The Tragic Downfall of Doug and Ashley Benefield

BRADENTON, Fla. – What seemed like a loving relationship between Doug and Ashley Benefield rapidly fell apart, leading to a tragic outcome with one of them dead and the other facing serious charges.

On the second day of the trial against Ashley, jurors heard about Doug’s attempts to maintain contact with her. This came through testimonies from a Sheriff’s Office detective and a Sarasota attorney, revealing how Ashley went quiet after moving to Florida while pregnant.

In December 2017, while pregnant and living with her mother, Ashley reached out to a domestic violence investigator, Detective Chris Gillum. He shared in court that Ashley expressed concern that if Doug was arrested in front of a judge, it could help her keep her baby.

At the time, Ashley had a restraining order against Doug in South Carolina and called the detective after receiving a birthday package from him. Detective Gillum recalled her tone shifting from upset to aggressive during that call.

Gillum received around 40 phone calls from Ashley over time, but one stuck out to him the most: her insistence that he arrest Doug in front of a judge was unprecedented in his 12 years on the job.

Meanwhile, Doug was trying to reach out to Ashley through Sarasota attorney Stephanie Murphy. She testified that Doug’s intention was to discuss being involved in the birth of their child, but after she sent a letter, Ashley checked herself into the hospital to be induced.

Murphy mentioned that Ashley did not inform Doug of their daughter’s birth, which he only found out about after being told of a restraining order against him. The allegations included claims that he had poisoned Ashley and their child in utero, which were found to be unfounded.

A judge eventually allowed Doug visitation rights with their now six-month-old daughter. To the surprise of his attorney, during their first meeting, Doug and Ashley left together with their child after an intense period of litigation.

The reconciliation they began would last until September 2020 when the relationship ended violently. Ashley shot Doug, claiming self-defense after he attacked her. Jurors also listened to testimonies from Ashley’s mother and a close friend, both of whom mentioned that Ashley never shared details of the incident with them after the shooting.