Current:Home > StocksBlack Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad -PrimeFinance
Black Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad
View
Date:2025-04-11 21:36:26
Ashley Benefield's murder trial is approaching its finale.
The former ballerina, accused of killing her estranged husband Doug Benefield in 2020, was found guilty of manslaughter in a Florida courtroom July 30.
While the 33-year-old—who claimed she shot Doug, 58, in self-defense—had previously been charged with second-degree murder, a jury convicted her of the "lesser crime," according to NBC News.
A sentencing date for Ashley—whose case has been called the "Black Swan murder trial" after Natalie Portman's 2010 ballerina thriller Black Swan—has yet to be announced.
After the verdict, Doug's family, including daughter Eva Benefield who's been documenting the case for her nearly 500,000 TikTok followers, shared their reactions.
"She was convicted of manslaughter after four years of waiting," Eva, who testified during the trial, said in a July 30 video. "My dad got the justice that he deserves."
"I will be talking more about the trial once I have my thoughts collected," she continued. "I have a lot of things that I want to say."
As Eva, 23, stated in her testimony, she first learned about Ashley's relationship with her father in August 2016, about nine months after the death of her mom Renee.
Eva, a teenager at the time, soon discovered that they were already married. (Ashley and Doug tied the knot 13 days after meeting at a political event.)
While on the stand, Eva described her relationship with Ashley as "friendly at first."
"Over time, she tried to reprimand me a little bit more and kind of step into a motherly role," she explained. "And I did not like that because it was so short after my mother passed away."
Eva testified that Ashley would go to her dad and tell him that she wasn't obeying.
"Usually, they were overreactions over small things," Eva said of Ashley's behavior toward her. And when it came to Ashley's behavior towards Doug, Eva testified she heard her stepmom "strongly voice her opinions over and over and over again."
"It was on a regular basis," Eva added, stating that her dad would "sit quietly and listen" to Ashley and she never saw them verbally or physically fight.
However, Ashley alleged Doug was abusive during their marriage, testifying that she was fearful for her safety at the time of the September 2020 shooting.
Though prosecutors swiftly denied Ashley's claims, citing the estranged couple's custody battle over their daughter Emerson, 6, as a motive for the fatal shooting.
"This case is about a woman who, very early on in her pregnancy, decided she wanted to be a single mother," prosecutor Suzanne O'Donnell said in court, per ABC News. "Her husband and everything she did from that point on was to attain that goal and she would stop at nothing to attain that goal. When there was no other option, she shoots him and kills him and claims self-defense."
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
veryGood! (72493)
Related
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Vermont driver is charged with aggravated murder in fatal crash that killed a police officer
- Kiernan Shipka Details How She Plans to Honor Late Costar Chance Perdomo
- Biden could miss the deadline for the November ballot in Alabama, the state’s election chief says
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- More than half of foreign-born people in US live in just 4 states and half are naturalized citizens
- New Jersey Transit approves a 15% fare hike, the first increase in nearly a decade
- Russ Cook, Britain's Hardest Geezer, runs length of Africa in 10,000-mile epic quest for charity
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Federal Reserve minutes: Some officials highlighted worsening inflation last month
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- New York City to end its relationship with embattled migrant services contractor
- EU lawmakers will decide on migration law overhaul, hoping to deprive the far-right of votes
- The number of tornadoes from April 2 storms in West Virginia keeps climbing, now up to seven
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Internet providers must now be more transparent about fees, pricing, FCC says
- Biden's new student loan forgiveness plan could help 30 million borrowers. Here's who would qualify.
- Americans think they pay too much in taxes. Here's who pays the most and least to the IRS.
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Mother-Daughter Duo Arrested After Allegedly Giving Illegal Butt Injections in Texas
Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse Of The Heart soars on music charts during total solar eclipse
Why Travis Kelce Thinks Taylor Swift Falling For Him Is a Glitch
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Periodical cicadas will emerge in 2024. Here's what you need to know about these buzzing bugs.
Speaker Johnson will meet with Trump as the Republican House leader fights for his job
Key question before US reveals latest consumer prices: Is inflation cooling enough for the Fed?