BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Former ballerina Ashley Benefield, 32, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting her estranged husband, Doug Benefield, in 2020.
The sentencing, which took place on Tuesday, followed a manslaughter conviction. Circuit Judge Matt Whyte rejected her motion for a new trial, which cited allegations of juror misconduct.
Benefield had claimed she shot her 58-year-old husband in self-defense during an argument at her Bradenton home, where they had co-founded the American National Ballet. Despite her defense, the jury convicted her of manslaughter, opting for a lesser charge after nearly seven hours of deliberation.
Benefield was originally charged with second-degree murder, which carried a potential life sentence, but the manslaughter conviction capped her sentence at 30 years.
Before the sentencing, the judge dismissed the defense’s claims of juror bias and misconduct, including failure to disclose a past domestic violence history and the use of a cellphone in the jury room. Benefield’s attorney indicated plans to appeal the conviction and sentence.
