Benefield, 32, was originally charged with second-degree murder with a firearm after fatally shooting Douglas Benefield, her 58-year-old estranged husband, in September 2020. Prosecutors argued that Benefield shot her husband as a means to get sole custody of their child, while defense lawyers said the shooting was self-defense as he menaced her. The once-intense romance curdled, and prosecutors allege Benefield attempted to resolve her failed efforts to win sole custody of their child by killing Douglas. AdvertisementThe deadly shooting unfolded at the Florida home where Benefield was living with her mother in September 2020. The argument began in the evening, after Douglas came to the home while Benefield was packing their shared moving truck.

Source: Stuff August 01, 2024 01:38 UTC