Ashley Benefield Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing Husband in 'Black Swan' Case

The former ballerina was convicted of manslaughter after claiming self-defense in the 2020 shooting of her estranged husband, Doug Benefield.

Ashley Benefield, 33, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 years of probation for the manslaughter of her husband, Doug Benefield, in 2020.
The case, dubbed the 'Black Swan murder trial,' drew national attention due to Ashley's background as a ballerina and her claims of abuse.
Doug Benefield, a 58-year-old Navy veteran, was shot twice at Ashley's mother's home in Florida during what she described as an argument escalating into self-defense.
Prosecutors argued that Ashley fabricated allegations of abuse and poisoning to gain sole custody of their child, while the defense cited her PTSD from an allegedly abusive marriage.
The judge rejected a request for a reduced sentence, emphasizing the gravity of the crime and ordering Ashley to forfeit her firearm.