Current:Home > StocksBlack Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad -Achieve Wealth Network
Black Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad
SafeX Pro Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 15:41:47
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! (4188)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Video games help and harm U.S. teens — leading to both friendships and bullying, Pew survey says
- Videos, photos show destruction after tornadoes, severe storms pummel Tennessee, Carolinas
- Billy Joel turns 75: His 75 best songs, definitively ranked
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Jessica Biel Goes Blonde With Major Hair Transformation After Met Gala
- Closure of California federal prison was poorly planned, judge says in ordering further monitoring
- Biden administration will seek partial end to special court oversight of child migrants
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Search ongoing for 2 missing skiers 'trapped' in avalanche near Salt Lake City, sheriff says
Ranking
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- A $400 pineapple? Del Monte brings rare Rubyglow pineapple to US market in limited numbers
- The Archbishop of Canterbury addresses Royal Family rift: 'They need to be prayed for'
- Racial bias did not shape Mississippi’s water funding decisions for capital city, EPA says
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Xavier University cancels UN ambassador’s commencement speech after student outcry
- Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian and More Celebrate Hailey Bieber's Pregnancy News
- Your Summer Shorts Guide: Denim Shorts, Cotton Shorts, and Athletic Shorts
Recommendation
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Telescope images reveal 'cloudy, ominous structure' known as 'God's Hand' in Milky Way
Horoscopes Today, May 8, 2024
Governor says he won’t support a bill that could lead to $3M in assistance to striking workers
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Fight over foreign money in politics stymies deal to assure President Joe Biden is on Ohio’s ballot
Shaquille O'Neal on ex-wife saying she wasn't in love with him: 'Trust me, I get it'
Virginia judge to decide whether state law considers embryos as property