fantasy thing, you it's like you have to do homework. yeah. you have to be aware of what you have to, like, read up. oh so and so is on the on the injured list this week. i better move so-and-so into the starting lineup for my team. it's like it's a lot to keep track of. i got enough going on. see, maybe if there's a fantasy league for like tennis, i would jump into that. okay, so if you guys know of a fantasy league for tennis, hit me up, i will totally participate. yes, i love tennis. i just don't know anything about tennis. thanks. you guys. this was fun. yeah. one year we're doing many more. thanks, guys. like it or not, we appreciate you sending us your like it or no questions. i'm anna garcia, right now on true crime news. ashley benefield, the black swan ballerina convicted of killing her estranged husband, has been sentenced. prosecutors say her tearful testimony during her sensational trial was all an

act. now she'll spend 20 years behind bars. plus, a mom of four boards, a cross country train. but when it arrives at the station, she didn't get off the train. only 28 years old. the picture of health. dead in her seat. >> it wasn't the conductor that killed her. and it sure wasn't her kids. >> i went to colorado to investigate the bizarre mystery that would take years to solve. hi everyone. welcome to true crime news. we begin with a story that had america hooked and that we covered extensively here. ashley benefield better known as the black swan ballerina convicted of killing her husband, doug. only true crime news had the exclusive video of ashley reenacting what she said happened the night she shot him dead. ashley claimed it was self-defense, but the jury didn't buy her story. now, a

judge has handed down her sentence. >> i'm going to sentence you to 20 years in florida state prison. that's to be followed by ten years of probation. >> the black swan, ashley benefield, sitting stone faced as judge matt white, spells out the price she will pay for shooting her estranged husband, doug benefield, to death during a heated argument four years ago. reporter kylie jones of our tampa bay news partner fox 13, was in the courtroom for the 2.5 hour sentencing, where she says the mood was tense. >> very emotionally charged, high emotions on both sides. it was just very quiet and everybody was really waiting to see which which direction this would go in. >> when the sentence was announced, the victims, now 23 year old daughter eva benefield, sat expressionless when the

sentence was read. >> she appeared to be very emotionless and have a very straight face, held her composure, but eva had harsh words for ashley during victim impact statements, making reference to her half sister, emerson benefield, a child ashley had with doug emerson was just two and a half years old at the time of the killing. >> ashley, since the day you shot my father, i have only had one question to ask you. why? why did you end my dad's life knowing he was my only living parent and the only person i could confide in, confide in, and count on for everything i needed as i turned into a young adult, why did you willingly take away your daughter's father? knowing the consequences of your actions would leave her without either parent to help her navigate through her own life. you somehow managed to orphan not one, but two young girls. >> other members of doug's family also delivered moving statements. >> he was truly a hero in my life. every day i feel a kick in the gut from the loss of my

brother doug. the worst part of it is that there's a six year old that will grow up not knowing the man that we've known all of our lives. >> outside the courthouse, eva expressed satisfaction with judge white's decision. my dad was the best man that i've ever known in my entire life. >> i'm really content with this. the sentencing, the verdict. and, you know, i think that i waited so long to be able to speak to her face to face. and i finally got that for myself personally. so i hope prison serves her well. >> but others in the courtroom were none too thrilled. it's very disappointing. and at the end of the day, i. it's very evident that ashley acted to defend her life. we first heard from psychotherapist doctor barbara russell when true crime news showcased a series of photos and computer generated animations created by ashley's defense team. the purpose to reenact for jurors the events around doug's death. though the images were never presented at

trial, russell took the stand then and during sentencing. since the shooting, she has become a confidante, even housing ashley for months. at one point, douglas benefield had a history of violent behavior. >> he behaved in a manner that made her feel as though her life was in danger. >> it isn't just that somebody would be handed a 20 year prison sentence for acting in self-defense, for taking action to protect herself, and she believes her life is in danger. >> russell met and evaluated both doug and ashley when they were involved in an ugly custody battle over their daughter. she has long held. ashley was simply defending herself and is concerned about the long sentence. she looked very, very sad. >> she looked very scared. she looked very emotionally exhausted. i know that, you know, being in jail is hard. there's nothing, nothing warm and friendly about a jail environment, you know? by no means is it comfortable.

