During the Ashley Benefield murder trial Monday in Manatee County, Florida, a domestic violence expert suggested potential signs of abuse in the couple’s relationship before she killed her husband.
The Bradenton Herald reports that Bruce Ferris, a licensed mental health counselor and domestic violence consultant, testified as one of the defense’s final witnesses. Benefield’s attorney, Neil Taylor, rested his case after Ferris’s testimony.
Judge Matt Whyte allowed Ferris to discuss domestic violence, but ruled that Ferris could not speak specifically about the Benefield case or offer opinions about the victim.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Benefield took the stand earlier Monday, and claimed she was “scared to death” of her husband, Doug Benefield, who was found shot dead in 2020. Benefield said she was “forced” to shoot, according to testimony, after her husband refused to let her go.
Prosecutors said she made it all up, and claimed Doug was several feet away from Benefield when she pulled the trigger, with his back turned to her. Several bullets struck Doug, while another bullet struck the wall.
Defense lawyer Neil Taylor used Ferris’ expert testimony to depict the defendant as a domestic violence victim, while presenting hypothetical scenarios to Ferris. These scenarios reflected the defense’s accusations against Doug, such as him firing off a gun inside the house, hitting a dog, and installing a tracker on a vehicle.
Ferris also addressed emotional abuse, stressing that domestic abuse can occur without physical violence. Prosecutors had noted that most of Doug’s alleged outbursts were documented over a year before the shooting, and that the couple appeared to be on good terms before his death.
Ferris testified that these patterns are consistent with common signs of domestic abuse, explaining that victims often experience emotional fluctuations and use defense mechanisms to appear fine to others.
Assistant State Attorney Rebecca Freel questioned whether a relationship displaying such patterns could improve over time, but Ferris said that was improbable.
During cross-examination, Ferris reportedly avoided direct answers and said, “the facts are not complete enough for me to come to a conclusion.”
Benefield was charged with second-degree murder in November 2020, in connection with the shooting. It happened after a heated custody battle on September 17, 2020, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the pair married in South Carolina, 13 days after meeting in 2016. When the defendant became pregnant, she moved to Florida and sought sole custody of the child, while accusing her husband of abuse.
After multiple hearings, a judge determined Benefield’s claims lacked credibility and granted Douglas visitation rights in the months before his death.
Later, following the shooting, investigators said they found no evidence that she was acting in self-defense and no evidence of physical abuse.
Court documents indicate that Benefield allegedly killed Doug while he was helping her her move to Maryland, where they both planned to live. Prosecutors argued that the defendant never intended to reconcile, moved to Maryland after exhausting all legal avenues in Florida.
Doug and Ashley Benefield were both once active in the ballet scene with the American National Ballet, according to FOX News.
The trial continues.
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[Feature Photo: Doug and Ashley Benefield/Facebook
