'I ended his life': Ex-University of Kentucky cheerleader drops bombshell confession in newborn baby's death, changes plea



Laken Snelling, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader who was arrested after her newborn son was found dead in a closet at her home, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the infant's death.

During a Friday hearing, Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

'I deprived him of oxygen.'

WKRC-TV reported, "Prosecutors recommended 10 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter and one year for each of the other three charges."

The judge has discretion to impose the sentences concurrently or consecutively, according to WKRC.

A Fayette County grand jury indicted Snelling in March.

Snelling, 22, pleaded not guilty to all four charges in April.

The Herald-Leader, citing a police citation, reported that officers were dispatched to Snelling’s Lexington home at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2025, for a report of a "deceased infant."

Court documents WKYT-TV obtained said police discovered an infant's remains wrapped in a trash bag inside a closet at her home.

In a Snapchat group chat that Snelling was part of, her roommates discussed hearing unusual noises on the morning of Aug. 27.

One roommate sent a message around 4 a.m. saying she heard a loud noise that sounded like something had fallen, according to court documents.

Court documents also revealed that a second roommate said she heard the noises as well and noted that the clamor was forceful enough to knock a picture off the wall.

Another roommate said the noises lasted about an hour, according to court docs.

Shortly before 9 a.m. Aug. 27, Snelling sent a message in the group chat stating that the noise was her passing out, court records said.

Court documents added that Snelling told her roommates she hadn't been feeling well and planned to get examined by a doctor.

The Herald-Leader reported that roommates found "a blood-soaked towel on the floor and a plastic bag containing evidence of childbirth" inside Snelling's room, the police citation said.

As Blaze News previously reported, Snelling told police she gave birth to a baby around 4 a.m. on Aug. 27, but the infant "fell into the floor of her bedroom."

According to the affidavit, Snelling informed investigators that she did not believe the baby boy was breathing or alive, and she passed out approximately 30 minutes later.

When Snelling awoke, she "quickly got up" and saw "the baby turning blue and purple," the affidavit stated.

Snelling said she believed the baby "to be dead and wrapped the baby up like a burrito and laid next to it [on] the floor because it gave her a little comfort in the moment," court documents said.

The arrest record said Snelling "admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel."

Snelling, a former University of Kentucky student-athlete, was arrested in August 2025 in connection with her infant's death.

Snelling, a former STUNT team member of the University of Kentucky, withdrew from the school after her arrest.

RELATED: Mother confesses to killing her newborn because of 'expenses,' enlisting daughter to help dispose of baby still crying inside trash bag: Prosecutor

The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office determined the baby was born alive, and his cause of death was asphyxia by undetermined means.

However, Snelling recently dropped a bombshell court confession about her baby's death.

"I was under a lot of emotional stress, and my baby came unexpectedly. And instead of helping him, I ended his life. And afterwards, I cleaned up and didn’t tell anyone," a tearful Snelling told Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Diane Minnifield, according to a video of the hearing posted by Court TV.

"I ended his life," Snelling admitted to the judge.

When asked by Judge Minnifield how she ended his life, Snelling confessed: "I deprived him of oxygen."

The judge asked Snelling why she was pleading guilty to the tampering of physical evidence charge, and she responded, "I put the towels in a plastic bag."

Snelling said of the concealing the birth of an infant charge, "I didn’t tell anyone after."

"It's very tragic, and it's very sad, and I hate that we can't fix that," Commonwealth's Attorney Kimberly Henderson Baird said, according to WLEX-TV. "But we did the best we could. We talked to the family to let them know what the offer was. So there was a lot involved in this case."

Baird said of Snelling, "I think she has a great deal of remorse."

Snelling is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 16 for a sentencing hearing.

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New York woman charged with manslaughter after her baby CHOKES to death on popcorn kernels



A 36-year-old mother was charged with manslaughter after her 18-month-old son died in April after choking on unpopped popcorn kernels at her Long Island apartment.

Prosecutors believe Olivia Bithorn was drinking vodka in the bathroom of her unit in Merrick after giving the bag of kernels to her son, Luke Russell Jr., and his 3-year-old sister.

