Ashley Benefield, Former Ballerina Accused of Estranged Husband's Murder, Takes Stand at Trial

A former ballerina on trial accused of murdering her estranged husband took to the stand Friday.

Ashely Benefield wept as she recounted the day she says she was forced to shoot her husband in self-defense.Benefield, dubbed "the Black Swan" after Natalie Portman's character in the psychological thriller, married Doug Benefield after a 13-day romance.

Their marriage fell apart after Ashley claimed Doug was abusive. In the Florida courtroom, Ashley testified that she shot Doug after he hit her in the head and said he would not let her leave.

"I was scared to death," Ashley said in court. "There was nowhere to go. I was trapped."

She testified that she grabbed a gun for protection.

"I said, 'Stop,' and he turned and got into this, like a fighting stance. I thought he was going to kill me," Ashley says. "He started coming towards me and he lunged at me, and I started pulling the trigger."

The defense requested that Ashley be allowed to take a break so that she could regain her composure.

Doug's daughter from his previous marriage, Eva Benefield, was seen staring at her stepmother.

Eva claims her father was never abusive. She has a social media page dedicated to daily updates on the trial.

The prosecution contends Ashley shot her estranged husband to gain sole custody over their young daughter who could be seen outside the courthouse holding a sign reading, "Keep My Mommy Free."

Prosecutors want Ashley convicted of murder.

"You'll see this was a custody battle, that this mother was willing to win at all costs and the cost was the life of Doug Benefield," the prosecution said.

Ashley's lawyers filed a motion requesting an acquittal, claiming prosecutors had failed to raise credible evidence to prove she did not act in self-defense. It was denied by the judge.

Related Stories