Inside Doug and Ashley Benefield’s rocky relationship | Forensic Files

when doug benefield was shot by his wife in september 2020 it was a tragic end to
a rocky relationship that began very quickly they were saying i love you to each other within i
think a week or so businessman doug and ballerina model ashley first met in 2016.
he was 54 and she was 24. 13 days after they first met they had a whirlwind wedding without telling many
people but soon an intense argument erupted between the newly wed couple in a terrible
moment he discharged the gun into the ceiling of his house but his best friend tripp cormany
recalls that doug was immediately filled with regret in his words he said i did the dumbest
thing i've ever done in my life but that did not end their relationship far from
it two days later the two had a formal wedding reception this time with guests they also worked together to make
ashley's dream of creating an inclusive ballet company a reality hiring both dancers and instructors in 2017.
when you first met doug what kind of guy did he strike you as kind a very serious businessman and had a
very methodical approach to a lot of what he did did he know anything about ballet no
and he was very open about that i was supposed to be working with ashley to get her to understand how a company
should be run what was your first impression of ashley young ambitious we were all hoping that she would rise
to the occasion but the plan seemed to be doomed from the start each day something would happen that
just made us feel even more unsettled including not being able to pay for their point shoes or even their
salaries we would ask him hey where's the money for our shoes or our paychecks he would
go to the bank and just pull out cash and give people cash paying you out of his own pocket in cash is not the kind
of thing that's going to inspire confidence no no confidence had gone a long time at this point that was very
long gone confidence in the business wasn't the only thing suffering doug and ashley's marriage was too
after stepping back due to a difficult pregnancy ashley moved back home with her mother in florida but she came back
to tell him their marriage was over she came to charleston packed up her things and then left doug this
scathing note about all the reasons why she didn't want to be with him anymore but doug wasn't ready to give up on
their relationship and sent ashley text after text begging her to reconsider including i am on my knees and face
before god asking you to forgive me [Music] ashley on the other hand did not want to
reconcile and went to the authorities claiming he had anger issues claims that resulted in a cps
investigation i was constantly having people come up to my door and questioning if my dad was
a good dad and it just made me so angry because he was and i just kept having to
repeat myself my dad's a good dad he's never done anything to hurt anyone he wouldn't hurt
anyone ultimately he was cleared by authorities of the abuse allegations he'd been
evaluated by a psychologist a full psych evaluation who said there's nothing wrong with this guy
he's not dangerous ashley even went as far to allege that he poisoned his deceased wife and was
now poisoning her in 2020 those who knew ashley and doug were surprised to learn that despite
their tumultuous relationship they were relocating to maryland after the the case with the poisoning allegations i
saw a picture of the two of them you know arm in arm attending a gala together and
looking like a happy couple he was so hopeful and optimistic that everything would be all right however it wasn't
meant to be i heard from somebody screaming outside according to a neighbor ashley admits
that she shot doug but why

Doug Benefield was shot while packing up to move his family — hoping to start fresh. His wife Ashley shot him, but why?

CASE UPDATE: On Dec. 3, 2024, Ashley Benefield, who was convicted of manslaughter for the fatal 2020 shooting of her estranged husband Doug, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of probation

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Brief Summary

Doug Benefield's relationship with Ashley ended tragically when she shot him after a series of tumultuous events and allegations.

Key points

The Tragic Shooting. Doug Benefield was shot by his wife, Ashley, in a shocking turn of events.
A Whirlwind Romance. Doug and Ashley's relationship escalated quickly, leading to a whirlwind wedding.
Allegations and Investigations. Ashley claimed Doug had anger issues, leading to a CPS investigation.
The Poisoning Claims. Ashley alleged Doug poisoned his deceased wife and was now poisoning her.
The Shocking Admission. Ashley admits to shooting Doug, raising questions about their tumultuous relationship.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I did the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life.

Doug's regret after discharging a gun.

0:47WatchJun 7, 2022

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