'Everyone in her life had basically written her off except her husband, who was ... trying to make sure she had a place to live and was staying sober.'

The little girl alerted the mother after the boy became unresponsive.

"Her son was blue and cold to the touch," said Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly, who appeared to get emotional at the details.

"They estimate, allegedly, he was dead for over an hour before 911 was called," she added.

Donnelly said Bithorn was getting sick in the bathroom because she drank too much alcohol. An empty bottle of Tito's vodka was found at the apartment.

"It's an accident if you leave the room for a few minutes ... but it's criminal if you actually give your child these kernels to eat and not be present if something happens," she added.

Prosecutors said Bithorn had a long history of alcohol abuse and put her children at risk because of her drinking problem. She cycled in and out of rehab programs for years, crashed a car, and even disappeared for three days at one point.

She had separated from her husband of three years while battling alcoholism.

"Everyone in her life had basically written her off except her husband, who was trying to, even though they're separated, trying to make sure she had a place to live and was staying sober," Donnelly added.

RELATED: Homeless man makes 'horrific' discovery near dumpster at Los Angeles parking lot, police say

Her estranged husband was in court but declined to comment as he left.

Merrick is a small hamlet of about 22,000 residents on the south shore of Long Island.

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Karmelo Anthony murder trial: Jurors begin deliberations — and can consider lesser charge of manslaughter



As jurors began deliberations late Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, they were instructed that they could consider a lesser charge of manslaughter, KTVT-TV reported.

Anthony was 17 when authorities charged him with murdering high school star athlete and fellow 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in a stabbing at a Frisco, Texas, track meet in April 2025.

'These guys are much bigger than you. Do you turn your back and walk away and take a chance with these teenage boys with their raging hormones?'

The murder charge is a first-degree felony, the station said, and if the jury decides to convict Anthony on the murder charge, he would face a sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison.

According to Texas law, murder means a defendant "intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual," KTVT said — but manslaughter means the defendant "recklessly causes the death of an individual."

A conviction for manslaughter — a second-degree felony — would mean a sentence of two to 20 years in prison, the station said.

Criminologist Alex del Carmen told KTVT in a separate story he believes Anthony's case meets the threshold of manslaughter: "He didn't get up with the intent to kill someone, but he knew the risks taking that knife to campus and pulling it out. Self-defense or not, rational choices needed to be made."

In addition, Anthony's defense objected to jury instructions that didn't include criminally negligent homicide as a lesser charge available for consideration, KTVT reported.

Criminally negligent homicide is a state jail felony, the station said, adding that it's the lowest level of felony offense in Texas law and would bring a sentence of six months to two years in prison, KTVT said.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye argued that criminally negligent homicide shouldn't be an option for jury consideration since there is not "any evidence in the record that the defendant was unaware that his actions could lead to death," the station said.

Collin County Judge John Roach overruled the defense's objection, KTVT said.

RELATED: Karmelo Anthony murder trial: All prospective black jurors dismissed; 1 said he'd have 'hard time putting a brother in jail'

In addition, the defense objected to jury instructions saying they can find Anthony's self-defense argument not viable if they believe the defendant provoked the attack, the station said.

However, the prosecutor argued that a rational jury could find Anthony provoked the altercation, KTVT said, and therefore the instruction should remain. Judge Roach agreed with the prosecutor, overruling the defense's objection, the station said.

The prosecutor waived the right to begin closing arguments Tuesday morning, so lead defense attorney Mike Howard was the first to address the jury, KTVT said.

Howard focused on his client's self-defense argument, saying, "Austin Metcalf had no legal right to use force to eject Karmelo Anthony from that tent," the station reported.

Howard added that "he had no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo" and that "Karmelo is in a public place," KTVT noted.

Howard also asked the members of the jury to put themselves in Anthony's shoes, noting that it was raining, the station said: "You want to get out of the rain. ... Sure enough, one of the people at Memorial says, 'Yeah, come on over.'"

KTVT said the defense attorney added that "Hunter Metcalf, or Austin, say, 'Who are you? You need to leave.' ... These guys are much bigger than you. Do you turn your back and walk away and take a chance with these teenage boys with their raging hormones?"

