GUILTY FL - Doug Benefield, 58, shot and killed by estranged wife, Manatee County, 27 Sept 2020 #2

[Tabulator]

Doug Benefield was shot and killed by his estranged wife Ashley on September 27, 2020. She claims it was self-defense, but she was arrested and charged with second degree murder. This case has been featured on CBS' 48 Hours.

Did a former ballerina accused of murder shoot her husband in self-defense?

Thread #1

 

[Knitty]

Please continue here.

 

[arielilane]

A date has not been set for AB sentencing at this time. My understanding is at the sentencing (because she was convicted) will be wearing prison attire. No more street clothes allowed. Perhaps she will be wearing new jewelry and a prison (under clothing) stun belt. moo

 

[Sustained]

According to Manatee County court records, AB will be sentenced on 10/22/24.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

Confirming as @Sustained notes above….. ABC7 online August 9, 2024 article entitled ‘Sentencing date set in Ashley Benefield case’. Confirming October 22, 2024 sentencing date:

Sentencing date set in Ashley Benefield case

Despite the ex-ballerina avoiding a life sentence, the victim’s family says they are happy with the verdict.

www.mysuncoast.com

 

[ar3593]

According to Manatee County court records, AB will be sentenced on 10/22/24.

Praying the judge hands out the maximum of 30 years. MOO

 

[arielilane]

One more sentencing post, as I didn't see time of sentencing.

Case: 2020CF003014AX
Filed: 11/04/2020 State Attorney Case: 20CF027412AM

Defendant

ASHLEY CHRISTINA BENEFIELD

44: 10/22/2024 at 08:30AM - JACS-SENTENCING​

Location: MANATEE COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER
Room: COURTROOM 6-A
Judge: WHYTE, STEPHEN MATHEW

Search Court Records - Manatee County Clerk

 

[Izzylizzy]

Praying the judge hands out the maximum of 30 years. MOO

After reading this plea deal that Judge Whyte approved which involved the death of a child I question that AB will even get 20 yrs which was where I thought he may come down with.???
Had this woman gone to trial on 2nd degree she could have gotten life.

'Bradenton mother gets prison sentence after ‘implausible’ child death explanation'​

'A Bradenton woman is going to prison, about 14 years after her 4-year-old daughter was found dead in her closet. Judge Stephen Matthew Whyte sentenced Dominique Marie Brewer, 43, to 20 years in prison on Wednesday at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton. Brewer received the maximum possible penalty after negotiating a no-contest plea to manslaughter and aggravated manslaughter of a child charges in October 2023'

Read more at: https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article284909542.html#storylink=cpy

https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article284909542.html

 

[Derph]

Uh-Oh! On August 9th The Defense entered a filing for a motion to interview jurors about potential misconduct. The filing alleges that a juror snuck a cell phone into the deliberating room and let her brother know of the verdict and some facts about the deliberations, which he then posted on the Law and Crime chat on the live YouTube coverage. This was minutes before the decision was made! It also claims a juror lied on their juror questionnaire. There is also another motion to dismiss the judge for bias. There's a lot here and I've only put a few general highlights but you can see the filings and motions below.

We'll see if anything comes from these.

Here are links to the filings: motions_aug9 - Google Drive

 

[Sustained]

Uh-Oh! On August 9th The Defense entered a filing for a motion to interview jurors about potential misconduct. The filing alleges that a juror snuck a cell phone into the deliberating room and let her brother know of the verdict and some facts about the deliberations, which he then posted on the Law and Crime chat on the live YouTube coverage. This was minutes before the decision was made! It also claims a juror lied on their juror questionnaire. There is also another motion to dismiss the judge for bias. There's a lot here and I've only put a few general highlights but you can see the filings and motions below.

We'll see if anything comes from these.

Here are links to the filings: motions_aug9 - Google Drive

Hard to believe a juror who spent weeks sitting in trial would risk bringing a cell phone into the jury room and relaying info to her brother. Not sure about lying on the jury questionnaire but both the defense and state could have vetted the juror or any other juror prior to trial.

 

[JudyBolton]

Hard to believe a juror who spent weeks sitting in trial would risk bringing a cell phone into the jury room and relaying info to her brother. Not sure about lying on the jury questionnaire but both the defense and state could have vetted the juror or any other juror prior to trial.

