BRADENTON, Fla. — The trial in a murder case that gained national attention and was featured on the true crime series "48 Hours" has begun.
A six-person jury, including three alternates, was selected Monday evening ahead of motions and anticipated opening statements Tuesday. The victim's cousin and daughter were called to the stand to testify, as well as the neighbor who called 911 and several detectives.
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 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.
She had hoped that Florida's Stand Your Ground law would help her claim of self-defense.
The first testimonies came from the victim's next of kin, who described the relationship between the couple.
“Totally in love, both of them were in love with each other. Douglas was always very respectful. He was respectful with her in front of me both at the initial night and the next weekend I believe in May when I spent time in service of Bradenton with them," said Tommy Benefield, the victim’s cousin.
"Every time, he was respectful of her, they were in love. They never showed anything in front of me other than caring for each other," Tommy said.
“They were just with each other all the time it was very lovey-dovey. They were very touchy Feely, PDA any event with school and extracurricular that I was in there together, they will go together," said Eva Benefield, the victim's 23-year-old daughter.
Eva, who was at the time 15 and had lost her mother nine months earlier, told the court her father had only informed her about Ashley a day after they had already gotten married.
"They were fixated with each other," she said.
She said her relationship with Ashley was at times tense because she had tried to take on a motherly role and had tried to reprimand her on occasion. She also described some of the interactions between her father and his young wife.
"I would hear her strongly voice her opinions over and over and over again and he would just sit quietly and listen," said Eva, adding that she never saw them fight physically or verbally.
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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 towards her.
During the opening statements, lawyers for both sides tried to set up the personalities and temperaments of key players in the case for the jurors.
The prosecutor painted Ashley as conniving, carrying out a ruse with the marriage, the pregnancy, complaints and her incessant requests for restraining orders that were mostly denied.
“Just because someone speaks words does not make it true so use your common sense as you go through this trial. This is a long story with a lot of information," said Suzanne O’Donnell, the state prosecutor.
"You will see that this is a custody battle, and this mother was going to win it all cost and the cost was the life of Doug Benefield," O'Donnell said.
"Ashley Benefield acted very differently when she was with Doug from when she was not with Doug. When she was with Doug it was we're moving to Maryland, we’re going to work on our relationship, we’re going to try to make this family work. When she’s not with Doug, she’s saying no way, Now it's I do not want this. I don’t want to reconcile with him," she said.
The defense team, however, said Doug was abusive, controlling and that Ashley lived in fear and was trying to get away from him. They said that day of the shooting, Doug had charged at Ashley who had retrieved her firearm to protect herself, only firing after he refused her commands to leave.
"Instead of seeing the gun and leaving Doug gets into this warrior pose with his arms moving purposely and he advances. At that point petrified she fires," said Neil Taylor, Defense Attorney
"Doug Benefield was a violent abuser and Ashley Benefield's effort to placate him was absolutely consistent with what abused women do,” Taylor said.
Ahead of the trial last week, her mother said Ashley was 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.
Byers is expected to testify on Wednesday.
Outside the Manatee County Court House, a group gathered again in solidarity with Benefield.
They've been marching days ahead of the trial to drum up support and chanting "We stand with Ashley."
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 supporting her mom on several occasions also.
"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," Emerson Benefield, Ashley's daughter said.
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.
Benefield could face a minimum of 25 years to life in prison if convicted.