A Manatee County judge granted a motion to interview the six jurors who found Ashley Benefield guilty of manslaughter in July after the defense alleged one juror concealed a history of domestic violence and another snuck a cell phone into jury deliberations.
The former ballerina was absent from the courtroom Monday for the hearing, despite her defense attorney Neil Taylor indicating they had wanted her to be present.
The hearing Monday occurred just days after ABC’s 20/20 aired an exclusive interview with Ashley Benefield, 32, who was accused of shooting and killing her estranged husband Doug Benefield, a naval pilot officer, in her Lakewood Ranch home in September 2020. She was charged with second-degree murder until a six-person jury found her guilty of manslaughter, a lesser offense.
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Gallery: Former ballerina Ashley Benefield stands trial for the murder of her estranged husband