The fatal fall of Ashley Benefield - A detailed case overview ahead of Snapped season 35 episode 18

Snapped season 35 episode 18, ‘Ashley Benefield,’ airs Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 6 pm on Oxygen. Snapped is set to revisit the case of Ashley Benefield, who shot and killed her estranged husband, Doug Benefield, in Florida on September 27, 2020. The episode arrives after a long court fight that ended with a manslaughter conviction and a lengthy sentence.

This overview traces what happened before, during, and after the shooting, using reports from courts and major outlets. Viewers will see how two competing stories formed and how a jury weighed them four years later.

---

Snapped season 35 episode 18: What Snapped will cover about Ashley Benefield

Ashley Benefield, then 33, told neighbors and police that she fired in self-defense during a confrontation at her mother’s home in Lakewood Ranch. Doug, 58, was hit twice and died about an hour later at a hospital. Investigators noted the fatal wound entered from the right side of his chest, not the front.

Prosecutors later argued that the shooting position contradicted Ashley's claim that Dough was charging at her. Her team countered that she feared for her life and had sought help before.

The relationship history loomed large. The pair met in 2016 and married 13 days later. They launched the American National Ballet in Charleston, but struggled with financial difficulties, management issues, and mounting personal stress.

During pregnancy, Ashley moved to Florida. She filed for protection and raised poisoning claims that a judge in 2018 rejected, calling the proof lacking. Custody battles ensued. By 2019, the couple’s ties had frayed again. Yet, in 2020, they planned separate living arrangements near each other in Maryland to co-parent their daughter.

---

Snapped: the shooting and first accounts

On the night of the shooting, Doug was helping pack. Ashley’s mother took their child to a nearby park. A neighbor heard commotion, then Ashley arrived with a gun and said she had shot Doug. Detectives recovered no weapon on Doug.

Ashley claimed that she shot Doug in self-defence. (Image via Pexels)

Ashley declined a detailed interview with detectives at the time. Through counsel and later on the stand, she described a frightening struggle and said Doug blocked her from leaving and hit her. The prosecutors presented their case with scene work, medical examiner findings, and messages or video clips. Supporters gathered outside the court as coverage spread, while Doug’s family used social media and interviews to dispute Ashley's claims.

---

Snapped: marriage, disputes, and court fights

The couple’s short courtship drew attention, as did the failed ballet venture that had promised an inclusive roster of dancers. After the split, accusations multiplied. Ashley alleged abuse and poisoning, while Doug denied it. A Florida judge found no credible proof of poisoning and granted joint custody in 2018.

In 2020, amid plans to relocate, both sides still communicated about their daughter. The state later framed the shooting as the endpoint of a push to control custody. The defense framed it as a response to escalating fear.

Pretrial litigation stretched on, and during the trial in July 2024, jurors heard from family, neighbors, detectives, experts, and Ashley herself. The defense highlighted counseling notes and patterns they said matched abuse. The prosecution highlighted physical evidence and argued a motive tied to custody. Allegations of juror issues were raised and denied by the judge.

---

Snapped: verdict, sentence, and what to watch for

After about seven hours of deliberation on July 30, 2024, the jury found Ashley Benefield guilty of manslaughter with a firearm rather than second-degree murder. In December 2024, Judge Matthew Whyte sentenced her to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. At sentencing, Doug’s relatives addressed the court. The defense sought a lower term, citing duress and mental health factors, and noted a PTSD diagnosis. The judge accepted some claims but still imposed a lengthy term. Post-trial motions about jurors and prosecutors did not change the outcome.

In Snapped season 35, episode 18, expect a tight timeline of the day of the shooting, court findings on the poisoning claims, and the trial’s core dispute: self-defense versus a murder plan tied to custody. Watch for the forensic pieces that drew focus in court, the quick marriage backstory, and how each side describes the months leading up to September 2020.

Season 35, episode 18 of Snapped can be streamed on August 17, 2025, at 6 pm on Oxygen.