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

The daughter of a man who was killed by his wife in 2020 recently spoke out about the incident in court before the woman was sentenced.

On Tuesday afternoon, December 2, Ashley Benefield received her sentencing for killing Douglas Benefield four years ago (September 2020). The judge’s verdict comes after she was found guilty of manslaughter in October.

“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.