The family of the man killed by black Swan Ashley Benefield have torn into her emotional performances in court, claiming her of faking her tears and dry crying for the judge.
Ashley Benefield, a 33-year-old former ballerina, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 58-year-old estranged husband, Doug Benefield, in 2020, but was convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter.
During her trial, Ashley took the stand to tell her side of the story, offering a tearful recount of her tumultuous relationship with Doug, which she claimed included instances of abuse leading up to the fatal shooting.
However, her emotional testimony did not sit well with some of the key figures in the case.
Tommie Benefield, Dougs cousin, has been outspoken in his criticism, claiming that Ashleys tears were an act.
The trial surrounding the death of Doug Benefield, dubbed the Black Swan murder case, took a dramatic turn as family members and the prosecution cast doubt on the emotional testimony of the defendant, Ashley Benefield
Ashley Benefield, a 33-year-old former ballerina, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 58-year-old husband, Doug Benefield, in 2020, but was convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter
In a recent podcast interview, Tommie described the performance as a good show but pointed out that there were no actual tears.
Shes like 10, 15 minutes into pretending to cry, and shes putting on a good show, but theres no tears, Tommie said in a recent podcast interview.
And the judge says to her at some point, Hey, theres a box of Kleenex if you need it, because he cant see shes not crying. But everyone in the courtroom and the jury can see shes not crying.
Ashleys testimony, delivered on July 26, included moments where she appeared to sob and shake, describing her alleged abuse by her husband and the day she shot him.
The emotional display was a focal point of the trial, and even inspired an episode of Black Swan Murder, a true crime podcast produced by Law & Crime. The sixth episode delved into her testimony and the impact it had on the proceedings.
Prosecutor Suzanne ODonnell also took issue with Ashleys emotional outbursts. During the trial, there was a moment when the court had to pause proceedings due to Ashleys apparent hysteria.
ODonnell recalled that while Ashley seemed to be crying, her behavior did not match the intense emotion she was portraying.
There was one point where we had to stop, because she was crying so hysterically, and take the jury out and take a break, ODonnell said. And she did not look like she was crying. She looked exactly the way she did before, so that was not lost on the jury.
ODonnell also questioned the credibility of Ashleys portrayal of fear and self-defense, suggesting that Ashleys account of the events surrounding the shooting was exaggerated.
I didnt feel most of it was genuine, ODonnell said. I felt most of it was overdone.
During her trial, Ashley took the stand to tell her side of the story, offering a tearful recount of her tumultuous relationship with Doug, which she claimed included instances of abuse leading up to the fatal shooting
Ashleys emotional testimony did not sit well with some of the key figures in the case as they claimed she was dry crying to gain sympathy from the jury
Despite the dramatic nature of Ashleys testimony, jurors deliberated for six hours before returning a verdict of manslaughter, a lesser charge than the second-degree murder originally sought by prosecutors.
Tommie said the conviction was not surprising, given the complexity of the case.
We knew it was confusing enough that they would struggle to get a second-degree murder conviction, he said.
Ashleys defense attorney, Neil Taylor, expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that he and his team believed they had successfully defended their client.
We really cant get over it because we all thought wed won, Taylor said.
In the aftermath of the trial, the defense team filed a motion for a new trial, citing potential juror misconduct.
Taylor pointed to a suspicious online post made by someone identified as That Hoodie Guy, who accurately predicted the jurys decision in real time. The defense alleged that a juror may have smuggled a phone into the deliberation room and used it to access outside information.
Of course, we realize chat rooms, you can say anything you want, but we cant figure out the uncanny accuracy of these posts, Taylor said.
After conducting a background check on the jurors, the defense discovered a concerning revelation.
One of the jurors had a history of domestic violence, including filing for a restraining order and being named as a defendant in two domestic violence cases.
The juror did not disclose this information during jury selection, nor did she reveal that she had been involved in a custody dispute with her ex-husband.
Now we know—oh my God, this juror lied, Taylor said.
Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Ashley Benefields sentencing is set for December 3.