The prosecution and defense presented opening statements in the murder trial of former ballerina Ashley Benefield.
Explosive opening statements in the murder trial of a Florida ballerina kicked off on Tuesday, giving a preview of how attorneys will present their sides in the case being dubbed the 'Black Swan Murder.'Ashley Benefield, 32, admitted to fatally shooting her husband, 58-year-old Navy veteran Douglas 'Doug' Benefield, in their Lakewood Ranch, Florida, home in September of 2020.
They also pointed out that Ashley Benefield was armed with a gun she had previously bought while her husband was unarmed, and the trajectory of the fatal gunshot disproves any arguments of self-defense.'You'll see that this was a custody battle that this mother was going to win at all costs,' O'Donnell said. 'And the cost was the life of Doug Benefield. And that is murder.'The defense team claimed that Doug Benefield was abusive and intimidating.
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