Overview
- A Nashville jury found Blaise Taylor guilty on four counts — two first‑degree murder and two felony murder — Wednesday after an eight‑day trial and about three hours of deliberation.
- Prosecutors said Taylor laced Jade Benning’s drink with a lethal amount of cocaine in February 2023 and used 911 audio, text messages and crime‑scene evidence to support their case.
- Benning was five months pregnant when she collapsed and was pronounced dead on March 6, 2023, and prosecutors say the fetus was Taylor’s and that he acted because he did not want the baby.
- The defense argued Benning had a history of drug use and disputed the route and timing of cocaine exposure, and medical experts offered competing views about whether the toxicology showed ingestion.
- Taylor, a former Tennessee Titans scout who played college football at Arkansas State, now faces a potential life sentence and appeals and sentencing filings are expected to follow.