Sneak peek: The Case of the Black Swan (Part 1) | Forensic Files

I started working on a story about a scandal in the ballet world my name is Alice Rob and I'm a
contributing writer for Vanity Fair it was a business story about a ballet company that turned into a murder
investigation so in 2016 Ashley married a much older man together they made a plan and to
start a new Ballet Company Ashley's Dream was to create a ballet company that would be a home for
dancers who were unconventional she didn't want a cookie cutter company she wanted girls that were tall girls that
were short you know I am taller so I thought that this would be a great fit for me I don't know the Doug could spell
ballet before he met Ashley but you know when you love somebody what do you want
to do you want to make her happy Ashley was 24 and Doug was 54 they knew each other for approximately 13 days before
they got married Ashley was sending photographs of herself to Doug constantly she was you know a bikini
model at some point and she knew how to work it she knew how to use it his major concern is how's he going
to introduce Ashley to Eva I felt like Ashley was taking my dad away from me Ashley wants to win total affection she
wants to be number one she she would go through periods where she was just raging at Doug she flip-flops between
he's a great guy who everybody knew him as or he's evil good or evil good or evil good or evil she goes to live with
her mother and effectively cuts off all communication with Doug he's begging her
to talk about things give him another chance meanwhile she accused him of trying to poison Her She's accused him
publicly of murder attempted murder was Doug Ben feel dangerous they both had a lot of guns and there was an incident
where during an argument he shot a gun into the ceiling 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 every time she made
allegations she always came back to him and gave him hope of reconciling at some point Ashley said
that she wanted to move to Maryland together and start over as a family they were packing up her house in Florida I
heard some somebody screaming outside and she shot him she walks next door gun in hand and tells the neighbor I shot
Doug in self-defense L White next door to me she just came over her strange husband attacked her and she says she
shot him was she genuinely afraid or just trying to get her away since Black Swan came out I think that's a lot of
people's only window into balet which sucks but this certainly does Parlay into that narrative to Doug Ashley this
innocent pure white swan but underneath those white feathers she's the black onean
[Music]

ENCORE: A former ballerina shoots her husband. Did she kill to save herself or was it out of spite? Contributor Jim Axelrod reports in a special two-part "48 Hours" airing Saturday, July 26 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Alice Rob discusses a ballet scandal involving Ashley and Doug, leading to a murder investigation and complex relationship dynamics.

Key points

A Scandalous Love Story. Alice Rob uncovers a scandal in the ballet world that spirals into a murder investigation.
The Marriage of Ashley and Doug. Ashley, 24, marries Doug, 54, after knowing him for just 13 days.
The Shooting Incident. In a shocking turn, Ashley shoots Doug and claims self-defense.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

When you love somebody, what do you want to do?

Reflecting on love and sacrifice.

0:55WatchSep 6, 2024

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