A former scout for the Tennessee Titans has been found guilty of murdering his former girlfriend and their unborn child in 2023.
Blaise Taylor was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jade Benning and of first-degree premeditated murder in the death of Benning’s unborn baby.
Taylor was also found guilty of two counts of felony murder, according to WSMV-TV. Taylor played football for Arkansas State.
Prosecutors argued that Taylor did not want the child, saying that he spiked Benning’s drink with a lethal dose of cocaine on Feb. 25, 2023, according to WSMV. She was five months pregnant at the time.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9 on the second-degree murder and felony murder charges. The first-degree murder charge has an automatic life sentence.
During testimony, Nijaiha Jackson, a friend of Benning’s, said the victim knew her drink was spiked, according to WZTV.
Jackson said Benning was suddenly stricken and was unable to walk. While on the phone with Benning, she heard her accuse Taylor of spiking her drink.
“She was like, ‘I know you put something in my drink. I knew my drink tasted funny,’” Jackson testified.
Jackson said Benning repeated her claim.
Prosecutors said the comments Jackson heard were some of Benning’s final words.
Medical examiners said Benning died from a fatal combination of a massive amount of cocaine dissolved into alcohol.
When Taylor called first responders, he said Benning was having an “allergic reaction.”
At a 2024 hearing after Taylor was arrested, detective Adam Reese said the killings appeared premeditated, according to WTVF-TV.
“It appeared there had been some cleanup done,” he said, adding that a cup in front of Jade in a photo was not there when he was on the scene of her death.
“It’s not a spur-of-a-moment type of thing to put drugs in someone’s beverage,” he added.
Taylor will appeal, attorney Letitia Quinones-Hollins said, according to USA Today.
“While we respect the jury system and the process, we must also respectfully disagree with today’s verdict and plan to appeal the decision because Blaise did not do this,” Quinones-Hollins said in a statement.
“He maintains that he is innocent and we will continue working to prove that. We understand and respect the pain that Ms. Benning’s family and friends feel over her tragic death and the death of her unborn baby, but putting an innocent man behind bars is also a tragedy,” the statement said.
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