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

arielilane · Jul 2, 2023

Ashley and Douglas Benefield reportedly married after knowing each other for just 13 days. She quickly became pregnant after.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1675157377887158273

https://twitter.com/CourtTV

'Stand Your Ground' Hearing Next Week in Black Swan Murder Trial

Ashley and Douglas Benefield reportedly married after knowing each other for just 13 days. She quickly became pregnant after.

www.courttv.com

'STAND YOUR GROUND' HEARING NEXT WEEK IN BLACK SWAN MURDER TRIAL

Ashley and Douglas Benefield reportedly married after knowing each other for just 13 days. She quickly became pregnant after.

Ex-ballerina Ashley Benefield to argue self-defense in husband's death

UPDATE: Ashley Benefield will be back in court July 6 for a two-day pre-trial immunity hearing under the 'stand your ground' law.

www.courttv.com

Last updated 10:17 AM, June 30, 2023

BRADENTON, Fla. (Court TV) – A former ballerina charged with second-degree murder for the death of her husband is arguing she acted in self-defense.

Ashley Benefield is accused of murdering Douglas Benefield in her Florida bedroom on September 27, 2020.

In a criminal complaint, detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said they received a 911 call from one of Ashley’s neighbors reporting Ashley had come over saying she had been attacked by her husband and shot him. [..]

arielilane · Jul 3, 2023

Ashley is scheduled to appear in court for a two-day stand-your-ground hearing beginning July 6, 2023.

Ex-ballerina Ashley Benefield to argue self-defense in husband's death

UPDATE: Ashley Benefield will be back in court July 6 for a two-day pre-trial immunity hearing under the 'stand your ground' law.

www.courttv.com

arielilane · Jul 5, 2023

Benefield’s defense team filed a motion for dismissal claiming Doug was an abusive husband and she shot and killed him out of self-defense.

Two days of motion hearings are scheduled to kick off Thursday for #AshleyBenefield, 31, – the former model and ballerina accused of shooting and killing her husband, #DouglasBenefield, 58, inside their Lakewood Ranch, Florida home in September 2020.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1676635076065460251

https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetwork

arielilane · Jul 5, 2023

Bombshells, a ballerina & her husband shot in the bedroom: What we know about the Benefield murder case

“Based on the entry wounds on Douglas, it does not appear that he was facing Ashley when she began shooting,” court documents state. “It also does not appear that Douglas had taken any kind of defensive or combative stance.”

lawandcrime.com

Jul 5th, 2023, 4:27 pm

Two days of motion hearings are scheduled to kick off Thursday for Ashley Benefield, 31, – the former model and ballerina accused of shooting and killing her husband, Douglas (Doug) Benefield, 58, inside their Lakewood Ranch, Florida, home in September 2020.

[...] Ashley Benefield’s defense team filed a motion for dismissal – meaning they want the case and charges dropped – claiming Doug Benefield was an abusive husband and she shot and killed him in self-defense.

[...] A judge set Ashley Benefield’s bond at $100,000 – which she paid. She now has a court-issued curfew and is required to wear an ankle monitor. The former ballerina lives with her mother and now 5-year-old daughter. Court documents show she has been able to adjust her curfew when needed and has even traveled to Maryland for a wedding. Due to financial hardships, a judge granted Ashley Benefield’s defense team’s request to waive the monthly cost ($120) of the ankle monitor maintenance.

Gardenista · Jul 5, 2023

Looks like tons of court docs here

Search Court Records - Manatee County Clerk

arielilane · Jul 5, 2023

arielilane said:
Case: 2020CF003014AX
Filed: 11/04/2020

Status: OPEN

Type: Felony

Judge: STEPHEN MATHEW WHYTE

State Attorney Case: 20CF027412AM

Prosecuting Attorney: SUZANNE M O'DONNELL

Prosecutor NOA: 11/17/2020

Defendant ASHLEY CHRISTINA BENEFIELD

Attorney: NEIL G TAYLOR

222 (224) 06/02/2023 NOTICE OF TAKING ZOOM DEPOSITIONS 1
223 (225) 06/02/2023 STATE'S SUPPLEMENTAL RESPONSE TO DEFENSE DEMAND FOR DISCOVERY 2
224 (226) 06/15/2023 OMNIBUS MOTION IN LIMINE AND INCORPORATED MEMORANDUM OF LAW 11
225 (227) 06/16/2023 STIPUALTION AND ORDER - THE DEFENDANT HAS RAISED A FACIALLY SUFFICIENT CLAIM OF ENTITLEMENT TO IMMUNITY UNDER CHAPTER 776, FLORIDA STATUTES, AND THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE STATE TO OVERCOME THE IMMUNITY BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE, PRETRIAL IMMUNITY HEARING ON DEFENDANT'S MOTION WILL BE HELD ON JULY 6TH AND 7TH, 2023, AT 8:30 A.M., BEFORE THE HONORABLE STEPHEN M. WHYTE. IN COURTROOM 6A, AT THE MANATEE COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER, 1051 MANATEE AVENUE WEST, BRADENTON, FL 34205

24: 07/06/2023 at 08:30AM - JACS-OTHER MOTION
Location: MANATEE COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER
Room: COURTROOM 6-A
Judge: WHYTE, STEPHEN MATHEW

25: 07/07/2023 at 08:30AM - JACS-OTHER MOTION
Location: MANATEE COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER
Room: COURTROOM 6-A
Judge: WHYTE, STEPHEN MATHEW

26: 09/19/2023 at 09:00AM - DOCKET SOUNDING
Location: MANATEE COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER
Room: COURTROOM 6-A
Judge: WHYTE, STEPHEN MATHEW

27: 10/16/2023 at 08:30AM - JURY TRIAL
Location: MANATEE COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER
Room: COURTROOM 6-A
Judge: WHYTE, STEPHEN MATHEW

Search Court Records - Manatee County Clerk

Party TypeNameGenderDOBDefendantASHLEY CHRISTINA BENEFIELD
Mailing Address:6561 WATERS EDGE WAY LAKEWOOD RANCH FL 34202
Attorney: NEIL G TAYLOR Female12/05/1991

235 (237)		07/05/2023	JOINT STIPULATION TO PERMIT TESTIMONY BY ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCING/ ORDER RATIFYING JOINT STIPULATION TO PERMIT TESTIMONY BY ZOOM	2
236 (238)		07/05/2023	NOTICE OF INTENT TO RELY UPON CERTIFICATION OF BUSINESS RECORD