BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida ballerina has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following her manslaughter conviction for fatally shooting her estranged husband in 2020.
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Manatee County court records show Circuit Judge Matt Whyte imposed the sentence Tuesday on Ashley Benefield, 32, after rejecting her request for a new trial based on allegations of juror misconduct.
Benefield contended that she killed her estranged husband, Doug Benefield, 58, in self-defense during an argument at her house in the Bradenton, Florida, area. Bradenton is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Tampa.
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The Benefields were co-founders of the American National Ballet and Ashley Benefield is a former dancer.
She had been charged with second-degree murder, but the jurors opted for a lesser manslaughter offense after nearly seven hours of deliberations in July. The maximum sentence for that crime is 30 years behind bars when a firearm is used, while the murder charge carries a potential life prison term.
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Before the sentencing, Whyte rejected defense motions for a new trial based on claims a juror failed to disclose a personal history involving domestic violence and that one juror improperly brought a cellphone into the jury room during deliberations, which the judge found had no merit.
Ashley Benefield’s attorney has said she will appeal the conviction and sentence.
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