Dateline Unforgettable Season 7 Episode 1

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Transcript

00:00some stories are unforgettable this is one of them

00:08he started coming towards me and then he lunged at me and i started pulling the trigger

00:17ashley ran to her neighbor hysterical she had shot her husband i guess he had attacked her

00:24and she shot him there was no question who killed doug but the question i kept asking myself was why

00:32she's a beautiful ballerina she appears to be a great mom we wanted to find out what happened

00:38in that room he's thrown furniture he would push her into a wall i really believed he was going to

00:45kill her her clothing didn't appear to be stained or torn she didn't look like she had any injuries

00:50so you're seeing this case shifting from self-defense to murder yes ma'am there were guns

00:55placed around this house she ambushed him on that day in that room people are calling ashley the

01:03black swan this dark ballerina who is a cold-blooded killer there's just nothing about that that's true

01:09like everyone else glued to the case i wanted to know what happened in that room ashley was the only

01:16witness but she wasn't talking until she took the stand i was scared to death

01:22how can you not believe her

01:26this is dateline unforgettable i'm andrea canning with a fresh look at deadly dance

01:39it takes grace

01:47strength

01:51and passion

01:56to make it as a ballerina

01:59one beautiful dancer and model had all that

02:10plus the perfect partner to share her dreams

02:14she thought he was very charming he was smart he was fun to talk to it was just a click

02:21he started describing it there's this beautiful lady that loves me and 13 days we got married 13

02:30yep

02:31but one warm autumn night it ended just as fast as it began

02:37left behind four bullet casings and a love story that had spiraled out of control

02:44who done it's are kind of our specialty here at dateline but sometimes a fascinating story grabs

02:54our attention that's not about the who but the how'd we get here it's no spoiler to tell you that

03:00ashley bennefield shot her husband doug to death the mystery comes as investigators dig into the

03:06a couple's explosive past a he said she said worthy of a soap opera but with sworn testimony

03:13september 27th 2020 as the sun was setting a frantic 9-1-1 call came in from lakewood ranch

03:21a community near sarasota florida he's saying the neighbor came over a female neighbor

03:27it was a domestic the neighbor was 29 year old ashley bennefield and she had a dramatic story to tell

03:35she came in she was quite hysterical i didn't know who was banging on my door said he attacked her

03:41and she shot him he was ashley's husband 59 year old doug bennefield detective dan dickerman with

03:49the manatee county sheriff's office raced to the scene when the deputies first got here when they

03:54arrived on scene douglas bennefield was still inside the house in order to get to him the first thing

04:00they had to do was make the scene safe which they knew from the 911 call that ashley was next door

04:07and was claiming to be the shooter where in the house is my bedroom her bedroom once they secured

04:15the scene first responders found doug bleeding on a bedroom floor and pulled him into the living room

04:20to perform cpr barely alive he was rushed to the hospital how many times was doug shot at this point

04:29i believe um we knew of two you just calm down and okay now the deputies want her to go outside with

04:39their hands up nothing in them put your hands where she can see them okay all right just start walking

04:47out front they're outside ashley walked out of her neighbor's house and into a sheriff's vehicle

04:52ashley bennefield is in the back of a patrol car do you go talk to her before you go in the house

04:57yes after i instructed the deputy to see if she would be willing to go up to our office and we

05:03try not to do the interviews on the scene there's just too much going on i was told that she was

05:07willing to go to the office but she wanted to see her daughter at the time of the shooting her three

05:11year old daughter emerson was at a local park with her grandmother the two returned to a chaotic scene

05:17allowed them to walk up to the car where ashley could see her daughter but her daughter couldn't see

05:22ashley in the back of the car it's dark tinted windows and the window is up and that was acceptable

05:27to her did she talk to her mom at all she did not at the scene at that point then someone surprising

05:32showed up ashley's therapist

05:34she was almost 28 years in law enforcement unusual to see a therapist show up at a crime scene like this

05:44yeah i've never seen a therapist or a doctor that has shown at a crime scene an active crime scene that

05:54has just occurred it's like she was on speed dial yeah she was she was obviously close and available

06:00Meanwhile, at the sheriff's office,

06:04Deputy Justin Warren was waiting for Ashley to arrive,

06:07but someone else got there first.

06:10Her attorney approached me out in front of the sheriff's office operations center

06:13and advised me she was her attorney,

06:15and the other two attorneys were on the way as well.

06:18The attorney is there before Ashley even gets to the sheriff's office?

06:22Yes.

06:23And two more on the way?

06:24Two more on the way.

06:25Did that surprise you?

06:26Yeah, it did strike me as odd.

06:28Three attorneys and a therapist.

06:32It was clear this was going to be an unusual investigation,

06:36especially after Deputy Warren started checking police records.

06:40So we started looking into these things.

06:41I'm like, oh, that's kind of interesting.

06:43Turns out there was a long and twisted history between Doug and Ashley.

06:48This reads like a lifetime movie.

06:50You have allegations of poison tea, stalking, murder.

06:55It goes on and on.

06:56Every time I thought, this is the craziest thing I've ever heard,

07:00then I would hear something else.

07:03In fact, there was a tidal wave of accusations.

07:07She was making some allegations at some point

07:09that Doug had possibly poisoned his deceased wife.

07:12In the hours after shooting her husband, Doug,

07:29Ashley Benefield was at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

07:32Investigators hoped she would fill in the gaps

07:34leading up to the moment she pulled the trigger.

07:36We know that this is a self-defense claim.

07:40We know from the initial 911 call.

07:42So we need to find out exactly, to the best we can,

07:45what happened inside that house.

07:47But Ashley, sitting next to her attorney,

07:50exercised her right not to say anything.

07:53I know that we haven't talked yet,

07:55and we're not going to be taking a statement from you.

07:57That's fine.

07:58No one knows Ashley's story, but Ashley.

08:02But Ashley.

08:03Yes, ma'am.

08:04She wasn't under arrest, so Ashley was free to go.

08:09A few miles away at the hospital,

08:11doctors were trying to save Doug's life.

08:13But his injuries were too severe, and he died.

08:18His family was stunned.

08:20I'm just...

08:21I'm overcome with grief.

08:23I can't think straight.

08:24Doug's brother David and cousin Tommy called Eva,

08:28Doug's 19-year-old daughter from a previous marriage,

08:30to break the news.

08:32This is such a devastating phone call.

08:34Horrible.

08:34She begins wailing,

08:36and it was just one of the worst moments of my life.

08:41She goes from anger into grief,

08:44crushing grief so quickly.

08:47Grief she knew all too well.

08:49Eva not only has lost her mom,

08:52but now she's lost her dad, too.

08:53That's right.

08:54Eva's mom, Renee, died from a heart attack

08:56when Eva was only 15.

08:58Her dad was her whole world.

09:00Eva talks about how wonderful he was.

09:03She said he was my best friend.

09:04I could bring all my girl problems, too.

09:07And I loved hearing that about it

09:09because that's the Doug that I knew.

09:11Eva had struggled to accept her stepmom,

09:13and now detectives were diving into Ashley

09:16and Doug's May-December romance.

09:18So we start to kind of try to develop

09:20a little bit more background

09:21as far as what they were like together

09:23and what the relationship really was.

09:25They learned that Doug met Ashley in the summer of 2016,

09:29less than nine months after his wife died.

09:31The former Navy pilot was 54,

09:34deeply religious,

09:35and worked in the defense industry.

09:37Ashley, 30 years younger,

09:38was a retired ballerina who modeled and taught dancing.

09:42The two instantly clicked at a dinner party

09:44hosted by former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson.

09:48The stunning part is they go outside the house,

09:52and she shows them a gun that she's carrying in the bra,

09:55her concealed carry,

09:56in front of two Secret Service teams.

09:58What size of gun was that,

10:00to be able to fit that in there

10:01if she has a tight dress on?

10:03It's a small .22

10:04that if I put it in my hand,

10:06you wouldn't see it.

10:07So what did Doug think of this reveal under the dress?

10:11Great question.

10:12These two really bonded over guns,

10:13God, and politics.

10:15It was part of their bonding for sure.

10:18Dr. Barbara Russell was Ashley's therapist,

10:21the same therapist who showed up at the scene

10:23the night of the shooting.

10:24She's known Ashley for years.

10:26He texted her, I believe, that very night

10:28and pursued her after that,

10:31and that was the beginning

10:33of their whirlwind relationship

10:35that ended in marriage 13 days later.

10:38That is the definition of whirlwind.

10:40It certainly is.

10:42Ashley moved from Florida

10:43to Doug's home in Charleston, South Carolina,

10:45where the newlyweds became business partners as well.

10:49They formed a ballet company.

10:51It was Ashley's dream come true.

10:53She said,

10:53I don't want to pick dancers in a room

10:55based on their height or their weight

10:58or their age, anything.

11:00I want to pick them based on their talent

11:03and their work ethic.

11:04Sarah Murawski was hired as a principal dancer.

11:08The nearly six-foot-tall ballerina

11:10says her height hindered her career.

11:12She bonded with Ashley, who was also tall

11:14and was touched by Ashley and Doug's relationship.

11:17They're the most in-love couple I think I've ever met

11:20in person in my life.

11:21They're very touchy-feely,

11:23but not so much that it was obnoxious.

11:27By the summer of 2017, Ashley was pregnant.

11:30Doug embraced the idea of being an older dad.

11:33He was genuinely excited about the path forward.

11:39But investigators discovered their bright smiles

11:42didn't tell the whole story.

11:43There was darkness beneath the surface

11:46of this relationship.

11:48Very much so.

11:48There was a lot of darkness.

11:51Ashley gave Dr. Russell permission to speak with us.

11:54She says Ashley told her Doug turned violent

11:56and abusive within weeks of their wedding.

11:59He's thrown furniture.

12:01He would push her into a wall,

12:02scream in her face, and punch the wall.

12:06Then Ashley said the abuse turned sinister.

12:09Ashley believed that Doug was poisoning her

12:14while she was pregnant, her and the unborn child.

12:17Yes.

12:18Ashley claimed Doug would make her tea

12:20and was adamant she'd drink it

12:21even though she felt it made her sick.

12:23She began to suspect it was laced with something.

12:27Ashley also made this jaw-dropping accusation.

12:30Doug told her that he killed his wife, Renee.

12:34This is what she told you?

12:35Yes.

12:36Did he say how he killed his wife?

12:38He said he poisoned her.

12:39And the police will always believe him

12:41and he will kill her too.

12:43About eight weeks into her pregnancy,

12:45Ashley said she felt she had no choice

12:47but to flee to her mom's place in Florida.

12:50The ballet company folded soon after.

