Deadly Dance
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Tonight, on date line.

he started going towards me, and one at me is your body. The trigger actually render .

her neighbor hysterical. Ical SHE had shot her husband because he had attacked her and .

he shot him. She's a .

beautiful ballerina. SHE appears to be a great mom.

We want them to find out what happened in that room.

He's their own furniture. He would push her into a wall. I really believed he was gonna kill her.

her, her clothing that appeared to be stained, her torn SHE didn't look like he had any injuries.

So you're seeing this case shifting from self defense to murder.

Yes, man.

there were guns placed around .

this house jam bushed home on that day. In that room.

people are calling Ashley the black swan, the dark barra who is a cold blooded killer. And there's just nothing about that.

That's true, very of that.

How can you not believe her? Did the dancer choreograph a killing inside the notorious is black swan murder case? Unless you hold, this is deadline.

Here's Andrew a canning with .

deadly dance.

IT .

takes .

Grace strength.

And passion to make IT as a barra.

One beautiful dancer and model had all that, plus the perfect partner to share her dreams.

He thought he was very charming. He was smart. He was fun to talk to that. He was just a click.

He started describe in IT, this is beautiful lady that loves me. At and thirteen days we got married.

thirteen?

yep.

But one warm .

aut tuma night IT ended just as fast as I began left behind, four bullet casings and a love story that had spiraled out of control.

September twenty seven, twenty twenty, as the sun was setting a frantic nine one one call came in from light wood branch, a community near Sarah, soa, florida. He saying the neighbor came over. Female neighbor IT was a domestic. The neighbor was twenty nine year old ashly benefield, and he had a dramatic story to tell.

SHE was came in. He was quite a storage in the whose that on my door to get to. He attacked .

her and SHE shot him.

He was Ashley's husband, fifty nine year old dug benefield detective dan, dear man with a manage county sheriff office, raced to the scene .

when the deputies first got here. When they arrived on scene, dug was benefit was still inside the house um in order to get to him, the first thing they had to do was make the scene safe which they knew from the nine one one call that ashlee was next door and was claiming to .

be the shooter where in the. room. Once they secured the scene, first responders found dog bleeding on a bedroom floor and pulled him into the living room to perform cpr. Barely alive, he was rushed to the hospital. How many times was dug shot .

at this one? I believe we knew of .

two just come down. and. Okay.

now that go outside with their hands of nothing in them.

And for you.

what he can see you, okay.

alright, just start walking out from the outside.

Ashley walked out of her neighbor's house and into a share of vehicle.

The of a rol r.

do you go talk to her before you go in the house?

yes. After instructed the deputy to see if he would be willing to go up to our office, and we try not to do the interviews on the scene there, just too much going on. I was told that he was well to go the office, but he wanted to see her daughter.

At the time of the shooting, her three year old daughter, emerson, was at a local park with her grandmother. The two return to a chaotic scene allowed them .

to walk up to the car where ashly could see your daughter, but her daughter couldn't see ashly in the bank of the car. It's dark in the windows, in the window is. And that was acceptable to her.

Did you talk to her .

mother to SHE did not .

at the scene at that point. Then someone surprising showed up, actually theriere .

twenty eight .

years in the enforcement. Unusual to see A, I show up at a crime scene like this.

Yes, I ve never seen a theriot, a doctor, that has shown at a crime scene, an active crime scene that has just occurred.

It's like he was on .

speed dle SHE was obviously close .

and available.

Meanwhile, at the share of office, deputy Justin Warren was waiting for Ashley to arrive, but someone else got there first. Her returning .

approached me in front of the shares Operation center and advised me he was her attorney and the other two attorneys who were on the way as well.

The attorney is there before ashlee even gets to the share office. yes. And two more on the way. Two more on the way. Did that surprise you?

Yeah, I did strike me as odd.

The read torney and a theriere IT was clear this was going to be an unusual investigation, especially after deputy warn and started checking police records.

So we started looking into these things, kind of been arresting.

Turns out there was a long and twisted history between dog and Ashley. This reads like a lifetime movie. You have allegations of poison t stocking murder.

IT goes on, IT on. Every time I thought this is the crazy thing i've ever heard, that I would hear something else.

In fact, there was a title wave of accusations.

SHE was making some allegations at some point that dog hid, possibly poisoned, as a deceased wife.

In the hours after shooting, her husband dug. Actually, benefield was at the manage county share of office. Investigators hope you would fill in the gaps leading up to the moment he pulled the trigger.