Based solely on some guy's posts on YouTube...sounds sketchy. Also, seems one of the other jurors would have spoken up knowing this could derail the entire thing.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Uh-Oh! On August 9th The Defense entered a filing for a motion to interview jurors about potential misconduct. The filing alleges that a juror snuck a cell phone into the deliberating room and let her brother know of the verdict and some facts about the deliberations, which he then posted on the Law and Crime chat on the live YouTube coverage. This was minutes before the decision was made! It also claims a juror lied on their juror questionnaire. There is also another motion to dismiss the judge for bias. There's a lot here and I've only put a few general highlights but you can see the filings and motions below.

We'll see if anything comes from these.

Here are links to the filings: motions_aug9 - Google Drive

Juror # 15 looks very concerning by not listing about her past that's in the document.
Very sloppy vetting on both sides.
I thought the defense and state checked out juror's names ASAP and if what's found is concerning to either side they can ask the judge to dismiss them?

A female juror's claimed brother "The Hoodie Boy" ? Has the defense tracked him down?

 

[JudyBolton]

Juror # 15 looks very concerning by not listing about her past that's in the document.
Very sloppy vetting on both sides.
I thought the defense and state checked out juror's names ASAP and if what's found is concerning to either side they can ask the judge to dismiss them?

A female juror's claimed brother "The Hoodie Boy" ? Has the defense tracked him down?

That l-o-n-g list of issues with Juror #15 is crazy! Surely they could have checked that out before the end of the trial and used an alternate. I can almost guarantee the motion on the judge is going nowhere. He did not rule in her favor on the stand-your-ground motion so could not be fair ...also did not allow her bail (after the jury found her guilty!)

 

[Izzylizzy]

That l-o-n-g list of issues with Juror #15 is crazy! Surely they could have checked that out before the end of the trial and used an alternate. I can almost guarantee the motion on the judge is going nowhere. He did not rule in her favor on the stand-your-ground motion so could not be fair ...also did not allow her bail (after the jury found her guilty!)

From what I've been reading online it appears that the state and defense do not have the full names of the seated jurors, just the court administration does. ???

If all this is true I wonder if juror #15 is the Hoodie Guy's sister with the flip phone.
How the hell does a juror text multiple times while in a room with 11 other people and no one notices?

IMO: this is one of the times something seems just too stupid to be true about a person.





'If a juror lies during voir dire, a defendant can request a new trial if they can prove the juror's misconduct prevented them from getting an impartial jury. The defendant must also show that the juror had a bias against them. For example, a defendant might learn that a juror who convicted them was quiet during a key part of voir dire.


During voir dire, judges and sometimes the parties ask potential jurors questions to screen them for bias before selecting the jury. Jurors who lie to get on the jury can be charged with contempt of court or obstruction of justice. Background checks are also becoming more common to catch jurors who lie about their criminal records. '

 

[nodamselindistress]

RE: How the hell does a juror text multiple times while in a room with 11 other people and no one notices?

Just a reminder that this was a jury of 6.

 

[Sustained]

RE: How the hell does a juror text multiple times while in a room with 11 other people and no one notices?

Just a reminder that this was a jury of 6.

Even with 6, I find this hard to believe. Someone likely reported the comments from the "hoodie guy" on the Law & Crime feed to the defense and we would need to wait until juror interviews and a possible subpoena to get the identity of the YouTube poster.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Even with 6, I find this hard to believe. Someone likely reported the comments from the "hoodie guy" on the Law & Crime feed to the defense and we would need to wait until juror interviews and a possible subpoena to get the identity of the YouTube poster.

iirc: during the Trump hush money trial a guy posted on NY State's website that his sister was a juror and then he said something about jury deliberations that she told him?
What he posts is bull-*advertiser censored* which he plainly stated on his own account and it turned out to be a joke.

This "That Hoodie Guy" is different though due to the claimed timeline he was posting on the L&C site as the jurors were still deliberating.
I still find it hard to believe that a juror could be so damn stupid, silly me if it is true.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Even with 6, I find this hard to believe. Someone likely reported the comments from the "hoodie guy" on the Law & Crime feed to the defense and we would need to wait until juror interviews and a possible subpoena to get the identity of the YouTube poster.

I supposedly wasn't just one text, so how can someone text numerous times surrounded by 5 other people and no one notices it?
I assume that jurors also go through a metal detector before entering the courthouse?

 

[Izzylizzy]

RE: How the hell does a juror text multiple times while in a room with 11 other people and no one notices?

Just a reminder that this was a jury of 6.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[nodamselindistress]

I would think someone texting on a cell phone with only 5 other people in the room would be even more obvious to the others.