12:53Ashley got a restraining order against Doug

12:55and didn't tell him when their daughter was born

12:57in the spring of 2018.

12:58She left his name off the birth certificate

13:01and asked a family court judge

13:03to terminate his parental rights.

13:05But even then, she said she couldn't escape him.

13:08She believed Doug was stalking her.

13:10He crossed three state lines

13:11even with a restraining order

13:13to follow her to Florida.

13:14The details of the shooting

13:16took Dr. Russell by surprise

13:17given everything she'd heard about

13:19Doug and Ashley's relationship.

13:21I was so shocked

13:23that it wasn't Ashley that was dead.

13:26I really believed he was going to kill her.

13:29Dr. Russell shared all this and more with detectives.

13:33Was she giving you insight

13:34into Doug and Ashley's relationship

13:38about how volatile it was?

13:39I was hearing a lot of complaints

13:41that Ashley had with Doug.

13:43In addition to Dr. Russell's statement,

13:46police reports documented

13:48the couple's tumultuous relationship.

13:50I started searching in our computer records database

13:53and noticed that there were several reports

13:57going back, I think, to 2017

13:58in reference to domestic violence,

14:01different complaints and things like that.

14:03Given their history,

14:04investigators wondered if Doug's shooting

14:06was in fact a case of self-defense.

14:09But there was another sign to this story

14:12and it was a he said, she said for the ages.

14:16Ashley was severely abusing him emotionally

14:20and through the control of the child.

14:33Detective Justin Warren

14:35had a growing stack of evidence

14:36suggesting Doug Benefield

14:37was a violent and abusive husband.

14:41But when he spoke with Doug's family,

14:42they painted a different picture.

14:44Growing up, he was a star athlete.

14:47He was a friend to everybody.

14:51Just super kind.

14:52To anyone who hears about the negative side of Doug,

14:54in your eyes, this is just a snapshot,

14:57a small snapshot of a man

14:58who was so much more than that.

15:00Absolutely.

15:01I don't want to make excuses for bad behavior

15:03and I do not want to come across like

15:07I'm trying to say, you know,

15:08Doug was perfect and all this stuff.

15:10But no, but he owned his mistakes and he grew.

15:13David and Tommy acknowledge

15:15that Doug had a few angry outbursts,

15:17but say he regretted them and sought counseling.

15:20And David believes if anyone was a victim

15:22in the relationship, it was Doug.

15:24Ashley was severely abusing him emotionally

15:28and through the control of the child.

15:29Doug was not doing any of that.

15:31Ashley's therapist says that Doug told Ashley

15:35that he killed Renee.

15:37Is there any truth to that as far as you know?

15:40No, that is absolutely absurd.

15:42This reads like a Lifetime movie.

15:44You have allegations of poison tea,

15:47stalking, murder.

15:49It goes on and on.

15:50Every time I thought this is the craziest thing

15:53I've ever heard, then I would hear something else.

15:57Attorney Stephanie Murphy represented Doug

15:59during his legal battles with Ashley.

16:01She tried to get Charleston law enforcement

16:04to exhume Renee's body,

16:06to try to say that he had killed her.

16:09She was going to newspapers around the country

16:12talking about the poisoning.

16:14She made every allegation that she possibly could

16:18to multiple law enforcement agencies.

16:23Detectives learned that Doug fought to see his daughter

16:25after Ashley filed to terminate his parental rights.

16:28The couple faced off in family court in the summer of 2018.

16:32Baby Emerson was six months old,

16:34and Doug had never met her.

16:36Okay, let's go ahead and go on the record

16:37of Benefield versus Benefield.

16:38This is a recording of the hearing.

16:41Ashley took the stand.

16:42When you lived with Douglas Benefield,

16:45was there domestic violence?

16:48Yes.

16:49He hurt our pets in order to hurt me.

16:52He was verbally abusive.

16:55He would yell and scream at me,

16:56and he would threaten me.

17:01How many times did he punch holes

17:02in the drywall in the house?

17:05Several times.

17:06Ashley also presented lab reports

17:08and expert testimony as proof

17:10Doug had poisoned her while she was pregnant.

17:13Ashley made it clear what she thought

17:15was at stake for her daughter.

17:17I believe that if he were to have access to her now,

17:20that he very well could cause her serious harm

17:24or kill her.

17:26Doug testified, too.

17:28Never since we were together

17:31did I ever believe she was scared.

17:35He said he never stalked Ashley,

17:37but admitted to yelling at her,

17:39punching a few walls,

17:40and mistreating the pets on occasion.

17:43He's a big dog, and he jumped up in my lap,

17:45and, yeah, I mean, I admit I hit him.

17:47I didn't hit him like you would, you know,

17:50hit a punching bag or anything, but I hit him.

17:51But Doug denied poisoning Ashley

17:55and used his own expert to debunk the lab reports,

17:58and he was adamant he played no role

18:00in his late wife's death.

18:02Ashley, Benefield has accused you

18:04of murdering your wife, Renee.

18:06Did you do that?

18:07No, I did not.

18:08She died of natural causes.

18:10Authorities confirmed Renee's death

18:12was not suspicious.

18:13The allegations against Doug

18:15were at worst blown out of proportion,

18:18but at best just completely untrue.

18:22The judge seemed to agree

18:23when she issued this scathing ruling.

18:25There is absolutely not a single scintilla

18:27of credibility that I'm attaching

18:29to anything that was testified to,

18:30at least in this hearing of Ms. Benefield.

