A Former Titans Scout Poisoned His Pregnant Girlfriend's Drink - She Died on Her Birthday, He Got Life

A Conviction on Four Counts of Murder

A Nashville jury convicted Blaise Taylor, 30, of four counts of murder on July 1, 2026, following eight days of trial. Taylor, a former NFL scout for the Tennessee Titans, was found guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Jade Benning, and two counts of felony murder in the death of their unborn daughter. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning the verdict and recommended a sentence of life in prison.

Taylor will be formally sentenced on September 9, 2026. His attorney said in a statement that the defense plans to appeal, maintaining that Taylor did not commit the crimes and that the jury’s decision was in error. Taylor himself has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.

Cocaine in the Pink Lemonade

Prosecutors presented evidence that on the evening of February 25, 2023, Taylor visited Jade Benning at her Nashville apartment and gave her a drink laced with a lethal dose of cocaine. Benning was approximately five months pregnant at the time. The child, a daughter the family later named Ivy, was believed by investigators to have been fathered by Taylor.

Taylor called 911 at 9:38 that night to report that Benning appeared to be having an allergic reaction. She was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where her condition became critical quickly. She was unable to speak with police before she died. Investigators later determined, after months of forensic analysis by police, crime lab scientists, and the medical examiner, that Benning had been poisoned without her knowledge.

She Died on Her Birthday

Jade Benning’s unborn daughter, Ivy, died on February 27, 2023, two days after Taylor’s 911 call. Benning herself remained on life support at Vanderbilt for more than a week. She died on March 6, 2023 - her 25th birthday.

Her father, Dennis Browning, spoke to local television after the verdict was read. He said he had been waiting a long time for this moment. “Definitely glad everything is over and justice is served,” he said. Benning’s family had been present throughout the trial, and several members were photographed hugging and crying in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

Taylor’s Flight and Eventual Arrest

After Benning’s death, Taylor moved to Utah, where he was hired as a defensive analyst at Utah State University. He was later offered and accepted a position on the defensive staff at Texas A&M, where his father, Trooper Taylor, serves as the running backs coach. He had been hired by Texas A&M less than a week before U.S. Marshals arrested him in Utah in March 2024, serving a Nashville grand jury indictment.

At the time of his arrest, Taylor had not been publicly named as a suspect in Benning’s death. His arrest came after what Nashville police described as months of investigation. Because prosecutors alleged Taylor had known Benning was pregnant and that the unborn baby died in the incident, he was charged with separate murder counts for both deaths.

Trial and What Comes Next

The trial began June 22, 2026, and included seven days of testimony from witnesses including forensic experts and investigators. Closing arguments were delivered on July 1, and the jury returned its verdict the same afternoon after less than three hours of deliberation.

Taylor’s sentencing is scheduled for September 9. The judge will determine whether Taylor’s sentences on the four counts will run concurrently or consecutively and will have discretion within the advisory guidelines on the counts that do not carry mandatory life terms. The defense’s planned appeal will be filed after sentencing. The case drew national attention both because of Taylor’s NFL background and because of the specific nature of the poisoning and the circumstances of Benning’s death on her birthday.

References: Ex-Titans Scout Found Guilty of Murder in Death of Pregnant Girlfriend | Former Titans Scout Blaise Taylor Found Guilty of Murder of Pregnant Girlfriend | Former Titans Scout Blaise Taylor Convicted of Murdering Pregnant Girlfriend