Ballerina Ashley Benefield, Who Killed Her Husband, Was Sentenced to 20 Years – Details

“The sentence of the court will be as follows, I’m gonna sentence you to 20 years in Florida State prison, to be followed by 10 years of probation. Upon your release […] you must initially report to the […] Department of Corrections, we’ll be able to provide you with a map of where that is,” stated the judge.

He went on to explain, “Cost of supervision will be a condition of supervision. Based upon the testimony of Doctor Russell today regarding you [sic] suffering from and being diagnosed with PTSD, the court is going to order, as a condition of your probation, that you obtain a mental health evaluation at your expense within 60 days of beginning your probation.”

The judge continued to outline the terms of Ashley seeking help from medical professionals as it relates to her probation and explained additional details regarding the sentencing like restitution, and monetary obligations.

In the morning of that same Tuesday, Eva Benefield, the deceased’s daughter, stood before the court to give “an emotional victim impact statement” concerning the murder of her father.

Her words contextualized who her dad was, their close bond, and her criticism of Ashley, whom she said was treated well by her dad but chose to kill him anyway.

After she was sworn in, Eva began her statement by providing background information, noting that she was just over 18 years old and preparing to go to college when her dad moved from Charleston to Florida. According to Eva, Douglas would travel frequently, and she would only see him occasionally when he would pass through South Carolina on his way to the north.

Although Eva was not able to see her dad on a regular basis, she explained that he was always just a phone call or text away. She then divulged how much more her dad prioritized answering her calls and texts when her mother, Renee Cousar Benefield, passed away.

Eva shared that her dad was out of town when Renee died and that she had been trying to reach her mom, who wasn’t picking up her phone. It was only later, when Eva found her in the evening, that she realized why her mom did not pick up.

The young woman explained how the trauma of her mom’s passing triggered adverse effects in her like experiencing immense anxiety and fear whenever her dad would not respond to her. However, Douglas always made sure to drop whatever he was doing to answer his daughter.

Eva went on to divulge details about her and her dad’s close bond, noting how he would always send her bible verses in the mornings before wishing her well with, “Good morning, pumpkin.”

She then revealed, “The morning of September 28, I woke up to no messages from my dad. I wasn’t alarmed quite yet; sometimes he rushed to the gym or had to immediately get to his computer for work.”

However, Eva said that as the morning passed and she continued to wait for a text, she began to get anxious, so much so that around lunchtime, she started googling about traffic accidents in Sarasota, Florida.

Eva expressed her worry to her friends who assured her that she had nothing to be anxious about. She then listed the messages she had sent to her dad that morning, ensuring to note the timestamps.

Standout texts include, “You’re kind of scaring me,” and “You should definitely text me so I know you’re ok,” which Eva sent at 10:43 a.m. and 11:20 a.m., respectively.

She continued to send consecutive messages, one of which alerted her dad that she was going to contact Ashley. However, she then texted, “Just kidding, I don’t have her number.” Eva continued to message her dad, urging him to answer. However, she stated that at some point, her texts stopped going through.

An hour after sending a text expressing how she hated the fact that her dad wasn’t answering, Eva received a phone call from her uncles alerting her that Douglas had been shot the night before. She asked them whether he was ok, to which one of her uncles responded with “a hesitant, ‘no.'”

“My next question before hanging up the phone was, ‘She did it. Didn’t she?'” disclosed Eva. Directing her words to Ashley, who was seated in the court, the bereaved daughter stated, “Ashley, since the day you shot my father, I’ve only had one question to ask you, ‘Why?'”

Eva continued, “Why did you end my dad’s life knowing he was my only living parent and the only person I could confide in and count on for everything I needed as I turned into a young adult?”

She continued to ask Ashley similar questions before telling her she orphaned not only her but her younger sister, Emerson Benefield, as well.

Eva then highlighted all the ways in which her dad was there for her, teaching her how to paint, attending every extracurricular activity she had, and everything else he did that made him a loving and supportive father.

She then listed how Douglas did his best to accommodate Ashley and make her feel at home after Eva’s mom died, noting how he painted “over every memory and every corner” of the childhood home where she grew up. Eva also highlighted how painful such things were for her.

Douglas’ daughter mentioned how he and Ashley had broken up at a stage in their relationship and divulged that, although she was sorry to see her dad in pain, she was “secretly excited” to have the father-daughter relationship they had forged back.

She then disclosed, “Easter weekend of 2018, my dad insisted that I drove to Florida with him so that I could enjoy Easter Sunday with my half-sister. The night before Easter, you and Alicia pulled me aside before dinner to try to convince me that my dad was a monster, that he killed my mother, that he was evil, and I was unsafe.”

After a brief back-and-forth concerning whether Eva’s statement should be overruled or sustained, Eva spoke about other memories that highlighted her dad’s good nature, juxtaposing the image she said Ashley had been trying to paint of him.

Toward the end of her statements, Eva re-emphasized the adverse impacts her dad’s death has had on her, noting how she was left with no financial help, no parental guidance, and extremely dark thoughts.

Before her sentencing, Ashley, who is a former ballerina and founder of the now-defunct American National Ballet In Charleston, was charged with second-degree murder on November 4, 2020.

According to authorities, she fatally shot Douglas on September 27, 2020, at approximately 7 p.m. at her mother’s home in Central Park, Florida.

The former couple was separated and in the middle of a custody dispute over their daughter, Emerson. A police affidavit filed in court states that after firing multiple shots, Ashely ran to one of her neighbors for help.

Responders then found Douglas alive in the bedroom with a gunshot wound in his leg and another in his chest. Two other bullets were reportedly found embedded in the wall.

Douglas was transported to a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries and passed away just shy of 59. Officials divulged that Ashley had informed them she had been attacked by Douglas during the incident, however, detectives found no evidence of self-defense when the shots were fired.

“Based on entry wounds on Douglas it does not appear that he was facing Ashley when she began shooting. It also does not appear that Douglas had taken any kind of defensive of [sic] combative stance,” reads an affidavit People magazine obtained.

It also mentions that Douglas was not found with any weapons on him or near him. Additionally, investigators did not find any injuries on Ashley besides an “old and very minor” scratch that a witness had confirmed Ashley had obtained prior to the incident with Douglas.

After his passing, loved ones created an online memorial in Douglas’ honor. The site provides details about the late father’s life and career, which saw the Palo Alto native graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in Biology and join the Navy, to name a few achievements.

Douglas, who owned and operated a restaurant called Kiva Han in Charleston, was a devoted Christian who “loved His Lord Jesus Christ.” He also loved his daughters deeply, and “often spoke of his desire to be healthy and fit to serve them well for the rest of his life.”

“Doug was generous to a fault and never gave up on people. He touched countless lives, bringing the rich joy of this life to those he cherished as his friends,” describes his obituary.

At this time, we send our deepest condolences to Eva, Emerson, and all of Douglas’ other family members, loved ones, and friends as they continue to mourn his loss. We hope for their healing and peace. RIP, Douglas.