18:33It starts from basically the absurd.

18:36We then move forward to the actual presentation

18:40that she's had in this courtroom,

18:41the turning on of tears

18:43when she thinks it's appropriate.

18:45There is not a single scintilla of credible evidence

18:51that Ms. Benefield has ever been poisoned

18:56or suffered from any illness of any poison.

19:00The judge gave Doug immediate access to his daughter

19:04and granted him sole responsibility

19:06over her medical care.

19:08That's a turning point in all of this.

19:11It was a huge turning point.

19:12This was the court finding that

19:14the decisions that Ashley had made up to that point

19:17for her daughter were detrimental.

19:19So she took that away from Ashley

19:21and gave it to Doug.

19:23Four days after the ruling,

19:25Stephanie Murphy was there when Doug met Emerson.

19:27Was there a tender moment

19:28when he lays eyes on his daughter for the first time?

19:32She was a cute, plump little baby,

19:34and so there he was just holding this little girl.

19:37Well, the look on his face was pure love.

19:41She was stunned by what happened next.

19:44Doug said, we're all gonna go together,

19:47me and Ashley and our daughter.

19:49I said, Doug, this is not a good idea.

19:51And he was so trusting, blindly trusting of her.

19:55The strange ballet between the two

19:57entered its next act.

19:59Doug got a place in Florida

20:00and saw Emerson regularly over the next two years.

20:03He and Ashley also spent time together as a couple.

20:06But detectives discovered the relationship

20:10was still unpredictable.

20:12Ashley continued to confide in people

20:13that she was afraid of Doug

20:15and accused him of abusing their daughter.

20:17Doug told his attorney he thought Ashley

20:19might be mentally unstable.

20:21Yet they decided they would all move to Maryland

20:23where Ashley grew up, but still live separately.

20:27The night of the shooting,

20:28they were together packing Ashley's stuff.

20:30Obviously with domestic violence,

20:33there are times that women or men

20:35will go back to the person that's abusing them.

20:36That does happen.

20:38But the detective was becoming convinced

20:40that this wasn't the case with Ashley.

20:42Because despite her making

20:44over a dozen complaints against Doug,

20:46something jumped out.

20:47He had no criminal record.

20:49It's kind of a red flag that kind of goes up

20:51that says, huh, that's something

20:52we should pay attention to.

20:53Meaning that you're seeing these complaints

20:55against Doug, but no arrests of Doug.

20:58Correct.

20:58There was no evidence to suggest

20:59that a crime had actually occurred.

21:01Detective Dickerman thought

21:03there were also red flags at the scene.

21:05Why would Ashley agree to meet with Doug alone?

21:08And inside the house, investigators noticed this.

21:11There's a gun readily accessible in this bedroom

21:15when everything else is packed up.

21:17And in addition to that,

21:19you have another gun that's readily accessible

21:22in the pantry sitting by the peanut butter on the shelf.

21:25Is it loaded?

21:26It's loaded.

21:27Then they found a third loaded gun.

21:30It just kept building up and adding up

21:32more and more that something

21:35was going to happen this night.

21:37One crucial piece of the puzzle was still missing.

21:41Ashley had not given a statement

21:42detailing her version of events.

21:45Dr. Russell said Ashley didn't even tell her what happened.

21:49Remember her?

21:50Ashley's therapist who rushed to the scene

21:52the night of Doug's death?

21:53I've never seen a doctor-patient relationship

21:56like the one these two shared.

21:58And it got even closer.

22:00Ashley actually lived with Dr. Russell

22:03for eight months after the shooting.

22:05You could see how some might find this

22:06crossing a professional boundary.

22:09But the doctor told me they were never friends.

22:11It was strictly professional.

22:13Did she make any comments like,

22:15I had to do it or he was going to kill me?

22:19Anything like that?

22:20She didn't need to say anything like that.

22:21That was so evident.

22:22It was so obvious.

22:24What had become obvious to Detective Warren

22:26and his team was that Ashley's claim

22:28of self-defense was full of holes.

22:31You're seeing this case shifting

22:32from self-defense to murder?

22:34Yes, ma'am.

22:36Absolutely.

22:36After a two-month investigation,

22:51Detective Warren had reached a stark conclusion

22:53about Ashley.

22:55We're looking at all these complaints.

22:56Everything's unfounded.

22:58She just was not believable in anything

22:59that she was saying,

23:00making these baseless accusations against Doug.

23:02And investigators were not buying her claim

23:05of self-defense.

23:06In November 2020,

23:08she was arrested and charged

23:09with second-degree murder.

23:12Some in the media started calling her

23:14the black swan

23:15after the movie about a diabolical ballerina.

23:18People are calling Ashley this dark ballerina

23:22who is a manipulative, cold-blooded killer.

23:27If it wasn't so serious, I would be laughing.

23:29There's just nothing about that that's true

23:31by anybody who knows her.

23:33Doug's daughter, Eva,

23:34was convinced Ashley murdered her dad.

23:36And as the publicity around the case grew,

23:39she decided to let the world know.

23:41As y'all know, Ashley killed my dad.

23:46She turned to TikTok.

23:48Her videos dripped with sarcasm and dark humor.

23:51I just want to say thank you

23:53for being so supportive the last few weeks.

23:56One thing is clear in this job.

23:58Everyone we interview deals with grief in their own way.

