Nashville Jury Convicts Former Titans Scout of Murdering Girlfriend and Unborn Child

A Nashville jury convicted Blaise Taylor of murdering his girlfriend Jade Benning and her unborn child on Wednesday. Taylor, 30, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder of Benning, one count of first-degree murder of the fetus, and two counts of first-degree felony murder. The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison with a minimum of 51 years before parole eligibility.

Taylor will be formally sentenced in September. Prosecutors said Taylor poisoned Benning's pink lemonade with cocaine in February 2023 because she refused an abortion. Benning was rushed to the hospital on February 25 after Taylor called 911 reporting an allergic reaction.

Her 5-month-old fetus died that day. Benning died March 6 on her 25th birthday and was unable to speak with police before her death. Taylor was arrested in 2024. At the time he worked as a defensive analyst for the University of Utah.

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