She was dressed for cocktail hour not to testify in a murder trial. Her mannerisms on the stand were off-putting. And I’m bringing this up because demeanor is relevant to assessing witness credibility. She hurt the state. Her answers were deemed “editorializing” and she was stopped from answering and told to just stick to direct answers. For an attorney, that is a bad look. JMO

 

[nodamselindistress]

I didn’t like the victim’s attorney who testified. I think she was unprofessional in her attire and conduct on the stand. She’s an attorney and should know better. She acted like she was walking down the runway every time she came in and out. She was dressed for cocktail hour not to testify in a murder trial. Her mannerisms on the stand were off-putting. And I’m bringing this up because demeanor is relevant to assessing witness credibility. She hurt the state. Her answers were deemed “editorializing” and she was stopped from answering and told to just stick to direct answers. For an attorney, that is a bad look. JMO

You may be from a different area of the country, and I do not live in South Florida, but the way she dressed and her mannerisms were totally normal for that area. As to her "editorializing", I agree she did that but I imagine she was trying to speak for a dead man who no longer has that privilege.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Next witness is Detective Chris Gillum with Manatee County Sheriffs office. He is a domestic violence investigator.

AB wanted him to arrest Doug for violating the SC order requiring him to stay away from her. AB called him at least 2x a week and let him know she was not happy Doug was not arrested. Further, she wanted Doug arrested in a court hearing in front of the judge!

I'm brand new to the case..like today and only came across it from a Youtube video that appeared on my TV while I was scanning.

A question for anyone:

To begin with why was she alone with Doug in the house on the day she shot him if she feared him so much?

I can't even wrap my head around her knowing that he was following her to where she was moving to live close by and she was still making the move.
Did I get that right?