24:02Doug's brother, David, told me that TikTok

24:04was Eva's outlet to process her pain.

24:08Remember, this was a young lady

24:09whose mother died suddenly from a heart attack

24:11four years earlier,

24:13and now her father was gone.

24:15TikTok gave her a community of supporters.

24:18Her videos about the case

24:19racked up tens of millions of views.

24:23Ashley had supporters, too.

24:25And when her trial started in July of 2024,

24:28they came out in force,

24:30marching near the courthouse.

24:32Hand in the witchcraft!

24:33Hand in the witchcraft!

24:35Her daughter Emerson, now six years old,

24:37was front and center.

24:38Well, I'll tell you the thing

24:40that was the most concerning

24:41was that the daughter was out

24:42being displayed on this picket line

24:46or whatever you would call it.

24:48Well, that's your niece.

24:49That's my niece.

24:50She's holding up a picket sign

24:51put out there by adults.

24:55Assistant state attorneys

24:56Suzanne O'Donnell and Rebecca Friel

24:58knew some jurors might sympathize with Ashley.

25:01Would you say it would be your biggest challenge

25:03combating Ashley's version

25:06that she's a victim of domestic violence?

25:08And people want to believe victims of domestic violence.

25:12100%.

25:13That was the main difficulty.

25:16I think an average person wants to believe

25:18when somebody says they're a victim

25:19that they are, in fact, a victim.

25:20You ready to go?

25:21Bring the jury.

25:23The case was almost entirely circumstantial.

25:25And in Florida,

25:27Ashley's fate would be decided by six jurors.

25:31Would they think she was a domestic abuse victim

25:33or a liar?

25:35There were also other complaints,

25:37domestic violence complaints.

25:39In opening statements,

25:41prosecutors said at times Doug had anger issues,

25:44but he never physically harmed Ashley.

25:46Not once did she ever say he choked her,

25:49kicked her, anything like that.

25:51There's things you can't escape.

25:53That he's not a saint.

25:54Yes, he was definitely not a saint.

25:56You are correct.

25:57But did that day, when that happened,

25:59did he do something that required deadly force?

26:02And that's what we tried to focus on.

26:04Prosecutors had to convince jurors

26:06Ashley's life was not in danger that night.

26:09Their theory?

26:10She shot Doug because she was desperate

26:11to have Emerson to herself,

26:14fearful she might lose her.

26:15This was a custody battle

26:17that this mother was going to win at all costs.

26:20And the cost was the life of Doug Benefield.

26:24And that is murder.

26:27Jurors learned Ashley fired four shots at Doug.

26:30Two hit him.

26:32The county medical examiner testified

26:33the fatal bullet entered Doug's side,

26:36not his front, as you might expect

26:38if he were attacking her.

26:40It entered here and landed here.

26:43So it was basically side to side.

26:44So he was not coming at her chest first.

26:48Doug's daughter, Eva, testified Ashley

26:51was sometimes volatile,

26:53blowing up if she didn't get her way.

26:56Over time, she tried to reprimand me

27:00a little bit more and kind of step

27:02into a motherly role.

27:03And I did not like that because it was so short

27:06after my mom passed away.

27:08Whenever she had a disagreement with you,

27:10how would she act?

27:10Um, it was almost temper tantrum-like.

27:14Detective Chris Gillum worked

27:16in the sheriff's domestic violence unit.

27:18He'd been assigned Ashley's case.

27:20She started contacting me on a regular basis.

27:23He testified that Ashley called him dozens of times

27:26over a three-month period.

27:28On one call, she demanded Doug be arrested

27:30at an upcoming family court hearing.

27:32She asked for me to arrest Doug

27:35when he came inside the courtroom

27:37in front of the presiding judge.

27:39Okay. And what was your reaction to that?

27:41That absolutely would not occur.

27:44She was upset.

27:46And at that point,

27:49um, I would call it a dramatic cry,

27:52hysterical cry, started happening.

27:55And she made a comment,

27:57something to the effect of,

27:58if the judge sees you arrest him,

28:00this will help me keep my baby.

28:02When the detective told Ashley

28:03he had no reason to arrest Doug,

28:05he said she persisted.

28:07She let out like a screech

28:09or a high-pitched scream.

28:11And she says,

28:12I'll do whatever I have to do

28:12to keep my baby, you a**.

28:15Did that include shooting Doug Benefield?

28:17The defense was ready to fight back

28:19with a bold move.

28:21The defense calls Ashley Benefield.

28:23Ashley, for the first time,

28:25was finally ready to tell her story

28:27and share her secrets.

28:30Doug was standing in the doorway.

28:33His face was red.

28:36Like the veins were bulging in his neck.

28:39He said, you're f***ing done.

28:41Ashley Benefield's attorney,

28:55Neil Taylor,

28:56stepped up to the podium

28:57to deliver his opening statement.

28:59His objective?

29:00To turn the trial on its head.

29:03I'm going to have some strong words

29:05about Douglas Benefield,

29:07the alleged victim.

29:09You say he's an alleged victim.

29:13Correct.

29:13I believe he was the instigator.

29:15I believe he was the one

29:17who put Ashley in the position

29:19that compelled her to resort

29:21to self-defense

29:23and use deadly force.

29:25To back up his claim,

29:27he called this clinical social worker

29:28who counseled Doug and Ashley in 2020.

29:31Doug occurred as someone

29:33who was domineering

29:36and super controlling.