"Austin and Hunter had the right to tell Melo to leave, but they did not have the right to use deadly force to make him leave," Howard told the jury, according to the station. "Melo had an absolute right to [defend] himself against that."

Howard also asked the jury, "How do you know in a split second of chaos when it's too late? ... Because if you wait too late to defend yourself, self defense is meaningless," KTVT reported.

Anthony did not take the stand in his defense.

Following the defense's closing argument, prosecutor Wirskye began speaking to the jury and rebutting Anthony's self-defense claim, the station said.

"This is one of those rare cases where every important fact can be boiled down to one sentence: You do not get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove," Wirskye said, according to KTVT.

"Why didn't [Anthony] just not walk away?" Wirskye asked jurors, according to the station. "You see [he] had a choice to walk away and abandon the encounter."

The prosecutor added that "you can meet deadly force with deadly force in Texas, but you can't meet force — a shove — with deadly force — a stab. Size differential, it doesn't work in this case; you don't get to kill someone just because they are bigger than you," KTVT reported.

Wirskye also told the jury that "self-defense has to be a reasonable belief — a reasonable belief means a belief that would [be] held by an ordinary and prudent person in the same situation as the defendant," the station said.

"It has to be immediately necessary. Where was the immediate necessity to plunge a knife into an unarmed, young man?" Wirskye asked the jury, according to KTVT. "It's not self-defense, folks — it's murder. Murder, plain and simple."

Notably, all prospective black jurors were dismissed during jury selection last week — and one reportedly said he'd have a "hard time putting a brother in jail." Anthony is black; Metcalf was white. They attended different high schools and didn't know each other.

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Homeowner fatally shoots squatter in his vacant house — but attorney says self-defense may be hard to prove



An Oklahoma homeowner was arrested and jailed after fatally shooting a squatter in his vacant residence earlier this month — and an attorney is saying a self-defense claim may be difficult to prove.

Timothy Smith, 59, is facing charges of first-degree manslaughter and reckless conduct with a firearm after shooting a squatter in his vacant house in Oklahoma City on May 1, KOCO-TV reported.

'At trial, I'm sure the defense will be self-defense. What's going to make that difficult? He told the police that he didn't see a weapon in the hand of the victim.'

Smith on Friday remained behind bars in the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Jail information indicates Smith's next court date is June 18 and that he's also charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

Smith told detectives he and his daughter checked on his house after having previous issues there with homeless people, KOCO reported.

Smith entered the home with a gun and found Justin King in the back bedroom with a woman, the station said.

Smith and his daughter told the pair to leave, but Smith said King stepped toward him, KOCO reported.

With that, Smith aimed at "the area" of King, and the gunshot struck King in the neck, the station said.

Criminal defense attorney Ed Blau told KOCO a self-defense claim on Smith's part is complicated because Smith was not living in the home at the time of the shooting.

"There's not the death penalty for squatting in the state of Oklahoma," Blau told the station. "You can't just take a gun in and shoot somebody."

Blau added to the station that a self-defense argument also may be difficult to prove because Smith admitted to detectives that he did not feel threatened.

RELATED: Couple returns from vacation to find squatters who ate their brisket, drank their alcohol, and left meth in car, police say

"It would be difficult to have a stand-your-ground defense hold up," Blau noted to KOCO.

The attorney added to the station that "at trial, I'm sure the defense will be self-defense. What's going to make that difficult? He told the police that he didn't see a weapon in the hand of the victim."

Blau also told KOCO that while Oklahoma's Castle Doctrine allows homeowners to use force against intruders in their primary residences, it's different for vacant houses.

"If a trespasser or a burglar breaks in or comes into your home that you live in, and you're there, you can pretty much shoot them or do whatever you want to with them because of the Castle Doctrine here in Oklahoma," Blau told the station. "In a situation like this, an abandoned house, it's much different. You can't go in, put yourself in a situation, and say, 'This is my house, so I felt I had the right to shoot him.'"

