A jury on Wednesday heard the alleged final words of Jade Benning, a pregnant woman who accused her boyfriend, former college football player Blaise Taylor, of poisoning her drink before she became unresponsive. Benning's accusations were made during a phone call to her best friend shortly before her death.
"What did you put in my drink?" Benning reportedly asked Taylor. "I knew my drink tasted funny. You did this because you didn’t want the baby."
Taylor, 30, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder. Prosecutors allege that on February 25, 2023, he intentionally poisoned Benning and their unborn daughter with a lethal dose of cocaine at her Tennessee apartment. Benning was five months pregnant at the time.
Nijaiha Jackson, Benning's best friend, testified that she recalled a similar conversation during a bond hearing in April 2024. "She was saying, 'My drink tasted funny, I can’t even walk straight, you did this to do something to the baby,'" Jackson told the court. Jackson stated that Benning stopped responding after she tried to speak with her further.
Prosecutors say Taylor called 911 as Benning lost consciousness in another room. Dispatch audio played for the jury captured Taylor telling the operator, "I don’t know, I think she is having an allergic reaction. We were eating, cooking and hanging, and then she said she wasn’t feeling good." He also stated, "Everything was fine and then…I don’t know what’s happening." When asked about allergies, Taylor reportedly responded, "I don’t think she’s allergic to anything – I don’t know."
Paramedics found Benning face down in her bed approximately 20 minutes after the 911 call. She was placed on life support at a hospital, where her unborn daughter, Ivy, died on February 27, 2023. Benning died on March 6, 2023, her 25th birthday.
Prosecutors contend that Taylor, a former scout for the Tennessee Titans, did not want the baby. Toxicology results from Benning were described as unprecedented by the Nashville medical examiner's office, according to WKRN.com.
Conversely, Taylor's defense attorney argued that he was an excited father-to-be and suggested Benning had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. The defense also pointed out that Taylor was the only person who called 911 and sought help during the emergency.
Taylor faces life in prison without parole if convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder. He has been required to wear a GPS monitor since posting a $2.5 million bond in April 2024. His trial is expected to continue with expert and witness testimony.