29:38He would fit the stereotype

29:40of an alpha male.

29:42Taylor then attacked

29:43what the state said

29:44was Ashley's motive.

29:46He challenged

29:47Detective Gillum's testimony,

29:48specifically that Ashley said

29:50she'd do whatever she had to

29:52to keep her baby.

29:53Gillum admitted

29:54that wasn't in his original report

29:56citing Ashley's complaints.

29:58It was only after Doug was killed,

30:00more than two years later,

30:01that Gillum documented it.

30:03Two and a half years later,

30:05you remember the details

30:08of the conversation.

30:09Absolutely.

30:10And what,

30:11exactly what she said,

30:13quotes.

30:14You quote her.

30:15Yes.

30:16The defense knew

30:17it would need to explain

30:18what went on inside that house

30:20the night of the shooting,

30:21but the only living eyewitness

30:22had barely said a word.

30:24The defense calls

30:25Ashley Benefield.

30:27Until Ashley rose

30:29to break her four-year silence

30:30and testify in her own defense.

30:32This is the big moment

30:36in the trial.

30:38I think so.

30:39Ashley getting up on that stand

30:41and raising her right hand.

30:42Yes.

30:43I thought it would be

30:44a make-or-break moment.

30:48Neil Taylor introduced the jury

30:49to a different Ashley

30:51from the one the state

30:52had just portrayed.

30:53I believe in the importance

30:55of kindness and compassion.

30:57He then jumped right

31:01into her relationship

31:01with Doug.

31:03Describe for us

31:04the man you thought

31:05you'd married.

31:07He was very loving

31:10and attentive.

31:12We laughed a lot.

31:14And he made me feel

31:17very special and loved.

31:21Ashley said it wasn't long

31:22before cracks started appearing

31:24in Doug's charming, sweet veneer.

31:26He started becoming

31:28very controlling

31:30and possessive.

31:32He started criticizing

31:34everything about me.

31:35The way I would wear my hair

31:38or did my makeup

31:40or the way I dressed.

31:42Ashley told the jurors

31:43Doug's abuse continued

31:44and escalated.

31:47He threw a chair at me.

31:49He accused me

31:51of having a thing

31:52for the pastor

31:53and he said

31:55I was a slut

31:55and a whore.

31:57She next described

31:58a terrifying moment

31:59while she and Doug

32:00were still living together

32:01in Charleston.

32:02We were having

32:03an argument

32:04and it started getting

32:06really out of hand.

32:09He pulled a gun out

32:11and he was like

32:12waving it around.

32:13And he pulled the trigger

32:15and he shot a hole

32:16in the ceiling

32:17in the kitchen.

32:20Ashley testified

32:21she wasn't the only one

32:22who had seen

32:23Doug's dark side.

32:25That there was a pattern

32:26to his abusive behavior.

32:29Just a few months

32:30into their marriage

32:31she found disturbing

32:32text messages

32:33on one of Doug's

32:34old cell phones.

32:35The texts were

32:36from his late wife Renee.

32:37I loved you

32:38though finding out

32:40you weren't really

32:41what you pretended to be.

32:42you kicking me

32:44so hard

32:45on New Year's Eve

32:46on our honeymoon.

32:47Doug's prior wife

32:49accused him

32:49of being violent.

32:51It mirrored

32:52the allegations

32:53that Ashley

32:55had made

32:56about Doug.

32:57The defense

32:58then moved on

32:58to the moment

32:59everyone had been

33:00waiting for.

33:01What would Ashley

33:02say about the night

33:03of the shooting?

33:04She explained

33:05that Doug was with her

33:06at her mother's house

33:07getting ready

33:08for the move

33:08to Maryland

33:09and that his

33:10mood changed

33:11when they got

33:11into an argument

33:12over how to

33:13pack the truck.

33:14And he

33:15got really

33:16offended

33:17and upset.

33:19Ashley told the jury

33:20that she tried

33:20to get Doug

33:21to leave

33:22but it only

33:22made matters worse.

33:23So Ashley said

33:33she tried to leave

33:34but Doug

33:35wouldn't let her.

33:36he said where the

33:37do you think

33:37you're going?

33:39Then what happens?

33:42He hit me

33:43in the side

33:44of the head.

33:46She said she fled

33:47to her bedroom

33:48to escape.

33:50Why?

33:51Because I was scared.

33:53Did you have

33:53anything in your room

33:55that could protect you?

33:58I had my gun.

34:00Did you grab the gun?

34:02Yes.

34:03His face was red.

34:06Like the veins

34:07were bulging

34:08in his neck.

34:10The way he was

34:10looking at me

34:11it didn't even

34:11look like Doug.

34:13His eyes were black.

34:16He said

34:17you're done.

34:20He started

34:21coming towards me

34:22and then he

34:23lunged at me

34:24and I started

34:26pulling the trigger.

34:30Ashley,

34:30tell the ladies

34:31and gentlemen

34:32and the jury

34:33why you shot Doug.

34:36I was scared

34:36to death.

34:39I thought

34:40he was going

34:40to kill me.

34:42As you sit

34:43here today,

34:44Ashley,

34:45how do you feel

34:46about what happened?

34:47Horrible.

34:51He's the father

34:52of my child.

34:54How do you think

34:55she did?

34:57I thought

34:57she did

34:58wonderful.

34:59Ashley

35:02successfully

35:03conveyed

35:04how volatile

35:05he was,

35:07how fearful

35:08she was.

