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

[poppyquiche]

I have admittedly not been following this case from the beginning and knew next to nothing about it until the other day when I ran across it on CourtTV so I'm willing to believe that I've missed major evidence that would tell me otherwise or sway me in another direction. That said, I watched the cross-exam of the defendant and I absolutely do not think the prosecution was "bullying" her or overly mean to her at all (if anything I was surprised they didn't keep on her after the break) and I completely thought her whole crying jag was a (poorly-done) acting job. It was BLATANT to me that she turned on the fake panic attack when she didn't want to answer questions anymore and wanted a reprieve from being called out. She didn't even look like she had actual tears.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Took me forever to catch up -

I’m to the point now where I don’t care for the victim or the defendant …these are two awful people that used each other for their own selfish reasons - egos collided -

 

[poppyquiche]

Took me forever to catch up -

I’m to the point now where I don’t care for the victim or the defendant …these are two awful people that used each other for their own selfish reasons - egos collided -

Oh definitely. What was shown of their interactions told me we're dealing with two distinctly not-great people that I'd never want to know in real life. It's still murder, to me, but I totally get what you're saying.

 

[Weki]

I have admittedly not been following this case from the beginning and knew next to nothing about it until the other day when I ran across it on CourtTV so I'm willing to believe that I've missed major evidence that would tell me otherwise or sway me in another direction. That said, I watched the cross-exam of the defendant and I absolutely do not think the prosecution was "bullying" her or overly mean to her at all (if anything I was surprised they didn't keep on her after the break) and I completely thought her whole crying jag was a (poorly-done) acting job. It was BLATANT to me that she turned on the fake panic attack when she didn't want to answer questions anymore and wanted a reprieve from being called out. She didn't even look like she had actual tears.

Right. I can’t imagine how she gets acquitted. Maybe a hung jury if there’s an errant juror. But acquittal? No way. There’s literally no evidence of abuse or threat to her life. She shot and killed him because she wanted to be done with him. It was a tantrum killing. JMO

 

[nodamselindistress]

I have admittedly not been following this case from the beginning and knew next to nothing about it until the other day when I ran across it on CourtTV so I'm willing to believe that I've missed major evidence that would tell me otherwise or sway me in another direction. That said, I watched the cross-exam of the defendant and I absolutely do not think the prosecution was "bullying" her or overly mean to her at all (if anything I was surprised they didn't keep on her after the break) and I completely thought her whole crying jag was a (poorly-done) acting job. It was BLATANT to me that she turned on the fake panic attack when she didn't want to answer questions anymore and wanted a reprieve from being called out. She didn't even look like she had actual tears.

This was how I saw it, as well. She looked so awkward trying to emulate how Doug looked in his "fighting stance" or "warrior stance" or whatever they are calling it. Did she not watch her attorney in openings and how he did it?

It all just leads me to believe her attorney came up with this part of the "story" as she needed Doug to be life threatening before she shot him to death.

So many lies.

 

[Izzylizzy]

This is from an older article and contains information not presented at trial. Worth a read.

snipped
While Ashley made no statements to sheriff deputies, her mother and her lawyer Faith Brown did. Her mother said she and Ashley had been living in fear of Doug for three-and-a-half years. She claimed they tried to get help from the authorities but that no one would help them. Ashley's allegations against Doug had been investigated by the authorities but Doug was never charged with a crime. Alicia countered that Doug "knows how to play the game."
Brown told police that Ashley was planning to get away from Doug once and for all and had an escape plan. Ashley, Brown said, had a safe place to stay, a burner phone, and a rental car rented under a different name. She told deputies that Ashley wanted to put the plan into effect the next day because she was afraid Doug had "gotten wind of it."
Investigators determined that Doug had been shot twice while he was turned away from Ashley. He was shot once in the leg and once in the arm and that bullet traveled into his chest cavity.
Only Ashley knows exactly what happened, but she hasn't made any statements. Five weeks after the shooting, Ashley was arrested and charged with second degree murder. She pleaded not guilty. She was released on bond after spending about two weeks in jail.
It remains unclear whether Ashley really did fear for her life or if she's a manipulative "black swan" straight out of a Hollywood film. Her trial is not expected to take place until 2023.

Is Ashley Benefield the real-life "Black Swan"?

Former ballerina kills her husband, claiming self-defense

www.cbsnews.com

What a well thought out escape plan.

Get all yours and your daughter's belongings in a U-Haul that's attached to your claimed abuser's vehicle, leave your car cause you now have a rented one and take your daughter and go hang out in a hotel room.

I can see how this would have gotten rid of DB for once and for all had AB not killed him, eh? lol

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

What a well thought out escape plan.

Get all yours and your daughter's belongings in a U-Haul that's attached to your claimed abuser's vehicle, leave your car cause you now have a rented one and take your daughter and go hang out in a hotel room.

I can see how this would have gotten rid of DB for once and for all had AB not killed him, eh? lol

Unless perhaps, there was also a ‘plan’ by the defendant that the driver (or ‘claimed abuser’) of the tow vehicle just might not be available to make the trip?

