Eva Benefield, daughter of slain father Doug Benefield, has detailed the years of alleged conflict and her immediate suspicions of her stepmother, former ballerina Ashley Benefield, in her memoir, "Ghost Girl: Surviving the Black Swan Murder." Ashley Benefield was convicted of manslaughter in the 2020 shooting death of her estranged husband and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Eva Benefield recalled that upon hearing the news of her father's death, her immediate thought was of her stepmother. "She killed him, didn't she?" Benefield asked her uncle, anticipating the confirmation that followed. She cited the numerous allegations Ashley Benefield had made against her father and her perceived obsession with portraying him negatively as the basis for her suspicion.
Doug Benefield was fatally shot in September 2020 at a home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, where Ashley Benefield was staying with her mother. The killing occurred amid a contentious custody dispute over their young daughter, Emerson.
Ashley Benefield claimed the shooting was in self-defense, testifying that her husband refused to leave the house after she ordered him out and that he struck her. Investigators noted no visible signs of physical abuse on Ashley Benefield after the shooting. Prosecutors argued her claims of psychological abuse were unsubstantiated and aimed at gaining sole custody of their child.
Eva Benefield described her father as a gentle and patient artist. After the death of her mother in 2015, she and her father became particularly close. She recounted a period of nine months between her mother's passing and her father's remarriage to Ashley Benefield, during which they leaned on each other and she cherished the time spent with him.
More than a year before his death, Doug Benefield had considered leaving his marriage, expressing to his daughter his frustration with his wife's persistent allegations. Eva Benefield urged him to stay one more day to celebrate Easter with his younger daughter, Emerson, a decision she later reflected on, wondering if it prolonged his exposure to the conflict.
Doug Benefield married Ashley Byers, who later became Ashley Benefield, just 13 days after they met in 2016. Eva Benefield, then in high school, described an immediate sense of unease about the swift marriage to a 24-year-old former swimsuit model, noting that her father had been without a love life since her mother's death.
Eva Benefield alleged that after Ashley moved in, the home environment became increasingly hostile. She described attempts by her stepmother to isolate her from her father, accusations of wrongdoing, and the removal of items that reminded her of her late mother. She also recounted instances of inappropriate behavior, such as her stepmother sitting on the kitchen counter in her undergarments while waiting for her father to return home, and her stepmother showing her a gun she carried in her bra. Ashley Benefield also allegedly caused arguments between Eva and Doug Benefield by making false accusations against him.
In 2017, Ashley Benefield launched the American National Ballet in Charleston, South Carolina. Doug Benefield supported the venture, but the company collapsed later that year. Ashley Benefield then returned to Florida while pregnant with Emerson. Doug Benefield increasingly spent time in Florida to mend his relationship with Ashley and be involved in Emerson's life, while Eva remained in Charleston to finish high school, seeking distance from the turmoil.
In September 2020, Doug Benefield was shot twice inside his mother-in-law's home. Ashley Benefield was arrested in November 2020. During her trial, she accused Doug Benefield of psychological abuse, but prosecutors contended her claims were not supported by evidence. Eva Benefield was present in court for Ashley Benefield's sentencing and delivered a victim impact statement, expressing her pain over how her father found himself in such a vulnerable situation.
Ashley Benefield was initially charged with second-degree murder but was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter after nearly seven hours of deliberation. She received a 20-year prison sentence. Eva Benefield stated that while she misses her father, she finds strength in his memory and aims to move forward, hoping he would know his daughter turned out well.