35:10Ashley took

35:11some time

35:11to compose

35:11herself,

35:12but she

35:13wasn't done.

35:14She was about

35:15to face

35:15a much more

35:16hostile

35:17inquisitor.

35:18Can you start

35:18looking for

35:19our door

35:20to me?

35:21Well,

35:21show me.

35:21What was he doing?

35:22Ashley

35:38Benefield

35:38had just

35:38spent

35:39two

35:39emotional

35:40hours

35:40on the

35:41stand

35:41being

35:41questioned

35:42by her

35:42attorney.

35:44Prosecutor

35:44Suzanne O'Donnell

35:45didn't buy

35:46it.

35:46I didn't

35:47believe

35:47most of

35:47what she

35:48said.

35:49I thought

35:49a lot

35:50of it

35:50was

35:50exaggerated.

35:51She acted

35:52emotional

35:53about things

35:54that I

35:54didn't,

35:54it just

35:55didn't

35:55seem

35:55genuine

35:56to me.

35:56What was

35:57your goal

35:57cross-examining

35:58her?

36:00Hopefully

36:00get the

36:01jury to

36:01see

36:02what I

36:03saw.

36:04I also

36:05wanted

36:05them to

36:06focus

36:06on what

36:08happened

36:08in that

36:08room.

36:09But first,

36:10O'Donnell

36:10needed to

36:11convince

36:11jurors

36:12that in

36:12the days

36:12leading up

36:13to the

36:13shooting,

36:14Ashley

36:14had no

36:15reason

36:15to fear

36:16Doug.

36:16During

36:17this time,

36:18you're

36:18planning to

36:19move to

36:19Maryland.

36:20there's

36:21no

36:21violence

36:22going

36:22on.

36:24Um,

36:25no.

36:26He's not

36:26hitting you.

36:27No,

36:27ma'am.

36:28He's not

36:28choking you.

36:29No,

36:29ma'am.

36:30He's not

36:30shoving you

36:31around.

36:32No,

36:32ma'am.

36:34I want

36:34to get

36:35to the

36:36night that

36:38all this

36:38happened.

36:40You knew

36:40Doug was

36:41coming over.

36:42Yes.

36:43You invited

36:44him over.

36:45Yes.

36:46You weren't

36:46concerned about

36:47him coming

36:47over.

36:48No,

36:49I knew

36:49he was

36:49coming.

36:50You weren't

36:51so afraid

36:52that you

36:52wanted your

36:53mother to

36:53stay there

36:54and watch.

36:56Um,

36:57no,

36:58we were

36:58just packing

36:59to move.

37:00Okay,

37:00so you

37:01weren't

37:01afraid?

37:02I

37:03definitely

37:03didn't

37:04expect this

37:04to happen.

37:07The

37:07prosecutor

37:08then moved

37:08on to the

37:09moments right

37:09before Ashley

37:10pulled the

37:11trigger.

37:11You say

37:12he slapped

37:13you?

37:14He

37:14hit me.

37:16was his

37:17hand open

37:17or closed?

37:19I don't

37:20remember.

37:21And because

37:22of the

37:23those things

37:24you claimed

37:24that you

37:25thought he

37:25was going

37:25to kill

37:25you?

37:26He had

37:27never hit

37:27me before.

37:29He wouldn't

37:29let me leave.

37:30I tried to

37:31leave.

37:31He stopped

37:32me.

37:33The question

37:33is you

37:34thought he

37:34was going

37:34to kill

37:35you?

37:38Yeah.

37:39Prosecutors

37:40say there

37:40were times

37:41when they

37:41felt something

37:41was missing

37:42from Ashley's

37:43shaking and

37:43sobbing on

37:44the stand.

37:44I kept

37:46asking her

37:46I said

37:47I don't

37:47see any

37:47tears.

37:48Do you

37:48see any

37:48tears?

37:49O'Donnell

37:50didn't mention

37:50it in

37:51court.

37:51Instead

37:52she tried

37:52a more

37:53subtle way

37:53to bring

37:54it to

37:54the jury's

37:55attention.

37:56Can we

37:56turn the

37:56lights up

37:57please?

37:58You had

37:58someone in

37:58the courtroom

37:59turn the

38:00lights up?

38:01Oh yeah

38:01I did

38:02do that.

38:03I mean

38:03that's

38:03wow

38:04I have

38:04never heard

38:05that before

38:06in any

38:06of the

38:07cases that

38:07I've

38:07covered

38:08on

38:08Dateline.

38:09And

38:09did she

38:10have any

38:11tears?

38:11No

38:11not one.

38:13The

38:13prosecutor

38:14then asked

38:14Ashley to

38:15step off

38:15the stand

38:16and reenact

38:17what she

38:17said compelled

38:18her to

38:18use deadly

38:19force.

38:20And he

38:21started like

38:21inching forward

38:22towards me.

38:23Well show

38:24me.

38:24What was

38:24he doing?

38:26Kind of like

38:27I don't know

38:27he got like

38:28this and he

38:28was like

38:29making like

38:29fighting motions

38:30but I don't

38:31know I'm not

38:31a fighter I

38:32don't know.

38:32Okay.

38:33It was scary.

38:34Did he have

38:34his hands in

38:35fists?

38:36Not at that

38:37point they

38:37were like

38:38I don't know.

38:40Was he

38:40coming at

38:40you like

38:41this?

