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

[ilovewings]

Good to know she is going to spend a goodly amount of prison time!!
i believe she expected acquittal

 

[turaj]

No tears or hysterics over this verdict?

it was a very very strange response or lack thereof. She is robotic.

 

[Weki]

She had no one but the attorneys there as she left in cuffs. Very sad no matter how you see the case. I guess some were murder 2 and some ng and they met on manslaughter. Exactly why Taylor did not want that in.

Where was mom?? Is that who she was scribbling a note to?

 

[Wishbone]

She had no one but the attorneys there as she left in cuffs. Very sad no matter how you see the case. I guess some were murder 2 and some ng and they met on manslaughter. Exactly why Taylor did not want that in.

She deserved murder 1 in my opinion. But this will suffice.

 

[ilovewings]

She deserved murder 1 in my opinion. But this will suffice.

She did deserve murder but this is ok

 

[nodamselindistress]

NOW I GET IT, my dog brought in a live snake this morning, he was just trying to tell me that this snake in the grass Ashley had been caught!

He killed the snake.

 

[Wishbone]

dbm

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

No tears or hysterics over this verdict?

I did I believe see tears from DB daughter who was sitting in the gallery when verdict was read. MOO

 

[Wishbone]

I did I believe see tears from DB daughter who was sitting in the gallery when verdict was read. MOO

yes she was crying, she is an orphan

 

[Weki]

I think it came down to the state’s inability to prove motive even though they’re not required to. The jury must not have felt ill will and indifference to life were proven beyond a reasonable doubt. They had a volatile relationship. On again, off again. That and the 30 year age gap and the victim’s prior bad acts - the jury gave her the benefit of the doubt. If motive was locked and loaded it would’ve got them to 2nd degree. Like life insurance or something like that. JMO

 

[turaj]

Where was mom?? Is that who she was scribbling a note to?

could be or to her daughter. I think she is a very sad person and will not do well in prison.

 

[turaj]

yes she was crying, she is an orphan

yes she was crying. She seems to have a good support system with DB family but there are two children here with no parents...Eva and now Emerson with one dead and one is prison for her most important years.

 

[Wishbone]

yes she was crying. She seems to have a good support system with DB family but there are two children here with no parents...Eva and now Emerson with one dead and one is prison for her most important years.

All because ab murdered Doug.

 

[Wishbone]

could be or to her daughter. I think she is a very sad person and will not do well in prison.

She will do fine. She is a con woman and they do well in prison.

 

[ilovewings]

could be or to her daughter. I think she is a very sad person and will not do well in prison.

While I dont think she expected to be convicted, I think she will
Do what she has always done, which is to size up the situation
She is in, and find a way to manipulate the situation to the best
Advantage possible.

could be or to her daughter. I think she is a very sad person and will not do well in prison.

 

[turaj]

Does anyone think that if she had not testified it might have gone better for her?

 

[Wishbone]

Does anyone think that if she had not testified it might have gone better for her?

Possibly, but she had to get her made up story out there and testifying was the only way. The over the top dramatics were just too much and showed how phony and unbelievable the testimony was. I'm just so pleased right now after watching her being handcuffed and led away. Not a tear in sight over the verdict. That was the real ab.

 

[MTW2011]

Ugh manslaughter! I can’t believe she gets away with manslaughter. Bad verdict imo

She’s going to prison, the State said potentially for up to 30 years. Respectfully, JMOO but I’m not sure how that’s “getting away” with much of anything.

 

[Wishbone]

She’s going to prison, the State said potentially for up to 30 years. Respectfully, JMOO but I’m not sure how that’s “getting away” with much of anything.

She will always be a felon. No more guns for her.

 

[MTW2011]

I meant to quote the user asking if she would stay out on bond…While the defense argued for that, in the alternative they asked the Judge to write an Order / state in the record the reasons for bail revocation. They said this was because they would be appealing that to the 2nd District, like they did with another decision of his back on 07/18

At the very end, post reading of verdict & taking her into custody, defense attorney Taylor asked the Judge, well he said he “trusted” that the Judge would be issuing the written Order (for the purposes I mentioned above). The Judge responded that he would and after a pause, after a deputy started speaking to Taylor, the Judge then added in “if it’s required”. Watching the video playback I can’t even tell if Taylor heard that, as the deputy was talking to him at that very moment. IMOO the Judge won’t be in a rush to write that Order and if it’s not actually required than he may not do it at all. We may see the issue brought up again, should the court docket for the case become public again, as it is clear the defense wants to appeal the bail revocation. JMOO