>> it's a far different life than the one ashley had with doug when they first met. she was a 24 year old volunteer on donald trump's first presidential campaign. he was a recently widowed 54 year old with a teenage daughter, sparks flew, and after just 13 days, they tied the knot. within a year, ashley was pregnant, but their marriage was already on the rocks. the couple's fights grew so dramatic, one ended with doug firing a round into the ceiling of their home. at her murder trial, ashley tearfully recounts the lead up to the last fight that turned deadly. >> i held the gun, like in front of me, and i said, stop. and he, like, turned and he got into this like, like a fighting stance. like i got low and he started, like, moving his arms and his hands around, jerking motions. i thought he was going to kill me. >> five weeks after doug

benefield's death, ashley was charged with second degree murder after claiming self-defense at trial. she was convicted last july of a lesser charge. >> we. the jury finds the defendant is guilty of manslaughter, a lesser included offense. >> now, the sentencing is the final curtain on a story that has gripped the nation for years. >> here we have this woman who was a very successful professional ballerina. this is not someone who you would expect would be arrested for shooting her husband. and people love controversy and people love sensationalism. and i think that this case became very sensationalized very early in the game. and people love to follow a good story. >> when we come back, a woman mysteriously dies on a train trip with her f ily, and killer almost got away with it. >> when you're looking for

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next true crime news. >> a mother murdered. >> it was

>> welcome back. a year mom boarded an amtrak train in wisconsin with her children. when it arrives in denver, she is found dead in her seat and nobody can explain how she died. i went to colorado to investigate this cross country murder mystery. a young mother

boards a train for milwaukee to denver. >> marino was on her way to start a new life, but marino placentia won't be stepping off alive. >> i get a phone call saying they're trying to. they're trying to resuscitate marino. >> it wasn't the conductor that killed her, and it sure wasn't her kids. >> marina plasencia, a sweet teen with dimples and a bright smile, grew into a young woman who turned the heads of men wherever she went. >> this one guy just kept watching and watching and watching. and next thing you know, bam! right into a pole. >> one of those men was angelo mantiply, who set his sights on the 18 year old raven haired beauty after spotting her at a party. >> he wrote his number on a dollar bill, and he kind of dropped it by her, and she picked it up and saw the number. >> the sly move paid off. angelo and marina started dating, and the relationship moved at warp speed. how is marina feeling

about him at this point? >> oh, she was massively in love with, i mean, scary love. they were obsessed with each other. >> but behind the bloom of new love, marina's mom, terry, who worked as a counselor at a domestic violence shelter, saw a red flags. >> i said, you know, marina, he's pretty. i don't know, kind of intense. he needs to know where you're at. 24 over seven, because that's not healthy, baby. >> and i told her flat out, sis, i don't like him. i want you to steer clear of this man. but she chose not to. >> it wasn't long before the family says angelo revealed a dark side. what did you see? >> in the beginning, it was perfect. everything was fine. good old fairytale relationship. and then you see the abuse start to happen and you couldn't get rid of him? >> no, i tried and no mom, i love him. >> little did the family know,

24 year old angelo would soon become entangled in their lives forever. >> she says, mom, we've got something to tell you. oh, crap. i got a feeling i know what this is. >> she was pregnant, right? but in time, her family claims even the children weren't safe from his explosive, violent temper. what did the kids tell you? >> her daddy said that he would hurt them if they said anything. oh, the two year old would get popped in the mouth and he would make her bleed. >> according to police reports, cops were called to the house numerous times to do welfare checks, but no action was ever taken. was there anything you could do? >> no. i tried everything i would do the safety checks with the officers. i'd have them go down and check on her because i never trusted him. >> marina finally did file an official report of one instance

of domestic violence. in it, she writes, i'm submitting a copy of the medical records where he broke my eardrum. i got lucky this time. i don't want my kids to pay the price. and angelo was finally convicted of domestic violence. >> and i said, oh, thank god. >> and when he was locked up, a tiny glint of strength sparked in marina, who took the first tentative steps to build a new life. >> she got set up. she had this little apartment. her and the three boys are safe. this is amazing. i'm so happy. >> but even a prison cell couldn't keep angelo from terrorizing marina. the family claims she received a chilling message. >> she said angelo tells me if i can't have you, no one will. and if i find you're in a relationship with somebody else, i will kill you. >> despite the alleged threat, marina accepted angelo back into her life. >> she was a grown woman, and so

we couldn't really interfere with her decision to want to take him back. >> but when marina's family claims the violence and stress reached a tipping point, they hatch a major plan to rescue marina from angelo. >> we were going to, in better terms, kidnap my sister and them kids so they can be safe, put them in a safe home. >> and marina had no idea about the plan. >> no clue. no clue whatsoever. >> up next, the wheels are in motion to save marina. but the cross-country plan would go horribly wrong. >> did she die in nebraska? what she did when they were in illinois i have no clue. >> if you're living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis or active psoriatic arthritis, symptoms can sometimes hold you back. but now there's skyrizi so you can be all in with clear skin. things are getting clearer. >> yeah, i feel free to bare my skin. yeah, that's for me.

