Life Sentence for Murder
Former NFL Scout Sentenced to Consecutive Life Terms for Murders
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Key Points
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Benning reportedly called a friend during the incident and confronted Taylor, saying, “What did you put in my drink? I knew my drink tasted funny. You did this because you didn’t want the baby.”
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Taylor’s defense submitted 87 character letters from former teammates, coaches and others; prosecutors emphasized that none mentioned Jade Benning, Ivy or Taylor’s conduct in the case.
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Taylor was arrested in Utah by U.S. Marshals in 2024 after a Nashville grand jury indicted him in the deaths.
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According to trial coverage, Benning had asked Taylor to come over to paint canvases for their unborn daughter’s nursery on the night prosecutors said he gave her the cocaine-laced drink.
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Jurors reached a unanimous verdict after about two hours following a nine-day trial, convicting Taylor on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder.
Blaise Taylor, a former Arkansas State football player and Tennessee Titans scout, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 22 years in Nashville for poisoning his pregnant girlfriend with cocaine. Fox News reported that Taylor killed Jade Benning and their unborn daughter, Ivy, in February 2023 because he did not want the child. Benning died on March 6 — her 25th birthday — two days after their unborn daughter died from the poisoning.
During the sentencing, Benning's mother described her daughter's fear and the family's lasting grief. Daily Caller noted that jurors took just two hours to reach a unanimous guilty verdict on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder after a nine-day trial. Taylor was arrested in Utah by U.S. Marshals in 2024 after a Nashville grand jury indicted him.
How Taylor Poisoned His Girlfriend
Prosecutors said Taylor secretly mixed cocaine into a drink at Benning's apartment on the night she asked him to help paint canvases for their unborn daughter's nursery. Yahoo News reported that Benning called a friend during the incident and confronted Taylor directly. She said: "What did you put in my drink? I knew my drink tasted funny. You did this because you didn't want the baby." Benning became critically ill that night.
Defense Letters Ignored the Victims and Crime
Taylor's defense submitted 87 character letters from former teammates, coaches, and others who vouched for his character. However, prosecutors emphasized a stark fact: none of the letters mentioned Jade Benning, Ivy, or Taylor's actions in the case. The prosecution argued the letters showed a complete disregard for the victims and what Taylor had done. AOL covered the sentencing, where the judge rejected the character evidence as irrelevant to the severity of the crime.
A Conviction Built on Physical Evidence and Testimony
The nine-day trial presented evidence that Taylor wanted to avoid becoming a father. Prosecutors built their case on witness testimony, including Benning's statement to her friend, and forensic evidence linking the cocaine to Taylor. Fox News reported that the jury's two-hour deliberation showed strong agreement on guilt across all charges. Taylor's motive — avoiding fatherhood — became central to proving first-degree murder, which requires showing premeditation and intent.
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