Current:Home > NewsBlack Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad -FinanceCore
Black Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad
View
Date:2025-04-18 05:38:22
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! (43268)
Related
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- The tax deadline is Tuesday. So far, refunds are 10% smaller than last year
- Environmental Justice Plays a Key Role in Biden’s Covid-19 Stimulus Package
- America, we have a problem. People aren't feeling engaged with their work
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- With COVID lockdowns lifted, China says it's back in business. But it's not so easy
- UN Report: Despite Falling Energy Demand, Governments Set on Increasing Fossil Fuel Production
- Larry Nassar was stabbed after making a lewd comment watching Wimbledon, source says
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Warming Trends: Music For Sinking Cities, Pollinators Need Room to Spawn and Equal Footing for ‘Rough Fish’
Ranking
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Looking for Amazon alternatives for ethical shopping? Here are some ideas
- To all the econ papers I've loved before
- Exploding California Wildfires Rekindle Debate Over Whether to Snuff Out Blazes in Wilderness Areas or Let Them Burn
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- New Research Explores the Costs of Climate Tipping Points, and How They Could Compound One Another
- NPR and 'New York Times' ask judge to unseal documents in Fox defamation case
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Backpack for Just $89
Recommendation
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
Larry Nassar was stabbed after making a lewd comment watching Wimbledon, source says
Former Top Chef winner Kristen Kish to replace Padma Lakshmi as host
The $16 Million Was Supposed to Clean Up Old Oil Wells; Instead, It’s Going to Frack New Ones
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Migration could prevent a looming population crisis. But there are catches
And Just Like That Costume Designer Molly Rogers Teases More Details on Kim Cattrall's Cameo
Ecocide: Should Destruction of the Planet Be a Crime?