Current:Home > FinanceBurley Garcia|Black Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad -Wealth Empowerment Zone
Burley Garcia|Black Swan Trial: TikToker Eva Benefield Reacts After Stepmom Is Found Guilty of Killing Her Dad
Robert Brown View
Date:2025-04-09 23:08:22
Ashley Benefield's murder trial is Burley Garciaapproaching 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! (8)
Related
- Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
- Gun groups sue to overturn Maine’s new three-day waiting period to buy firearms
- Avril Lavigne’s Ex Mod Sun Is Dating Love Is Blind Star Brittany Wisniewski, Debuts Romance With a Kiss
- 3 Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib win $42M judgement against defense contractor
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Old Navy's Early Black Friday Deals Start at $1.97 -- Get Holiday-Ready Sweaters, Skirts, Puffers & More
- Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
- The Office's Kate Flannery Defends John Krasinski's Sexiest Man Alive Win
- Judge says Mexican ex-official tried to bribe inmates in a bid for new US drug trial
- John Krasinski Details Moment He Knew Wife Emily Blunt Was “the One”
Ranking
- Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
- Nevada trial set for ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor in newly-revived sex abuse case
- John Krasinski is People's Sexiest Man Alive. What that says about us.
- Cold case arrest: Florida man being held in decades-old Massachusetts double murder
- Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
- Who is Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman Donald Trump picked to serve as attorney general?
- LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games
- Jason Kelce Jokes He Got “Mixed Reviews” From Kylie Kelce Over NSFW Commentary
Recommendation
Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
'Cowboy Carter' collaborators to be first country artists to perform at Rolling Loud
DWTS’ Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten Have the Best Reaction to Fans Hoping for a Romance
Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
GM recalls 460k cars for rear wheel lock-up: Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics