Ep 148 : The Murder of Doug Benefield: A Ballerina, a Whirlwind Romance, and Deadly Betrayal

Mama Mystery with Kelly Evans

Kelly Evans

Society & Culture, True Crime, Comedy

4.6 • 996 Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2023

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Doug Benefield was a charismatic entrepreneur, a Navy veteran, and a devoted father when he crossed paths with Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina half his age. Their whirlwind romance and secret marriage shocked those around them, but it was their tumultuous relationship, filled with accusations of abuse, betrayal, and power struggles, that eventually turned deadly. On September 27, 2020, Doug was fatally shot by Ashley in what she claimed was self-defense—a claim that investigators and the courts have heavily scrutinized. In this episode of Mama Mystery, we explore the dramatic rise and fall of their relationship, the bizarre and troubled history of their ballet company, and the chilling events leading up to Doug’s death. Was this a tragic case of domestic violence, or was Doug the victim of a calculated plan to eliminate him from Ashley’s life? Join us as we unravel the complexities of a case that is still unfolding in courtrooms today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Our Sponsors: * Check out Essilor® Stellest® Lenses: https://www.essilor.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transcript

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0:26.7	According to data by the FBI, nearly 40% of missing people are people of color, despite people of color, only making up about 13% of the population.
0:37.0	But the Columbia Journalism Review created a tool that
0:39.9	calculates the number of stories your disappearance would net based on demographics and found
0:45.6	that missing black people only account for 13% of news stories while missing white people
0:51.5	were featured in 70% of news stories. So before we get into today's story,
0:56.9	I want to share with you the story of Janiya Duffy. In July of 2023, a 15-year-old black girl named
1:04.2	Janaya Duffy went missing in Georgia. She was last spotted on a street named Tranquility Loop
1:09.8	in the town of Lovejoy on July 19th.
1:12.8	She was wearing blue shorts and a red jacket.
1:15.7	She is 5'7.
1:17.0	She weighs about 140 pounds.
1:19.6	If you know anything of her disappearance or whereabouts, the Spalding County Sheriff's Office is awaiting your call.
1:25.2	Their phone number is 770-467-4282.
1:40.3	Welcome back to Mama Mystery. I'm your co-host, and this is the host. Kelly, Kelly, go ahead.
1:48.4	Well, you totally stole my intro. I really hate it when you do that. I feel like I've held in a sneeze.
	...

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