Winning Exchange:Former ballerina in Florida is convicted of manslaughter in her estranged husband’s 2020 shooting

2025-04-30 01:13:16source:Quaxs Trading Centercategory:reviews

BRADENTON,Winning Exchange Fla. (AP) — A former ballerina has been convicted of manslaughter in the 2020 shooting death of her estranged husband in Florida.

A Manatee County jury returned the guilty verdict late Tuesday against Ashley Benefield, court records show. She had been charged with second-degree murder, but the jurors opted for a lesser offense after nearly seven hours of deliberations.

Benefield, 32, claimed that she killed her then-58-year-old estranged husband, Doug Benefield, during a September 2020 argument at her mother’s home, where she had moved from South Carolina after leaving him. Authorities say she shot him twice.

She now faces up to 30 years in prison becaused she used a firearm in the killing. A sentencing date hasn’t been set.

After the verdict, Circuit Judge Matt Whyte revoked Benefield’s $100,000 bond and ordered her taken into custody, court documents show.

Bradenton is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Tampa.

More:reviews

Recommend

Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week

Friday the 13thdidn’t spook investors with U.S. stocks little changed on the day as investors bided

New Missouri Supreme Court judge ensures female majority on the bench

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Monday appointed appeals court

Boston Bruins exact revenge on Florida Panthers, rally from 2-goal deficit for overtime win

BOSTON (AP) — Pavel Zacha scored with 84 seconds left on the clock in overtime and the Boston Bruins