We know that this is a self defense claim. We know from A, I want to call, so we need to find out exactly to the best we can. What happened inside that else?

But ashly, sitting next to her attorney, exercise her right not to say anything.

I know that we haven't talked and what not gonna taking a statement from me.

That's fine. No one knows actually story, but I but actually.

yes, man.

SHE wasn't under arrest, so Ashley .

was free to go a .

few miles away at the hospital. Doctors were trying to save doug's life, but his injuries were too severe and he died. His family was stunned.

just, i'm overcome with grief. I can't think straight, everybody.

Dog's brother David and cousin Tommy called eva dog's nineteen year old daughter from a previous marriage to break the news. This is such a devastating .

phone call. Horrible SHE begins wAiling. And IT was just one of the worst moments of my life. He goes from anger into grief, crushing grief. So quickly.

grief, he knew all too well. Eva not only has lost her mom, but now she's lost her dad. Evas marne died from a heart attack when eva was only fifteen. Her dad was her whole world either.

talks about how wonderful he was. He said he was my best friend. I could bring all my girl problems to. And I love hearing out about IT because that's the dog that I knew.

Eva had struggled to accept her step mom, and now detectives were diving into Ashley dogs, may december romance.

So we started kind of trying to develop a little bit more background as far as what they were liked together and what the relationship really was.

They learned that dog met Ashley in the summer of twenty sixteen, less than nine months after his wife died. The former navy pilot was fifty four, deeply religious and worked in the defense industry. Ashley, thirty years Younger, was a retired by arena who modeled in dancing. The two instantly clicked at a dinner party hosted by former presidential candidate doctor ben carson.

The stunning party is they go outside the house and he shows them a gun that she's Carrying on the bra or concealing in front of two secret service teams.

These two really bonded over guns. God and politics .

was part of their bonding. For short.

Doctor barber Russell is actually ther's the same therapies who showed up at the scene in the night of the shooting. She's no nashty for years.

He texted her. I believed that very night and pursued her after that. And that was the beginning of their world wind relationship that ended in marriage thirteen days later. That is the definition of role win. IT certainly is actually .

moved from florida to dogs home and Charles in south CarOlina, where the newly weds became business partners as well. They formed a ballet company, IT. Was Ashley dream come true?

He said, I don't want to pick dancers in a ROM based on their height or their weight or their age, anything. I want to pick them based on their talent and their work ethic.

Sera massi was hired as a principal dancer. The nearly six foot tol barrens as her height hindered her career, SHE bounded with asha, who was also tall and was touched by Ashley and duggs relationship.

They are the most in love couple I think i've ever met in person in my life. They are very touchy feeling, but not so much that IT was the noxious .

by the summer of twenty seventeen, actually was pregnant. Dug embraced the idea. Being an older dad.

he was genuinely excited about the about the path ford.

But investigators discovered their bright smiles didn't tell the whole story. There was darkness beneath the surface of this relationship.

very much so there was a lot of darkness.

Ashley gave doctor Russell permission to speak with us, SHE says. Ashly told her doug turned violent and abusive within weeks of .

their wedding. He's the own furniture. He would push her into a water, screaming her face and punched the wall.

Then Ashley said the abuse turn. Sister Ashley believed that dog was poisoning her while he was pregnant. Her and in the end born child, yes, actually claim dogwood make her tea and was adamec SHE drink IT even though he felt at made her sick, SHE began to suspect IT was leased with something. Ashley also made this just drop in accusation.

Dug told her that he killed his wife, and I.

this is what he told you. yes. Did he say how he killed his wife?

He said he poison her, and the police will always believe him, and he will kill her to .

about eight weeks under her pregNancy. Ashley said he felt he had no choice but to fleet to her mom's place in florida. The belley company folded soon after, actually got a restraining order against dug and didn't tell him when their daughter was born.

In the spring of twenty eighteen, he left his name of the birth certificate and asked a family core judge determining his parental rights. But even then, he said he couldn't to escape him. He believed doug was stalking her.

He cross three state lines, even with a restraining order to follow her to florida.

The details of the shooting took doctor Russell by surprise, given everything she'd heard about doug and Ashley relationship.

I was so shocked that IT wasn't actually that was dead. I really believed he was going to kill her.

Doctor Russell shared all this and more with detectives. Was SHE giving you insight into dog and ace's relationship about how .

volatile was a lot of complaints wood done?

