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

[Wishbone]

I listened to the officer talk about putting her in the car and driving to the station to interview her. Then he said he turned her over to an interviewer and her attorney was already there. Seems like part of this story is missing. I gathered she wasn't arrested yet, how did her attorney get there so fast and why hasn't this part of it been talked about. Just curious........

 

[nodamselindistress]

I listened to the officer talk about putting her in the car and driving to the station to interview her. Then he said he turned her over to an interviewer and her attorney was already there. Seems like part of this story is missing. I gathered she wasn't arrested yet, how did her attorney get there so fast and why hasn't this part of it been talked about. Just curious........

Thanks for this, I must have missed this when my Termite guy came for the annual inspection.

Very interesting! Wonder if her mother called an atty? You know, since she (AB) was so distraught and hysterical.

 

[nodamselindistress]

Crime scene tech Meghan Dvorack is next. We are now seeing photos of AB after the shooting with her "injuries". I have had much worse scratches during moves!

 

[Kakidoll]

Going back to her 'look'. She was def. playing to jury. We have a big community of Mennonite in our areas... so trying to align herself with that look of innocent victim plays out. She lived in Lakewood Ranch with her mom though, NOT a Mennonite area. I see she has tamed it today and even more so after lunch break. I'm guessing someone is reading here or somewhere.

 

[ilovewings]

Going back to her 'look'. She was def. playing to jury. We have a big community of Mennonite in our areas... so trying to align herself with that look of innocent victim plays out. She lived in Lakewood Ranch with her mom though, NOT a Mennonite area. I see she has tamed it today and even more so after lunch break. I'm guessing someone is reading here or somewhere.

It bothers me that the prosecution apparently does not believe it is important to show Ashley as she really is--- perhaps they don't think it is that important- The woman sitting at the defense table today looks nothing like the woman who pulled a trigger and shot her husband! She looks so demure - she is very pretty--women like this often get away with murder!

 

[nodamselindistress]

Crime Scene tech Amanda Conlon up now. She collected the gun and put it in an evidence bag. She also photographed the interior of Alicia Byer's (Ashely's mother) house.

 

[Kakidoll]

It bothers me that the prosecution apparently does not believe it is important to show Ashley as she really is--- perhaps they don't think it is that important- The woman sitting at the defense table today looks nothing like the woman who pulled a trigger and shot her husband! She looks so demure - she is very pretty--women like this often get away with murder!

Agree.. but they could be saving it for Closing. This trial is going FAST!

 

[nodamselindistress]

Agree.. but they could be saving it for Closing. This trial is going FAST!

I feel like saving it for Closing is not a good strategy as I think jurors may have already made up their minds by then. Not that I expect them to favor AB, but if I am the prosecutors I make it obvious NOW.

 

[arielilane]

Thus far, no one testified to the defendant having any visible injuries. She was upset, but no injuries. moo

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson

State expected to rest by Thursday.

2:38 PM · Jul 23, 2024

 

[nodamselindistress]

Whoa, Conlon found 2 more fire arms in the house! One in AB's backpack and another in the kitchen pantry.

I guess I just assumed she only had the one gun, but seems that was wrong.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Whoa, Conlon found 2 more fire arms in the house! One in AB's backpack and another in the kitchen pantry.

I guess I just assumed she only had the one gun, but seems that was wrong.

Hmmm. Stashed weapons around the house so always ready when the opportunity arises. Sounds like pre-meditation to me. JMO

 

[arielilane]

After a loud crash, someone dropped something.
"You break it, you buy it," not sure who said it but needed the humor.

 

[nodamselindistress]

Judge Whyte letting jurors go for the day, start time tomorrow 9 am.

This trial is going so fast! Love it, esp after watching the Karen Read trial. I think we covered a weeks' worth of testimony in 1 day compared to the KR trial.

 

[nodamselindistress]

Def Atty is so worried about child abuse claims from the state, even though the state already said they are not asking about child abuse.

I have no idea what these child abuse claims are.

 

[arielilane]

July 6, 2023

Crime Scene Photos Show Ballerina Ashley Benefield After Shooting Her Husband​

Crime scene photos were presented in court Thursday during former ballerina Ashley Benefield’s pre-evidentiary hearing. The photos show a bloody bedroom and multiple shell casings marked with evidence markers. The defense also presented photos showing Ashley with a swollen eye and cheek. Ashley has been charged with second-degree murder in her husband’s death. She claims she shot Doug Benefield in self-defense.

 

[bobbymkii]

Judge Whyte letting jurors go for the day, start time tomorrow 9 am.

This trial is going so fast! Love it, esp after watching the Karen Read trial. I think we covered a weeks' worth of testimony in 1 day compared to the KR trial.

I can't deal with how quickly American trials move, I can't keep up!

 

[arielilane]

This is the usual speed of a criminal trial from my own experience of watching trials. It is not type to drag a trial out for weeks. Week after week after week of nothingness. Jurors forget what's been presented and dont always take notes. You get in and you get out, make your points and show the evidence, otherwise you lose your audience so to speak... moo

 

[bobbymkii]

This is the usual speed of a criminal trial from my own experience of watching trials. It is not type to drag a trial out for weeks. Week after week after week of nothingness. Jurors forget what's been presented and dont always take notes. You get in and you get out, make your points and show the evidence, otherwise you lose your audience so to speak... moo

I've mentioned it in a few US trial threads this year, so I will try to avoid repeating points I have already made over and over again but in the jurisdiction where I am from, our criminal trials do not move anywhere near as quickly as they do in the US! Our criminal trials move at about the same pace that big American civil trials do. It's excruciating! MOO

 

[nodamselindistress]

Today was weird, they only showed us some of the photos they put on the big screen. For instance, I do not recall seeing a photo of AB with a swollen cheek and eye. I may have missed it, I did have business that took me away for a few.