Interesting also IMO that IIRC AB had also ensured to arrange that the daughter was not present if all were supposed to depart once complete? IIUC the child was with her mother.

And IMO might also appear like an attempt by the defendant to ‘work’ with the then husband….. as he was supposed to help with the move and drive. MOO

 

[Izzylizzy]

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"

IMO:
The prosecutor missed a crucial opportunity by not asking AB that since you feared that DB was going to kill you how is it that you were able to run away from DB at the front door where he was supposedly blocking up from leaving the house, get to your bedroom, enter the room, close the door then retrieve your gun (which you don't remember if it was in its holster, huh?) all before DB opened the bedroom door?

Did DB try and stop you when you were running away from him towards your bedroom?

**** Did LE find the gun's holster in the bedroom and if so where was it?

 

[Izzylizzy]

AB claimed that she doesn't remember if the gun she got out of the storage bin was in its holster and the prosecutor moved on accepting her answer.
It takes time to remove a gun from its holster.
Seconds mattered in this case.

IMO: Bad lawyering

Before ever asking AB that question the prosecutor should know if a holster was found in the bedroom and if so was it placed in a position that appears to have been removed from the gun right before AB shot DB with it?

Lying on the mattress, on the floor, on top of stuff that was in the storage bin?

 

[Izzylizzy]

Is this trial set up by the judges rulings that the state isn't permitted to ask AB any "why didn't you do this"?

IMO:
If not then the state missed crucial opportunities to put seeds in the jurors head.

"why didn't you lock the bedroom door behind you when you feared DB was coming after you to kill you"?

"why didn't you run for the other exist in the house to get outside and run for help knowing that your gun would first have to be retrieved from your storage bin and that would take time"?
"Time that you somehow assumed you had before DB caught up with you?"

Most likely AB would have answered that she couldn't think because she feared for her life and believed DB was going to kill her and she needed her gun.
Meanwhile she had no problem thinking that and carrying it through with it ending in her killing DB.

 

[Izzylizzy]

This is the worst prosecution' and the worst defense I've seen in all the trials I have watched.

It is the judge's courtroom and the judge's rulings sooo?

 

[dyannaON]

Just realized now there was no interagtion video was there?
Wonder if she lawyered up right away.
I’m assuming so. Nothing wrong with that I guess.

 

[Wishbone]

Just realized now there was no interagtion video was there?
Wonder if she lawyered up right away.
I’m assuming so. Nothing wrong with that I guess.

Her mother put the lawyer on the phone with LE while they were all at the crime scene before they even took AB for an interview at the PD.

 

[turaj]

I read that Renee his first wife died of an "undiagnosed heart condition" and was just found dead in the home. Any more info on that? I had not realized the age difference in these two....clearly Doug going thru midlife crisis and Ashley looking for cash infusion for her ballet school. Were there any reports of abuse with Renee? Just found this case and so far considering the judge's rulings I would say AB may be found guilty.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Her mother put the lawyer on the phone with LE while they were all at the crime scene before they even took AB for an interview at the PD.

Do you know who the lawyer was?

 

[Izzylizzy]

I read that Renee his first wife died of an "undiagnosed heart condition" and was just found dead in the home. Any more info on that? I had not realized the age difference in these two....clearly Doug going thru midlife crisis and Ashley looking for cash infusion for her ballet school. Were there any reports of abuse with Renee? Just found this case and so far considering the judge's rulings I would say AB may be found guilty.

According to AB's line of deluded and paranoid thinking I'm surprised that she didn't ask the courts to have Renee's body exhumed and tested for having been poisoned because she swore that DB was poisoning her and their unborn child.

Or did she and I missed it? lol

 

[turaj]

Eva his daughter with Renee has had quite the life. Mother dead when she is just a teen apparently with no long illness etc. and within less than one year Dad is taken with this model/ballerina more close to her age than her dad's. He really does not discuss much of anything with her...marries his young ballerina and as I read it she was not even at the wedding? This guy really made some mistakes. Not sure if this was self defense at this point but what a disaster.

 

[turaj]

I don't think AB has a very good attorney...in fact he gets things wrong more often than not. I see her correcting him and they do not seem to have a very good rapport at all. Is he public defender?

 

[Kakidoll]

I might have missed it, but did i not hear that AB had ALL her guns with safety locks or cases so as her daughter couldn't get to them? There is NO WAY you can IN A SECOND put in a code and unlock a gun lock as fast as this happened. Even with JA, she supposedly just pulled it off a top shelf, with NO lock on it. So was the gun laying in a spot that her daughter could have picked up at any time?

 

[Izzylizzy]

Eva his daughter with Renee has had quite the life. Mother dead when she is just a teen apparently with no long illness etc. and within less than one year Dad is taken with this model/ballerina more close to her age than her dad's. He really does not discuss much of anything with her...marries his young ballerina and as I read it she was not even at the wedding? This guy really made some mistakes. Not sure if this was self defense at this point but what a disaster.

I read that Rene had 2 sons from a previous marriage but have heard nothing about them or comments from them.
They're listed in Renee's obituary.