In addition to doctor Russell ll. Statement, police reports documented the couples to multiple relationship started .

searching in our computer records database and notice that there were several reports going back, I think, to twenty seventeen. IT refers to domestic violence, different complaints and things like that.

given their history. Investigators wondered if doug shooting wasn't in fact a case of self defense, but there was another sign to the story, and IT was a, he said, he said, for the ages.

Ashley was severely abusing him emotionally through the control of the child.

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Detective Justin warn had a growing stack of evidence suggesting doug benefield was a violent and abusive husband when he spoke with dog's family. They painted a different picture.

Grown up. He was a star athlete. He was a friend to everybody.

Just super kind to anyone who hears about the negative side of dog in your eyes. This is just a snapshot, a small snapshot, of a man who was so much more than that.

Absolutely, I don't want to make excuses for bad behavior, and I do not want to come across like i'm trying to say, no, that was perfect and all this stuff. But no, but he he owned his mistakes and he grew.

David Anthony acknowledge that doug had a few angry output, but say he regretted them and sought counselling. And David beliefs, if anyone was a victim in the relationship.

IT was dug. Ashley was severely abusing him emotionally. And through the control of the child, dug was not .

doing any of that. Actually, therion says that dog told Ashley that that he killed A I is there any truth to that? As far as you know?

Absolutely absurd.

This reads like a lifetime movie. You have allegations of poison t stocking, murder. IT goes on and on.

Every time I thought this is the crazy thing i've ever heard, then I would hear something else.

Attorney steffani e. Murphy represented dug during his legal battles with Ashley SHE.

tried to get trusted and law enforcement to exclude rena's body to try to say that he had killed her. He was going to newspapers around the country talking about the poisoning SHE made every allegation that SHE possibly could to multiple law enforcement agencies.

Detectives learned that doug fought to see his daughter after Ashley failed to terminate his parental rights. The couple faced off in family court in the summer of twenty eighteen. Baby emerson was six months old and dug had never met her.

Let's go head and gone on the record of benefield versus benefit.

This is a recording of the hearing, actually took the stand live with that was .

going was their domestic baLance.

Yes, he heard our pets in order to hurt me. He was verbally abusive. He would yell, scream at me, and he would threatening me how .

many times .

to be punched.

hold in the drivel in the house several times.

Ashley also presented labor reports and expert testimony as proof dg had poisoned her while SHE was pregnant. Ashlee made IT clear what he thought was at .

stake for her daughter. I believe that if you would have access to her now that he very could cause a serious harm or or killer.

Doug testified. Two.

never since .

we are together .

did I ever believe .

you were scared.

He said he never stocked dashy, but admit to yelling at her, punching a few walls and mistreating the pets. On occasion. He's a big dog and he jumped up in my lap. And yeah, I mean, I admit I hit him. I didn't hit him like you, you know, a punch and bagging.

but I hit him.

But dug denied poisoning Ashley and used his own expert to debug the lab reports, and he was adamant he played no role in his late wife's death.

Actually, benefico has accused you a murdering your White for name. Did you do that?

no. I he died of natural causes. Authorities confirmed rena's death was not .

suspicious. ous. The allegations against dog were at worst bloomed out of proportion, but at best just completely.

The judge seemed to agree when he issued this skating ruling. There is absolutely .

a single tiller of credibility that i'm attaching to anything that was testified to, at least in this hearing of this benefield IT starts from basically the absurd. We then move forward to the actual presentation that she's had in this courtrooms, turning on of tears when he thinks it's appropriate. There is not a single sentelle of credible evidence that this benefield has ever been poisoned or suffered from any illness of any poison.

The judge gave doug immediate access to his daughter and granted him sole responsibility over her medical care. That's a turning point in all of this.

IT was a huge turning point. IT was this was the court finding that the decisions that actually had made up to that point for her daughter were detrimental. So SHE took that away from Ashley engage fin dug.

four days after the ruling, Stephanie Murphy was there. When dug met, emerson was the a tender moment when he lays eyes on his daughter for the first time.

he was a cute, plump little baby. And so there he was just holding this little girl. The look on his face was pure love.

SHE was stunned by what happened next.

Duck said, we're all gona go together, me and actually. And our daughter I said, dug, this is not a good idea. And he was so trusting, blindly trusting of her.

The strange valley between the two entered its next act, dug, got a place in florida and saw emerson regularly over the next two years. He initially also spent time together as a couple.

but detectives .

discovered the relationship was still unpredictable. Ashley continue to confide in people that he was afraid of dug and accused him of abusing their daughter. Dug told his attorney y, he thought actually might be mentally unstable, yet they decided they would all move to maryland. Were ashly grew up, but still live separately. The night of the shooting, they were together packing Ashley y stuff.