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Perjuring manslaughterer who killed a soldier over an alleged racist comment wins election in Maine



Sergeant Derek Rogers, a 22-year veteran of the Canadian military who played trombone for the Canadian Central Command Band, took his wife of 20 years on a trip to Maine in 2002. It was the last trip they would take together because a pair of siblings of Sioux descent savagely beat Rogers to death while he was taking a stroll on the beach near the cottage his family rented.

On Tuesday, radicals in Bangor, Maine, elected one of Rogers' killers, Angela Walker, to city council.

'That's my past.'

The 2,231 voters who cast ballots for Walker and the leftist group that endorsed her, Food and Medicine, were evidently willing to give her a pass for her history of violence and deception.

After all, it's public record that Walker killed Rogers — a soldier known for his charity and devotion to the Salvation Army — participating in his bludgeoning and lethal force-feeding by sand, according to investigators. It's also a matter of public record that she attempted to blame the killing on an innocent woman named Aimee Pelletier, who investigators later determined had not been at the scene.

Walker and her brother, Benjamin Humphrey, were originally charged with murder following the discovery of Rogers' body by a fisherman on July 31, 2002.

When Humphrey pleaded guilty to manslaughter the following year, the victim's sister, Lorna Simard, said, "I don't feel that any plea bargain is justice," reported the Associated Press.

Simard was ultimately denied the full measure of justice twice as Walker also managed to strike a plea deal.

RELATED: Candidate arrested for allegedly breaking into GOP rival's Ohio home — just days before Election Day

Staff photo by Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Walker pleaded guilty in 2003 to perjury as well as to killing Rogers in exchange for a reduced charge of manslaughter.

Robert Crowley, then-justice of the Maine Superior Court, reportedly sentenced Walker to 10 years in prison and gave her a five-year suspended sentence for committing perjury.

While Walker claimed that Rogers prompted her violent reaction by allegedly calling her a "squaw" — a claim Rogers' family suggested was utter nonsense — Crowley emphasized the victim's innocence, noting, "He didn't do anything to contribute to his death, yet he lost his life."

During her successful political campaign, Walker told the Bangor Daily News, "One of the big reasons that I want to run is because I feel like, with my lived experience and the work that I’ve done in a few different agencies in the area, that I can bring concerns of community members to City Council."

The same perjurer who apparently helped stuff sand down a soldier's throat until he died added that she hopes to "be the voice for people that can’t speak up or don’t speak up."

As for Rogers' horrific slaying, Walker said, "That's my past. I don't live there anymore, and I'm a different person."

Former Bangor City Council chairwoman Sarah Nichols was among those who endorsed Walker, claiming "Angela has achieved positive results in her own recovery and has played a key role in projects that connect many people to crucial resources, supporting their recovery success."

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Female accused of murdering her fire captain wife was jailed years before for killing husband — in eerily similar way



A California female is the primary suspect in the murder of her wife, who was a fire captain. The wanted woman reportedly served time in prison for the killing of her estranged husband years ago — and the manner of his death is eerily similar to the manner of the fire captain's death.

Yolanda Marodi is wanted by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service's San Diego Fugitive Task Force for the alleged murder of 49-year-old Rebecca Marodi. Since being named a suspect, Yolanda Marodi has been on the run.

'Yolanda was very jealous ... and did not want to have Becky maintain the friendships she had for years with other women.'

The San Diego Sheriff's Office said in a statement on the X social media platform: "Have you seen 54-year-old Yolanda Marodi, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak? She is suspected of fatally stabbing her wife, 49-year-old Rebecca Marodi, at a home on Rancho Villa Road in Ramona on February 17."

Police said deputies found Rebecca inside her Ramona residence with multiple stab wounds.

"Lifesaving measures were administered by the deputies until Cal Fire paramedics arrived," the sheriff's office stated. "Despite their efforts, Marodi succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene."

Police are searching for Yolanda Marodi — who is approximately 5'2" tall, weighs about 166 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. She has tattoos on her upper right and left arms.

Authorities said the suspect is believed to be driving a silver 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with California license plate 8BQJ420. Police noted that she likely is traveling with a small white dog.

The San Diego Sheriff's Office added that the suspect's whereabouts "are not known. Out of an abundance of caution, the Sheriff's Office has alerted authorities on both sides of the border about this suspect."

