Eva Benefield recalled immediately suspecting that her father, Doug Benefield, had been shot by his former ballerina wife, Ashley Benefield, when her uncle telephoned with “some really bad news”. The account forms part of the high-profile ‘Black Swan’ case, in which Ashley Benefield was accused of fatally shooting Doug, and highlights the impact of the killing on his family.

According to the article excerpt, Eva said she asked, “She killed him, didn’t she?” before her uncle confirmed her father’s death. The report identifies Ashley Benefield as a former ballerina and notes that the case has attracted extensive public attention; the provided text does not include further details about the shooting, court proceedings or verdict.