5 chilling details about the Ashley Benefield murder trial ahead of Snapped 35 episode 18

A high-profile Florida case returns to the spotlight as viewers await Snapped season 35, episode 18. The episode reviews the September 2020 shooting of 58-year-old Doug Benefield and the court proceedings that followed, a case that drew national coverage.

A CBS News report updated on July 27, 2025, noted that Ashley Benefield acknowledged firing the shots and testified that she acted in self-defense, while prosecutors presented a custody-focused account. According to a report by The Guardian dated December 3, 2024, a jury found her guilty of manslaughter with a firearm in July 2024, and in December 2024, the court imposed a 20-year prison term followed by 10 years of probation.

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Why is Snapped looking at Ashley Benefield

The case includes a quick marriage, disputed abuse claims, a custody dispute, and a fatal encounter in Lakewood Ranch. National outlets covered the investigation, a six-day trial, the verdict, and the sentencing.

What was Ashley Benefield's conviction and sentencing

A CBS News report updated on July 27, 2025, recapped that the jury reached a manslaughter verdict in July 2024. The Guardian, in a report dated December 3, 2024, noted the 20-year prison term and 10 years of probation.

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5 key details of Ashley Benefield's case

1. A 13-day courtship that set the stage for the Snapped episode

Ashley was 24 and Doug was 54 when they met in August 2016, and they married 13 days later. Friends described their relationship's pace as unusually fast. Within the next year, they launched the American National Ballet in Charleston, though the company soon shut down. During one argument at home, Doug fired a gun into the ceiling but later referred to it as a serious mistake, according to a CBS News report updated July 27, 2025.

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2. Poisoning claims that the judge rejected in the Snapped case

Benefield alleged poisoning during pregnancy and also questioned the circumstances of Doug’s first wife’s death. In a 2018 hearing, the judge stated there was not a “single scintilla” of credible evidence of poisoning. The court later granted shared custody of their child to the couple, as summarized in a CBS News report updated July 27, 2025.

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3. Key forensics that the state said undercut Ashley's self-defense argument

On the night of the shooting, Ashley walked to a neighbor and said she shot Doug. Investigators found Doug unarmed. A medical examiner reported the fatal wound entered from the right side of Doug’s chest.

Prosecutors also pointed to the absence of stippling on Doug’s shirt, which suggested distance. They also argued that Doug was not shot from the front. The defense disputed those conclusions and said Ashley fired while in fear for her life.

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4. A custody fight at the center of motive, say prosecutors

Prosecutors told jurors the case was about the control of the couple’s child. They argued Ashley used earlier accusations to try to limit Doug’s access to their child.

The defense answered that Ashley had long sought help, described Doug as volatile, and that her actions matched with someone living in fear. Jurors weighed both accounts and decided on a manslaughter charge, not murder.

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5. Trial drama, misconduct claims, and a firm sentence in the Snapped case

During the trial, the defense raised two issues about jurors. The judge dismissed both. After the guilty verdict, the court imposed a 20-year prison sentence, followed by 10 years of probation. Doug’s adult daughter spoke in court and supported the result. The defense highlighted Ashley’s trauma history and asked for less time. The judge acknowledged the competing views in the courtroom but imposed a strong punishment.

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Season 35, episode 18 of Snapped can be streamed on Oxygen.