Ashley’s on a warpath. Her allegations against Doug don’t end with the note she left for him in Charleston. In fact, she’s just getting started. And when their child is born, the battle between them intensifies, culminating in a shocking final showdown. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Ashley’s on a warpath. Her allegations against Doug don’t end with the note she left for him in Charleston. In fact, she’s just getting started. And when their child is born, the battle between them intensifies, culminating in a shocking final showdown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ashley’s on a warpath. Her allegations against Doug don’t end with the note she left for him in Charleston. In fact, she’s just getting started. And when their child is born, the battle between them intensifies, culminating in a shocking final showdown. See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Mama Bear Mode: 4

In the summer of 2016, 24-year-old ballerina Ashley Byers and 54-year-old veteran-turned-entrepreneur Doug Benefield struck up a conversation at a party for a presidential contender. They say it was love at first sight – despite the thirty year age gap. And within just thirteen days of meeting – shocking everyone they knew – the two were married.A family wasn’t the only thing they set out to build; together, they dream up a wave-making ballet company: the American National Ballet. With a mission and a promise to turn the ballet world upside down with dancers of varying ethnicities, body types, and racial backgrounds, in just two years, the Benefields assembled a troupe of nearly 50 dancers from across the globe, with an annual budget of $2.5 million dollars to back their dance revolution. But just months into the company’s formation, it collapses. And the money isn’t the only thing unaccounted for: Ashley is nowhere to be found. And when she finally emerges, Ashley forges a violent path that leaves two young girls without a father.From Law and Crime, BLACK SWAN MURDER is the story of a seemingly picture-perfect marriage that turned out to be anything but. Over the course of six episodes, a tale of betrayal and desire unfolds: a woman pushed to her limits, culminating in a gripping crime of passion.&nbsp;But was it an act of vengeance—or a desperate fight for survival? The answer depends on who you ask.&nbsp;In key interviews with investigators, attorneys and those with a front row seat to the Benefields’ turbulent partnership, BLACK SWAN MURDER traces the twisted path of Ashley and Doug Benefield, weaving a years-long timeline of violent behavior and conspiracy-fueled tendencies that ultimately turned a poised and disciplined ballerina into a cold-blooded killer.

True Crime

In the summer of 2016, 24-year-old ballerina Ashley Byers and 54-year-old veteran-turned-entrepreneur Doug Benefield struck up a conversation at a party for a presidential contender. They say it was love at first sight – despite the thirty year age gap. And within just thirteen days of meeting – shocking everyone they knew – the two were married. A family wasn’t the only thing they set out to build; together, they dream up a wave-making ballet company: the American National Ballet. With a mission and a promise to turn the ballet world upside down with dancers of varying ethnicities, body types, and racial backgrounds, in just two years, the Benefields assembled a troupe of nearly 50 dancers from across the globe, with an annual budget of $2.5 million dollars to back their dance revolution. But just months into the company’s formation, it collapses. And the money isn’t the only thing unaccounted for: Ashley is nowhere to be found. And when she finally emerges, Ashley forges a violent path that leaves two young girls without a father. From Law and Crime, BLACK SWAN MURDER is the story of a seemingly picture-perfect marriage that turned out to be anything but. Over the course of six episodes, a tale of betrayal and desire unfolds: a woman pushed to her limits, culminating in a gripping crime of passion. But was it an act of vengeance—or a desperate fight for survival? The answer depends on who you ask.  In key interviews with investigators, attorneys and those with a front row seat to the Benefields’ turbulent partnership, BLACK SWAN MURDER traces the twisted path of Ashley and Doug Benefield, weaving a years-long timeline of violent behavior and conspiracy-fueled tendencies that ultimately turned a poised and disciplined ballerina into a cold-blooded killer.

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