The San Diego Sheriff's Office said investigators are still determining the "motivation and circumstances" surrounding Rebecca Marodi's murder, but detectives are working "diligently to gather more information and establish a comprehensive understanding of the case."

Police said it's being treated as a "potential domestic violence incident."

Citing family, Lt. Mike Krugh of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office told People magazine that the couple had been married for about two years.

The victim's ex-wife, Lilia Phleger, said the couple had a "toxic relationship."

"You don't ever want somebody that you once cared for so much to suffer," Phleger said. "For this to happen to Becky, in our home, this was the home we lived in together. It's just unfathomable."

Phleger added that "Yolanda was very jealous ... and did not want to have Becky maintain the friendships she had for years with other women."

The Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said, "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support during this difficult time as we mourn the loss of our beloved Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi."

"Her legacy of mentorship, service, and dedication will be felt for years to come," the statement read.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection stated, "It is with great sadness that Cal Fire reports the off-duty death of Fire Captain Rebecca 'Becky' Marodi. Captain Marodi served over 30 years with Cal Fire, primarily in Riverside County, but also serving time in San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The tragic loss of Captain Marodi is mourned by her family, friends, and her Cal Fire family."

On Tuesday morning, Cal Fire crews honored the captain with a procession from Marodi's home to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office.

KFMB-TV reported that Yolanda Marodi is an ex-con who went to prison for the October 2000 stabbing death of her estranged husband in San Bernardino County.

In that case, Yolanda Marodi allegedly attempted to flee from authorities with her two young children before turning herself in to police. In January 2004, she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of her first spouse and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

In October 2006, Yolanda Marodi pleaded guilty to felony drug possession in prison — which added 37 months to her sentence.

Yolanda Marodi was released from prison in December 2015.

Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the homicide unit for the San Diego Sheriff's Office at (858) 285-6330 or after hours at (858) 868-3200. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

You can watch a KFMB-TV report on the incident here.

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Woman dies after male bludgeons her in head with can of beans — but defense argues alcoholism played role in her death



A South Dakota man admitted to hitting a woman in the head with a can; she later died. However, his defense argued that the woman's poor health and alcoholism were major factors in her death.

In October, 44-year-old Pedro Simental pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with a physical confrontation with 40-year-old Edleigha Little in November 2023. Authorities said Little died after Simental struck her in the head with a can of beans.

Simental’s attorney argued that these conditions made her more vulnerable to the 'single, reckless blow' to the head that ultimately caused her death.

On Monday, Seventh Circuit Judge Joshua Hendrickson sentenced Simental to 15 years in prison. Both the prosecution and the defense recommended a 15-year prison sentence.

What's the background?

Simental and Little got into a physical altercation on the evening of Nov. 8.

KELO-TV reported that Simental admitted to law enforcement investigators that he "may have struck the victim in the left side of her head with a can."

When police arrived at the crime scene, they found Little unconscious and suffering multiple bruises on her head, neck, and face. She was rushed to the hospital. However, Little succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead a few hours later.

According to KOTA-TV, the defense noted Little’s blood alcohol content was .474% at the time of her death.

The Pennington County State’s Attorney noted in a statement that Hendrickson acknowledged the case's numerous challenges, especially the victim's poor health before the attack.

During the trial, Simental’s lawyer highlighted several of the victim's pre-existing health conditions, including that Little was a “severe alcoholic,” and her years of excessive drinking could have caused the hematoma, according to KOTA-TV.

Defense Attorney Conor Duffy cited statements from two medical examiners that claimed severe alcoholism triggered the hematoma after the blow to the head. Medical examiners noted that Little sustained "minimal external signs of trauma."

A state doctor claimed that her hematoma was "spontaneous."

Simental’s attorney argued that these conditions made her more vulnerable to the “single, reckless blow” to the head that ultimately caused her death.

However, Senior Deputy State Attorney Roxanne Hammond expressed concern over Simental’s lack of accountability.

During the investigation, Simental allegedly stated that he "takes little to no responsibility for his role in her death."

However, Simental stressed in court that he does take responsibility for his actions that led to Little's death.

