For the first time on network television, audiences will hear Ashley Benefield’s detailed account of the events leading to the death of her husband, Doug Benefield. In a special two-part broadcast, “48 Hours: The Case of the Black Swan,” airing Saturday, Sept. 7, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, Jim Axelrod presents the latest developments in this gripping case.
Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina and bikini model, stood trial in July for the killing of her estranged husband. 48 Hours was there to capture every moment of the intense courtroom drama. Benefield claimed self-defense, alleging that her husband was abusive and had even tried to poison her during her pregnancy. However, prosecutors painted a different picture, arguing that Benefield murdered her husband to gain sole custody of their daughter.
“I thought he was gonna kill me,” Benefield told the jury in a Bradenton, Florida, courtroom. “I was trapped.” The prosecution countered with a starkly different narrative, describing the case as “a custody battle that this mother was going to win at all costs. And the cost was the life of Doug Benefield. And that is murder,” stated prosecutor Suzanne O’Donnell.
The trial attracted significant attention due to its striking similarities with the theatrical film “Black Swan.” Ashley and Doug Benefield’s relationship began with a whirlwind romance, as they married just 13 days after meeting. At the time, Ashley was 24, and Doug, a widower, was 54. Their story took a tragic turn four years into the marriage, when Doug was fatally shot.
48 Hours: The Case of the Black Swan airs Saturday, Sept. 7, at 9:00-10:00 PM and 10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
