Blaise Taylor Convicted of Murder; Jury Recommends Life Sentence

Blaise Taylor was convicted on July 1 of murdering his girlfriend Jade Benning and her unborn child in a Nashville courtroom. The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison, and Taylor will be formally sentenced in September. Taylor, 30, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder of Benning, one count of first-degree murder of the unborn child, and two counts of first-degree felony murder.

He had been arrested in 2024 and accused of poisoning Benning's pink lemonade with cocaine in February 2023. Benning, 25, died on March 6, 2023, her birthday. Her five-month-old fetus died on February 25 after Taylor called 911 claiming she was having an allergic reaction.

Benning was rushed to a hospital but was unable to speak with police before her death. Taylor is believed to have fathered the fetus. At the time of his arrest Taylor worked as a defensive analyst for the University of Utah.

He previously spent four years in the Tennessee Titans scouting department. Taylor was a four-year starter and captain at Arkansas State from 2014 to 2017 and earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors as a defensive back and punt returner.