Obviously, with domestic violence, there are times that women or men will go back to the person that abusing, and that does happen.

But the detective was becoming convinced that this wasn't the case with Ashley because despite her making over a dozen complaints against doing something jumped out, he had no criminal record.

It's kind of a red flag that kind of goes that on that something we should pay attention to.

meaning that you're seeing these complaints against dog, but no arrest of dug correct.

There was no evidence to suggest that a crime is actually occurred.

Detective ticket man thought there were also red flags at the scene. Why would actually agree to meet with dug alone? And inside the house, investigators noticed this.

There is a gun readily accessible in this bedroom when everything else is packed up. In an addition to that, you have another gun that's readily accessible in the pantry, sitting by the peanut button on the shelf is that loaded is loaded.

Then they found a third loaded gun.

I just kept building up and adding up more and more that something was going to happen this night.

One crucial piece of the puzzle was still missing. Ashley had not given a statement detAiling her version of events. SHE wasn't telling anyone what happened.

Not even her therapies. Doctor Russell actually actually lived with her for eight months after the shooting. Did you make any comments like I had to do IT for he was going to kill me. Anything like that shouldn't .

t need to say anything like that. That was so evident. That was so obvious.

What had become obvious to detect of Warren and his team was that Ashley claim of self defence was full of holes. You're seeing this case shifting from self defense to murder.

Yes, man, absolutely.

After a two months s investigation, detective Warren had reached a store conclusion about Ashley were looking .

these complaints everything's unfounded SHE wasn't not believable in anything that he was saying, making these baseless accusations against .

dug and investigators were not buying her claim of self defense. In november twenty twenty, he was arrested and charged with second degree murder. Some of the media started calling her the black swan after the movie about a diabolical barra. People are calling Ashley this dark barra, who was a manipulative, cold blooded killer.

If I wasn't so serious, I would be laughing. There's just nothing about that that's true by anybody .

who doug's daughter, eva, was convinced to. Ashley murdered her dad, and as the publicity around the case grew, he decided .

to let the world know I know actually killed my dad.

SHE turned to tik tonk. Her videos, dripping with sarcasm and dark humor, racked up tens of millions of views.

I just want to say thank you for being so supportive of the last few weeks.

Ashley had supporters, too. And when her trial started in july of twenty twenty four, they came out in force marching near the courthouse. Her daughter emerson, now six years old, was front and center.

Well, I take the thing that was the most concerning was that the daughter was out being displayed on this picket line, or whatever you would call IT. That's your nose. That's my knievel e's holding up a picket sign put out there by adults .

assistant date attorney Susana Donald and rebeca friel. New sugars might sympathy with Ashley, you say IT would be your biggest chAllenge combatting version that she's a victim of domestic violence and people want to believe victims of domestic violence .

one hundred percent. That was the main difficulty. I think an average .

person wants to believe, when somebody says are a victim.

that they are infective victim, ready to go bring the jury. The case was almost entirely circumstantial. And in florida, Ashley's fate would be decided by six years. Would they think he was a domestic abuse victim or a liar?

There are also other complaints that domestic violence complaints .

in opening statements. Prosecutors said at times, dog had anger issues, but he never physically harmed ashly.

Not once did he ever say he choked her, kicked her.

anything like that. There's things you can't escape that he's not a saint. Yes, he was definitely .

not a saying you are correct. But did that day when that happened, did he do something that required deadly force?

And that's what we trying to focus on. Prosecutors had to convince jurors Ashley's life was not in danger that night. Their theory SHE shot dog because he was desperate to have emerson to her self. Fearful SHE might lose her.

This was a custody battle that this mother was going to win at all costs, and the cost was the life of doug benefit s, and that is mark.

Jurors learned ashly fired four shots at duck to hit up, the county medical examiner testified. The fatal bullet enter dug side, not his front, as you might expect if he were attacking her.

IT entered here and landed here. So IT was basically sid decide, so he was not coming at her chest.

first dog's daughter eva testified. Ashley was sometimes volatile, lowing up if you didn't get her .

away over time. He tried to represent me a little bit more and kind of step into a motherly role. And I did not like that IT was so short after my mom passed .

away whenever SHE had a disagreement with .

you how jack um IT was almost temporary trum like .

detective Chris lin worked in the share of domestic violence unit. You'd been a sign Ashleys case SHE .

started contacting me on a regular basis, beginning, he testified .

that actually called him dozens of times over a three month period. On one call, SHE demanded dug be arrested at an upcoming family court hearing.