Little's niece told the court that her aunt was a caring, thoughtful person and accused Simental of regularly abusing the victim. The niece urged Judge Hendrickson to impose a lengthy sentence so Simental could not "do this to another woman and her family."

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Dershowitz Blasts Alvin Bragg For Bringing Charges Against Daniel Penny In Case That Could End With ‘Hung Jury’

'I don’t think you bring criminal cases unless they’re clear'

Teens who beat Las Vegas boy to death avoid adult prison, mom slams plea deal: 'They’re letting them get away with murder'



Four teenagers facing murder charges over the fatal beating of a Las Vegas boy outside his high school last November have reached a plea deal with prosecutors that has enabled them to avoid serving time in adult prison. The mother of the victim of the deadly beating is outraged over the plea deal.

Dontral Beaver, 16; Treavion Randolph, 16; Gianni Robinson, 17; and Damien Hernandez, 18; all agreed on Thursday to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr., according to KLAS-TV.

'There is no justice for my son Jonathan Lewis that was stomped to death and murdered while 20 people stood there and did nothing more than film it and broadcast it to social media.'

The plea deal will allow all four teens to no longer face murder charges as adults, and they will be sentenced in juvenile court. The plea deal would mean the teens would avoid being locked up in an adult prison.

All of the teens were under the age of 18 when the alleged crime was committed and were formally charged with second-degree murder in January.

Five other teens were also charged in the case with four of them having already pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the juvenile court system. One teen is yet to be sentenced.

The victim's mother said she was blindsided by the plea deal and claimed that she was not notified of the hearing held on Thursday.

“I was told that they were going to plea guilty to murder and that the most they would get in the adult system is two years,” Mellisa Ready told KLAS-TV.

“I would’ve disagreed with the deal entirely. They should be accountable as adults — they made an adult choice,” Ready continued. “They knew that when they were stomping on my child’s head that he was going to die as a result. You cannot jump in a human being’s head, stomp on him, and think that they’re going to remain alive after.”

Ready declared, “They knew he was going to die, and that’s how I feel — and they’re letting them get away with murder.”

The distraught mother added, “There is no justice for my son Jonathan Lewis that was stomped to death and murdered while 20 people stood there and did nothing more than film it and broadcast it to social media.”

Robert Draskovich — the attorney for Gianni Robinson — told KLAS-TV, “We were able to evaluate all the evidence as a whole and reach this mutually beneficial negotiation. Obviously, what occurred is a tragedy, but convicting these young men of murder would be a second tragedy, following the first.”

As Blaze News previously reported, Lewis was brutally mauled by a group of teens outside Rancho High School in Las Vegas on Nov. 1, 2023. Video of the vicious attack was uploaded to social media and shows a mob of teens kicking, stomping, and punching Lewis.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers responded to a battery call and found Lewis battered and bleeding from the head. The teen was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Six days later, he was medically declared brain dead. The teen died after succumbing to his significant injuries. His cause of death was declared to be blunt force trauma, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Las Vegas Metro Police Lt. Jason Johansson previously said investigators suspect that the fight stemmed from a pair of wireless headphones and "possibly" a vape pen being stolen from Lewis or his friend.

At the time of the assault, Johansson described the fatal attack as being "very void of humanity."

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Ex-ballerina — who said she killed estranged husband in self-defense — convicted in 'Black Swan' murder trial



A former ballerina accused of fatally shooting her estranged husband has been convicted in the case that has been dubbed the "Black Swan" murder trial.

Ashley Benefield, 33, had been charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of her husband, Doug Benefield.

The pair met at a Republican Party fundraiser in 2016 when Ashley was a 24-year-old ballet dancer and Doug was a 54-year-old Navy veteran and technology consultant, according to People magazine. The couple got married just 13 days later.

In a Florida courtroom Tuesday night, a Manatee County jury convicted Benefield of the lesser crime of manslaughter. In Florida, manslaughter carries a 15-year-maximum prison sentence.

After the verdict was announced, the judge revoked Benefield's $100,000 bond and remanded her to the custody of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Her sentencing date has yet to be set.

