BRADENTON, Fla. — A murder case that gained national attention and was featured on the true crime series "48 Hours" is set to go to trial next week.
Dubbed the "Black Swan Murder Trial," it involves 32-year-old Ashley Benefield, a former Ballerina accused of shooting and killing her estranged husband.
Benefield was in court for a pretrial hearing and is still hoping Florida's Stand Your Ground law will help her claim of self-defense.
She's is charged with second-degree murder in the September 2020 death of her husband, Douglas Benefield.
The shooting happened in her mother's home in the Central Park area of Manatee County.
Outside the Manatee County Court House, a group gathered to solidarity for Benefield.
They've been marching days ahead of the trial to drum up support and chanting "We stand with Ashley."
Investigators said the then 28-year-old former ballerina and bikini model shot and killed her 54-year-old estranged husband in the White Rock Terrace area in Lakewood Ranch.
Court documents showed Benefield claimed her husband of four years, whom she met as a widower and married after a 13-day whirlwind romance, was abusive and had charged at her.
Her mother says she's being punished for survival.
"How horrible to want to destroy a mother and a daughter, who did not do what they said she did, how horrible," said Alicia Byers, Benefield's mother.
Investigators said the couple had been separated and were tussling over custody of their daughter.
Now 6 years old, their daughter has joined in hitting the pavement in support of her mom.
"I kiss her sometimes and I hug her. It feels like I am standing up for the right thing and I am doing the right thing for her," said Emerson Benefield, Ashley's daughter.
In court, Judge Matt Whyte addressed several issues including the states request for the defendant to proffer a domestic violence expert on battered spouse syndrome, which was denied.
Last year, the judge also denied a motion to dismiss on the basis of immunity from prosecution as provided by Florida's "stand your ground" law.
If convicted, Benefield could be facing life in prison.
The trial will begin with jury selection on Monday.