SHE asked for me to arrest dog when he came outside the courtroom in front of the presiding judge.

okay. And what was your reaction to that?

That that absolutely would not occur. SHE was upset, and at that point we call a dramatic cry. Hysterical cry started happening. And SHE made a comment, is sometimes the effectives that the judge process your rest hand. This will help me keep my baby.

When the detective told Ashley he had no reason to arrest dug, he said he .

persisted SHE like a free or a pipi t scream. And she's, i'll do what I would have to do to keep my baby a hole.

Did that include shooting? Doug benefield, the defense was ready to fight back with a bold move. The benefited Ashley, for the first time, was finally ready to tell her story and share her secrets.

The good standing in the door way is faces red, like the van were bullying in his neck. He said. You've done.

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Ashley beneficed attorney, neil Taylor, stepped up to the podium to deliver his opening statement, his objective to turn the trial on its head.

I'm going to have some strong words about dog. Was benefield the alleged victim?

You say he is an alleged victim.

correct? I believe he was the instigator. I believe he was the one who put Ashley in the position that resort to self the fence and use deadly force to back up his claim.

He called this clinical social worker who council dog .

nastily in dug occurred as someone who was dominating and super controlling. He would fit the stereotype of an alpha male.

Taylor then attacked what the states that was Ashleys motive. He chAllenged detective gilliam testimony specifically that Ashley said SHE do whatever he had to to keep her baby. Gilla admitted that wasn't in his original report, citing asherill y's complaints. IT was only after dug was killed more than two years later that gillion documented .

IT two and a half years later. You remember the details of the conversation, absolutely. And what exactly what he said quotes you cover? Yes.

the defense knew that would need to explain what went on inside the house the night of the shooting, but the only living eyewitness had barely said a word. The is a benefield until Ashley rose to break her four year silence and testifying her own. This is the big moment in the trial, I think so actually getting up on that stand and raising her right.

And yes, I thought that the would be a make or break moment.

Neil Taylor introduced the jury to a different ashly from the one the state had just portrayed.

I believe in the importance of kindness and compassion.

He then jumped right into her relationship with doug.

described for us the man you thought you had married.

he was very loving and attentive. We lot and you meet me, feel very special and loved rashly.

said IT wasn't long before crack started appearing in dogs .

charming sweet venir. He started becoming very controlling, and he started criticizing everything about me, the way I remember my hair, or did I make up the way I dressed.

ashly told the jurors dogs abuse continued and escalated.

He first tired of me. He accused me of having a thing for the pastor, and he said I was a slit and over. SHE next .

described a terrifying moment while SHE and dog were still living together in Charleston.

We were having an an argument, and it's start getting really out of end. He he bought a gun out and he was like waving IT around, unable to trigger, shut a hole in the ceiling in the kitchen.

Ashley testified. SHE wasn't the only one who had seen doug's dark side that there was a pattern to his abusive behavior. Just a few months into their marriage, SHE found disturbing text messages on one of dogs, old cellphones. The text were from his late wife for.

nay, I love you though, finding out you aren't really what you pretended to be. You kicking me so hard on new year s on our honeymoon ducks. Prior, White focused them of being violent that mirrored the allegations that actually had made about dog.

The defense then moved on to the moment everyone had been waiting for. What would Ashley say about the night of the shooting? SHE explained that dog was with her at her mother's house getting ready for the move to maryland. And that is mood changed when they got into an argument over how to pack the truck.

and he got really offended and upset.

Ashley told the jury that he tried to get doug to leave, but I only made matters worse.

And he he start screaming at me. Yes, he said anyone have to leave, I can say so actually said he .

tried to leave, but dug wouldn't let her.

He's that, do you think you're going?

Then what happens?

The side of hand.

SHE said SHE fled .

to her bedroom .

to escape .

scared.

Did you have anything in your room that could .

protect you? I had my.

Did you grab the gun?

Yes, it's faces read like the veins were bulging in his neck when he was looking at me. You don't even look like dog. His eyes were black.

He said, you've done. He started going towards me and he went up me. I buying the tiger.

We tell the ladies and one of the jury .

why you shot down. I did you kill .

me as you sit here today? Actually, how do you feel about what happened?