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gather kiki chris, jason. >> friends. let's go, let's go. friends. buddy. power. friendship. let's go! give it to me. >> i spent most of my life as a teacher, and i've always enjoyed helping others. >> after a couple of years in retirement, i realized i have a lot more to give. and that's when i became a visiting angels caregiver. with my life experience and love for people, it was a natural fit. seeing jeannie so happy warms my heart. and if you need your heart warmed to come, join us and make a difference together in some e's life. visiting angels, america's choice and home care. >> we're back with the mysterious death of marina plasencia, who died in her seat on a train. it would turn out that taking that trip would be a fatal mistake. it was a master plan. marina. and the kids would

take the amtrak train from wisconsin to colorado. there they would stay in denver with marina's brother, get a restraining order, and be convinced to finally escape her violent marriage for good. >> he didn't know where 3xn lived, so marina was safe because there was no way he could find her. >> but angelo gets wind of the family's cover story. he quickly buys a train ticket and joins them. >> now. we found this out like 2 or 3 days before they were leaving. it's okay. he can come. who cares? we have our plan in motion. >> marina's brother would confront angelo when they got off the train and take marina and the children away. but no one could imagine what happened next. >> i get a phone call saying they're trying to. they're trying to resuscitate marina. >> strangely, when the family arrives at the station, only angelo and the kids get off that train. marina is still in her

seat, not breathing. she didn't get off the train. no, at the denver station, marina was already dead. >> i know what happened to my baby. he beat her to death. >> her heartbroken family gathers at christopher's house, and in the most bizarre move imaginable, angelo goes along with them. >> and every time you turn around, that's all he was concerned on sitting on my couch and asking for another beer. he had no emotion whatsoever. >> while the family struggles with the sudden death, the coroner performs an autopsy. the results are devastating, a horrifying map of 35 recent injuries on the young woman's body, showing a blunt object hit her face, mouth and jaw. contusions covered her from head to toe, bleeding in her brain

and in her stomach. >> she was beaten from head to toe, beaten from head to toe. >> but in a shocking report, the denver medical examiner determined not even one of marina's injuries on their own would have killed her. so the cause of death is listed as undetermined. >> how can they tell it's an undetermined death? to me, it sounds pretty evident with no actual proof that angelo caused marina's death. >> shockingly, the case is not considered a homicide investigation. and not only are detectives unable to determine how she died, they can't determine where she died. as the train passed through multiple states, including wisconsin, iowa and nebraska before arriving in colorado, which covers multiple police jurisdictions. >> did she die in nebraska? what she did when they were in illinois? i have no clue. i you

figured the professionals should be able to tell you that. >> then, in another blow to the family, angelo is not arrested, nor charged with any crime related to marina's death. >> this is what has me really, really puzzled. i've watched programs on tv where there's not a body you can't prove nothing. but here you have a body. it's trying to tell you something and listen to this audio recording of what his boys are reportedly telling family and social services shortly after marina's death. >> noé would he hit her a lot. >> she got bruises on her everywhere. >> then he punched me and he punched you. >> i just i don't understand how one could be so evil. >> i'm having a really hard time hearing the description of how these children were treated. >> i am really having a hard time with this. >> we don't want to go straight

justice. we want to do this the legal way it would take an unbelievable seven long years after marina was found dead on the train, but finally, now angelo mantiply is behind bars when it comes to light and he's proven guilty. there's no more hiding. >> last year, denver police charged mantiply with first degree murder. according to court documents. the key was a follow up forensic investigation where a doctor eventually determined plasencia died from suffocation due to being attacked prior to the train ride and succumbing to those injurie. investigators say she had trauma consistent with asphyxia, and that no other medical conditions could have resulted in miss placentia's death. the manner of death is homicide now, as mantiply awaits his murder trial and the family awaits justice, there still one question that will forever haunt them. could they have done more to protect

marina while she was alive? >> i let her down. i truly believe i let my sister down. she made it home. but now she's home in a little jar that sits on my dresser. >> angelo mantiply is awaiting trial. we'll be following this case and bring you updates on true crime news.com. if you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the national domestic violence hotline at one 800 799 safe. that's 807 997233 or by texting to 88788. >> hey, you're heading to the game, son. the scout from football college is up in the stands. >> maybe you'd rather go to school for insurance. >> i didn't raise no insurance, man. >> but you did. dad. >> football is your passion. but mine is providing round the

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>> on the next true crime news, two young girls come home to a horrific scene. their mother murdered, stabbed to death. >> it was brutal. >> despite some leads, anybody in this town is capable of

murder. the case goes cold. >> for decades, it really has been one big, giant puzzle for law enforcement. >> until her grown daughters uncover a mystery man. could he hold the key to solving this murder? >> i keep thinking i should have stayed on the next true crime news. >> for the latest breaking crime news, go to true crime news dot com. to watch more exclusive content on our youtube channel, listen to our podcast and follow us at my true crime news. that's it for today's true crime news, i'm anna garcia. see u next time (dramatic music) - describe the victim when they found her. - there are countless stab wounds all over her body. (dramatic music) and blood all over the floor. - sparkle didn't have any enemies or anybody that would wanna bring harm to her. - "i am willing to offer you $10,000 to walk away."