'Black Swan' ballerina Ashley Benefield reenacts fatal shooting of 'abusive' husband in shocking photos

The 'Black Swan' ballerina recovered blameworthy of gunning down her hubby participated successful a reenactment of nan sidesplitting - moreover mimicking nan infinitesimal she pulled nan trigger, shocking images show.

Ashley Benefield, 33, was recovered blameworthy of manslaughter aft fatally shooting her husband, Doug Benefield, 59, successful Florida while packing up to move to Maryland in 2020.

Newly obtained images of nan reenactment were revealed aft Benefield's defense squad revenge a mobility for a caller proceedings connected pursuing allegations of juror misconduct Monday, ABC 7 reported. 

The reenactment - which was produced by Benefield's defense squad but yet not submitted astatine nan proceedings - claims to overgarment a vivid image of Benefield's last moments pinch her husband.

In nan images, Benefield is seen wearing an ankle show while stepping done what happened earlier and during nan shooting.

Since that fateful time 4 years ago, Benefield has maintained her original declare that she only fired nan limb retired of fearfulness for her life and based on self-defense successful court. 

She was primitively charged pinch second-degree execution earlier nan complaint was dropped to manslaughter. 

Benefield was group to beryllium sentenced connected Tuesday, but Judge Matt Whyte postponed nan proceeding to see nan defense's latest motion.

Dr. Barbra Russell, nan psychotherapist who evaluated some Ashley and Doug amid their custody battle, took nan guidelines to attest successful July astir her narration pinch nan defendant.

Although she and Benefield's first meetings were professional, Benefield moved into Russell's location for a short play of time. Russell testified that she saw swelling connected nan broadside of Benefield's look aft she allegedly changeable her hubby successful self-defense, Law & Crime Trials reported.

Russell told True Crime News: 'He started to go aggressive, assemblage checking her erstwhile he walked by her, slamming her successful nan hep aliases successful nan tummy pinch a container a mates of times.'

That type of events was show successful nan reenactment photos, which show Benefield kneeling connected nan level and fiddling pinch a container successful nan room while an character depicting Doug loomed successful nan background. 

The images besides show nan character handling nan container himself while getting successful adjacent proximity of Benefield. Some images show nan character successful Benefield's face.

'She wanted him to leave,' Russell told True Crime News. 'She managed to get retired of her room erstwhile he had turned astir and moved, and went towards nan beforehand door.' 

Although a mostly of nan photos look to return spot successful a room of nan house, 2 images show Benefield successful a hallway, seemingly successful an effort to leave.

'So, present she is successful her ain location fresh to tally retired nan beforehand doorway because Doug was scaring her, and he wouldn't leave,' Russell claimed. 'He pursued her, grabbed her by nan arm, pulled her distant from nan beforehand door, benignant of spun her astir and stood betwixt her and nan door.'

At this point, Russell said, Doug 'punched her successful nan broadside of nan head,' sending Benefield moving backmost to nan chamber to 'find cover.'

Benefield was shown successful nan reenactment opinionated adjacent a model pinch her wrist being grasped by nan actor's. Other photos show nan man opinionated successful nan doorway framework while facing Benefield, appearing to artifact her from exiting.

Russell noted that Doug followed her further into nan room, wherever Benefield past grabbed nan gun.

In nan images, Benefield tin beryllium seen opinionated adjacent nan model pinch her feet apart, positioning her hands for illustration she was holding a gun, and aiming astatine nan actor.

Russell said that nan motion didn't slow down Doug, who 'continued to prosecute her.'

A bid of images from nan reenactment show nan antheral character making his measurement further into nan room while Benefield faces him successful a firing stance.

Images show nan character approaching Benefield, earlier he is seen slumping into nan backmost of a chair and yet laying connected nan ground while Benefield remained standing.

Russell noted that this is erstwhile Benefield fired nan fatal shot.

'There is nary measurement connected world that this female that I psychologically evaluated, that I said to astir each time for six months aft that, because of my information concerns for her, and that besides lived successful my location for astir 8 months - location is nary measurement connected world that she ever would person grabbed a weapon and pointed it astatine anybody unless she sincerely, genuinely believed that her life was successful imminent threat correct location successful that moment,' Russell told True Crime News. 'It is perfectly impossible.'

Benefield took nan guidelines astatine her trial, testifying that she had pulled nan trigger aft her hubby became physically abusive.

Bruce Ferris, a intelligence wellness master who specializes successful home and family traumas, testified that Benefield displayed behaviors of personification who was a unfortunate of home abuse.

Michael Haag, a forensics expert, took nan guidelines to talk astir slug trajectories from nan crime scene, which he noted were accordant pinch Benefield having been successful mobility during nan shooting, Too Fab reported.

The reenactment provides a opposition to nan prosecution's statement that Doug was changeable from behind.

'The reenactment video was created arsenic a consequence of Ashley Benefield stepping nan group done what happened successful answering their questions, truthful that was a very meticulous practice of what took place,' defense lawyer Neil Taylor told DailyMail.com.

The prosecution based on that Benefield murdered her hubby successful acold humor amid a custody conflict complete their unborn kid and that she wanted to beryllium a azygous mother.

Suzanne O'Donnell, nan Assistant State Attorney, argued: 'She would extremity astatine thing to get that goal,' Too Fab reported.

The prosecution presented its ain evidence, including an affidavit from nan Manatee County Sheriff's Office noting that based connected nan wounds near by nan bullet's entry, it did not look that Doug was facing Ashley erstwhile she began shooting.

'It besides does not look that Douglas had taken immoderate benignant of protect aliases combative stance,' nan affidavit continued. 'He was not recovered to person immoderate weapons connected his personification aliases adjacent him,' Too Fab reported.

'Detectives recovered nary grounds that she was acting successful self-defense erstwhile she fired aggregate shots astatine her husband.'     

Taylor, Benefield's lawyer, told nan DailyMail.com that it was yet his determination not to taxable nan reenactment photos successful court.

'It was very, very apparent, moreover if I didn't person nan acquisition I do, that this judge would never, ever work together to let that to beryllium introduced,' he said.

Benefield's defense asked nan tribunal to see a caller proceedings pursuing claims of assemblage misconduct, including a juror who whitethorn person had a compartment telephone successful nan room during nan deliberation period, ABC 7 reported.

In tribunal connected Monday, conversations centered astir different juror who whitethorn person incorrectly aliases untruthfully answered questions connected nan juror's questionnaire.