Benefield fired a gun at her 58-year-old estranged husband in 2020 at her mother's home in Bradenton, Florida.

Benefield’s lawyer Neil Taylor argued that the fatal shooting was in self-defense after a history of the husband's abusive behavior.

In his closing argument Tuesday, Taylor said his client filed "complaint after complaint after complaint calling Doug Benefield’s behavior to the attention of authorities with no results. Over and over again with no relief," according to NBC News.

In his opening statements, Taylor described the estranged husband as "a manipulative, cunning, and abusive man."

“Thirty years older than Ashley, he was obsessed with her, and he successfully portrayed himself as he was not in an effort to win her hand in marriage,” Taylor said. “Despite promoting himself as a religious, honorable, and decent human being, Benefield was a manipulative, cunning, and abusive man who insisted, absolutely insisted on control.”

Taylor told the courtroom that Doug once fired a handgun into a kitchen ceiling in an attempt to get Ashley to stop talking, threw a loaded gun at her, punched their dog unconscious, and regularly carried a concealed firearm that was always "ready to fire," WFLA-TV reported.

“The only thing that is going to have been established here beyond a reasonable doubt is that Douglas Benefield was a violent abuser, Ashley Benefield’s efforts to placate him [were] absolutely consistent with what abused women do, especially when a child is involved, and that Ashley’s result and resource to deadly force was justified under the circumstances,” Taylor said.

The pair met at a Republican Party fundraiser in 2016 when Ashley was a 24-year-old ballet dancer and Doug was a 54-year-old Navy veteran and technology consultant, according to People magazine. The couple got married just 13 days later.

Eva Benefield — Doug's 23-year-old daughter from a previous marriage — said during the "Black Swan" murder trial, "They were just with each other all the time. It was very lovey-dovey. They were very touchy-feely PDAs. Any event with school or extracurricular that I was in, they were together. They never left each other's side."

Less than a year later, Ashley became pregnant with Doug's child.

About a year into their marriage, the couple started a ballet company — which was said to be Ashely's "dream."

Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell told the jury, “All within a year of being married, they have done a vasectomy reversal, gotten pregnant, started a ballet, and the ballet has crumbled.”

The marriage also reportedly deteriorated.

In 2017, the couple obtained a court order that barred them from contacting each other, O’Donnell said.

During her pregnancy, the ex-ballerina moved from the pair's South Carolina residence to her mother's home outside of Sarasota, Florida.

Taylor said Ashley attempted to obtain a domestic violence injunction in Florida, which would have barred her estranged husband from seeing their child.

O'Donnell argued, "This was a custody battle that this mother was going to win at all costs. The cost was the life of Doug Benefield, and that is murder."

A judge denied Ashley's request for a domestic injunction.

WTVT-TV reported that Doug was not aware that their child was born until a restraining order was filed against him.

On Sept. 27, 2020, Doug allegedly was helping Ashley pack her things for a move from her mother's Florida home to Maryland.

Ashley claimed that an argument erupted, Doug slapped her in the face, and she fled to the bedroom to retrieve a handgun.

She then testified that Doug blocked her from leaving the house and lunged at her. She claimed that at that moment she shot Doug.

“I thought he was going to kill me,” Ashley testified, according to the New York Post.

Ashely fired four rounds from her .45-caliber handgun.

Benefield’s next-door neighbor, John Sant, said Ashley ran to his house immediately after the shootings.

“As soon as I opened the door, before I could say anything, she said, ‘He attacked me,'” Sant told the court. “At that point, I said, ‘Who?’ She said, ‘Doug. ... He attacked me, and I shot him.”

During the "Black Swan" murder trial, Sant's 911 call was played for the jury. Throughout the call, you can hear Sant attempting to calm Benefield.

"She just came over, her estranged husband attacked her, and she said she shot him," Sant said in the 911 call, according to WTVT.

O’Donnell said there was no evidence that Ashley had been physically assaulted.

O’Donnell also said the fatal bullet that struck Doug entered through the side of his body, which she argued contradicts Ashley's testimony.

Detectives noted — in regard to where the victim was struck — it “does not appear that he was facing Ashley when she began shooting.”

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