A Nashville jury has found Blaise Taylor, a former scout for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, guilty of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Jade Benning, and her unborn child. Taylor, 30, was convicted on four counts: second-degree murder of Benning, first-degree felony murder of Benning, first-degree felony murder of the unborn child, and first-degree murder of the unborn child.
Prosecutors alleged that Taylor poisoned Benning by putting cocaine into her pink lemonade. Benning was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Feb. 25, 2023, and her unborn child died two days later. Benning herself died on March 6, 2023, her 25th birthday. Police were unable to speak with Benning before her death due to her critical condition.
Taylor, who is believed to have been the father of the unborn baby, was arrested in 2024 in connection with the February 2023 deaths. He had been working as a defensive analyst at Utah State University at the time of the murder. Prior to that role, Taylor served as a scout for the Titans from 2019 to 2023. He was reportedly set to take a position as a defensive assistant with Texas A&M's football staff shortly before his arrest.
Benning's aunt, Brandi Moran, spoke about the impact of her niece's death, stating that it had devastated Benning's mother. "It’s destroyed her. When she talked about Jade Benning being her life, she was her life. They talked every day, and aside from the fear and the hurt I know she has, I live with the fear of is she going to get past this," Moran said.
The jury recommended that Taylor serve life in prison for the first-degree murder charges. He is scheduled to return to court in September for sentencing on the second-degree murder charge. Before his coaching career, Taylor was a four-year starter at Arkansas State University.