狗 二 不。 Is a father my child?

How do you think he did? I .

thought SHE did. The wonderful ashly successfully conveyed how volatile he was, how fearful SHE was.

Ashley took some time to compose herself, but he wasn't done. He was about to face a much more hostile.

Ashly benefited, had just spent two emotional hours on the stand being questioned by her attorney. Prosecutor Susana donal didn't buy IT. I didn't believe .

most of what he said. I thought a lot of IT was exaggerated. SHE acted emotional about things that I didn't IT just didn't .

seem genuine to me. What was your goal? Cross .

examining her? Hopefully get the jury to see what I saw. I also wanted them to focus on what happened in that room.

But first of Donna needed to convince jurors that in the days leading up to the shooting, Ashley had no reason to fear. Dug.

during this time you're planning to move to maryland. There's no violence going.

On no .

is not heading you. He's not choking you. He's not shoving you around. I want to get to the night that all this happened. You knew dug was coming over.

Yes.

you invited him over. Yes.

you weren't .

concerned about him coming over.

Now I knew he was coming.

You weren't so afraid that you wanted your mother to stay there and watch.

No, we were just packing .

to move.

Finally, didn't expect this up.

The prosecutor then moved on to the moments right before Ashley pulled the trigger.

You say he's slapped you.

he, me.

was his hand open or closed.

remember?

And because of the those things, you claim that you thought I was gna kill you.

He never hit me before he would let me leave. I try to leave and stop me.

The question, as you thought he was gna kill you.

Prosecutors say there .

were times when they felt something was missing from actually shaking and sobbing on the stand.

I kept asking her. I said, I don't see any tears.

Do you see any tears? O donal didn't mention IT in court. Instead, he tried a more subway to bring IT to the jury's attention.

Can we turn the lights up, please?

You had someone in the court room. Turn the lights up. Oh yeah.

I believe that I am.

Well, I have never heard that before in any of the cases that i've covered on date line SHE habit tears. No, not one. The prosecutor then asked Ashley to step off the stand and reenact what he said, compelled her to use deadly .

force and.

What show me? What would you .

do like that? Like that is me was like making my existing ting motions.

So I was, did he have his hands .

and fists that point.

like was coming at you like this? okay. So he launch was this set up and.

How do you think he did with the reenactment?

This was the one time to tell everyone what scared you so badly that you felt like you had to take this man's life. And we got hardly any information .

in her clothing. Susana donal asked the jury not to be swayed by Ashley's .

performance. Did you ever see one teer come out of her up? Did you ever see one drop of liquid, one red eye, one small? And ee, that goes to heart credibility.

I've presented to you everything that I possibly could to show you that her action in using deadly force was reasonable.

Jurors left the courtroom to deliberate. They could find dashed guilty of second degree murder, manslaughter, or they could set her free. Six hours later, a note to the judge, the jury was deadlocked.

IT was the jury. I've received a note from you. IT says, unable to come to unanimous vote.

You have put your heart and soul into this case and then yeah heard that I was heartbreaking .

to say the least if they were in fact going towards being hung.

One of the biggest fears for us was a missal.

IT was ten P. M. The judge asked the jury to keep trying, and just one hour later, a verdict.

we, the juried the defended his guilty of mansoor a lesser included the fence.

guilty of manslaughter, not guilty of second degree murder. What's actually is reaction .

in that moment he feels crushed. You're talking also about a mother with a six year old child.

Was just as served absolutely, absolutely was David says .

dog's daughter eva feels the same way. After the verdict, SHE spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.

I apologize to all the women who have gone through domestic violence situations. I think that what actually was doing was unfair to them. They deserve justice. And i'm very happy that my dad got the justice that he deserves.

Ashley benefited, left the courtroom in hand cuffs.

The former barra.

who once had big dreams, now faces after thirty years behind bars. SHE will be sentenced next month. As for emerson, now without either parent, she's being cared for by Ashley's mother. The sad irony custody battle continues.

No child can go from their mother and their grandmother to our family and a single step. But we want to be a part of the child's life.

What would you tell her about her father if he was someday watching this?

I I would tell her that he had the grand's dad he could ever have imagined, and that he truly loved her.

me. that's.

So all for this edition of deadline and check out our talking deadline podcast. Andrew accounting and blame Alexander will go behind the scenes of tonight episode available wednesday in the date line feed. Wherever you get your a podcast, i'll see you again next friday at nine eight central. I'm less to hold for all of us at nbc news. Good night.

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