BRADENTON, Fla. (Court TV) — A former ballerina convicted of manslaughter for killing her husband is asking for a new trial, saying that a juror illegally smuggled a phone into the deliberation room.
Ashley Benefield was convicted of manslaughter for the death of her husband, Doug Benefield. (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office)
Ashley Benefield is awaiting sentencing after a jury failed to be convinced that she shot her husband, Douglas Benefield, in self-defense. While she faces a potential sentence of 30 years behind bars, her attorneys are trying to get her a new trial and have cited a number of issues.
The motion, reviewed by Court TV, accuses prosecutors of making several “improper and inflammatory remarks” during their closing arguments in the case, including telling the jury that Doug had filed for sole custody before his death. In fact, it had been Ashley who had filed for sole custody before the shooting. The defense also took issue with prosecutors calling Ashley a “manipulator” at least 14 times and accused the state of ridiculing her emotional testimony.