38:42And he

38:42munched at

38:43me.

38:43He came

38:44very quickly.

38:45Okay.

38:46So he

38:46lunged.

38:47Was his

38:47fist up

38:48when he

38:48lunged?

38:48I don't

38:48remember.

38:50How do you

38:50think she

38:51did with

38:51the reenactment?

38:53This was

38:53the one

38:54time to

38:55tell everyone

38:56what scared

38:57you so badly

38:58that you felt

38:59like you had

39:00to take

39:00this man's

39:01life.

39:01And we

39:02got hardly

39:03any information.

39:04In her

39:05closing,

39:05Suzanne O'Donnell

39:06asked the jury

39:07not to be

39:07swayed by

39:08Ashley's

39:08performance.

39:09Did you

39:10ever see

39:11one tear

39:13come out

39:14of her

39:14eyes?

39:16Did you

39:16ever see

39:17one drop

39:18of liquid?

39:19One red

39:20eye?

39:21One swollen

39:21eye?

39:23That goes to

39:23her credibility.

39:25I've

39:25presented to

39:26you everything

39:28that I

39:28possibly could

39:29to show

39:30you that

39:31her action

39:32in using

39:33deadly force

39:34was reasonable.

39:35Jurors

39:38left the

39:38courtroom

39:38to

39:39deliberate.

39:40They could

39:41find Ashley

39:41guilty of

39:42second-degree

39:43murder,

39:44manslaughter,

39:45or they

39:46could set

39:47her free.

39:49Six hours

39:49later,

39:50a note to

39:51the judge,

39:52the jury

39:52was deadlocked.

39:56Members of

39:57the jury,

39:57I've received

39:58a note from

39:59you.

40:00It says,

40:00unable to

40:01come to

40:01unanimous

40:02verdict.

40:02You've put

40:03your heart

40:03and soul

40:04into this

40:04case,

40:04and then

40:05you hear

40:06that.

40:07It was

40:07heartbreaking,

40:08to say the

40:08least,

40:09if they

40:09were in

40:09fact going

40:10towards being

40:10hung.

40:11One of the

40:11biggest fears

40:12for us was

40:13a mistrial.

40:14It was

40:1410 p.m.

40:15The judge

40:15asked the

40:16jury to

40:16keep trying,

40:17and just

40:18one hour

40:19later,

40:19a verdict.

40:22We,

40:22the jury,

40:22find the

40:23defendant is

40:24guilty of

40:24manslaughter,

40:25a lesser

40:26included

40:27offense.

40:29Guilty

40:30of

40:30manslaughter,

40:31not guilty

40:32of second-degree

40:33murder.

40:34What's

40:35Ashley's

40:35reaction

40:36in that

40:36moment?

40:37She feels

40:37crushed.

40:40You're

40:40talking also

40:41about a

40:41mother with

40:42a six-year-old

40:42child.

40:45Was

40:45justice

40:46served?

40:47Absolutely.

40:48Absolutely

40:48it was.

40:50David says

40:51Doug's daughter,

40:51Eva,

40:52feels the

40:52same way.

40:54After the

40:54verdict,

40:55she spoke

40:55to reporters

40:55outside the

40:56courthouse.

40:57I apologize

40:58to all the

40:59women who

40:59have gone

40:59through

41:00domestic

41:00violence

41:01situations.

41:02I think

41:03that what

41:03Ashley was

41:04doing was

41:04unfair to

41:05them.

41:07They deserve

41:08justice,

41:09and I'm

41:09very happy

41:09that my

41:10dad got

41:10the justice

41:11that he

41:11deserves.

41:13Ashley

41:14Benefield

41:15left the

41:15courtroom

41:15in handcuffs.

41:17The former

41:18ballerina,

41:19who once had

41:19big dreams,

41:20was sentenced

41:21to 20 years

41:21behind bars.

41:23She has

41:24appealed

41:25her conviction.

41:28As for

41:29Emerson,

41:30now without

41:31either parent,

41:32she's being

41:32cared for

41:33by Ashley's

41:34mother.

41:35The sad

41:36irony,

41:37the custody

41:38battle

41:38continues.

41:39No child

41:40can go from

41:41their mother

41:42and their

41:42grandmother

41:43to our

41:44family in

41:44a single

41:45step,

41:46but we

41:46want to

41:46be a part

41:47of the

41:47child's

41:47life.

41:48Whatever

41:48that spark

41:49was that

41:50brought Ashley

41:50and Doug

41:51together,

41:51it exploded

41:53into a

41:53deadly battle

41:54and robbed

41:55two children

41:55of their

41:56father.

41:57But Doug's

41:58brother David

41:58told me he's

41:59doing everything

42:00possible to

42:01keep Doug's

42:01memory alive,

42:03especially for

42:03little Emerson,

42:05who barely

42:05knew her

42:06dad.

42:08What would

42:09you tell

42:10her about

42:11her father

42:12if she was

42:13someday

42:13watching this?

42:15I would

42:15tell her

42:16that she

42:17had the

42:18greatest dad

42:19that she

42:19could ever

42:19have imagined

42:20and that he

42:21truly loved

42:22her.

42:22I love

42:22baby.

42:23It won.

42:23Let me.

42:25We love

42:26me.

42:26Bye.

42:27Bye.

42:28Bye.

42:30Bye.

42:33Bye.

42:39Bye.

42:49Bye.

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