Jun 27, 2026

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Court TV) — A former pro football scout is facing a possible sentence of life behind bars if he’s convicted of killing his girlfriend and her unborn child.

Blaise Taylor appears in court on the first day of his trial. (Court TV)

Blaise Taylor, 30, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder in the death of his girlfriend, Jade Benning, who died on her 25th birthday in 2023. At the time of her death, Benning was pregnant with a girl.

Benning was rushed to the hospital on Feb. 25, 2023, after Taylor called 911 to report that his girlfriend appeared to be having an allergic reaction. After her arrival at the hospital, the alleged victim’s condition continued to decline. Her unborn baby died on Feb. 27; prosecutors say Benning “lingered” and “languished” for days before ultimately dying on March 6.

A toxicology report reviewed by Court TV revealed Benning had cocaine in her system when she died. The medical examiner testified at a hearing in Taylor’s case that Benning had more drugs in her system than could be accounted for by recreational use, WSMV reported.

Nearly one year later, after months of investigation, Taylor was taken into custody.  In a news release announcing the charges against Taylor, prosecutors said Benning was poisoned “without her knowledge” while Taylor was visiting her apartment.

At a bond hearing in 2024, Benning’s best friend testified that she got a late-night phone call from the alleged victim the night she got sick, WTVF reported. On the call, the friend reported hearing Benning tell Taylor, “My drink tasted funny, I can’t even walk straight, you did this to do something to the baby.”

Taylor was released from custody on a $2.5 million bond pending trial.

At the time of his arrest, Taylor was a senior defensive analyst for the Utah State University football team. Before traveling to Utah, Taylor worked as a scouting assistant and then a pro scout for the Tennessee Titans; he left Tennessee shortly after Benning’s death.

In college, Taylor was a defensive back and punt returner at Arkansas State, where he was team captain. He earned both a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree from the school in less than four years.

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 4 – 6/26/26



LIVESTREAM: TN v. Blaise Taylor – Day 4 | The Poison Playbook Murder Trial

Kari Midthun, forensic toxicologist, NMS Labs



Examined a blood vial for Benning.

The vial tested positive for a cocaine metabolite.

She had no idea who took the blood or who dropped it off.





Erin Carney, Chief Medical Examiner



Performed Benning’s autopsy.

Learned that Benning had a positive urine sample for cocaine, so she ordered a “cocaine and products panel” and a screen for “designer opioids” on her blood.



The results showed 7878ng/mL of cocaine in her blood, which is not a common amount.

She had never seen a number that high in an autopsy; a typical level for a cocaine overdose would be under 1000 ng/mL.





The baby looked healthy.

The cause of death was acute cocaine toxicity. The manner of death could not be determined.

Cocaine is one of the only drugs that can cause pregnancy loss and disrupt the blood flow from mom to baby. This did not happen in this case.





Alex Krotulski, forensic toxicologist



Looked at studies for information about people ingesting liquid cocaine.

Liquid cocaine would work faster than a capsule or a tablet, getting peak effects within 50-90 minutes.

The first urine sample was from before they gave Benning drugs in the hospital. There was no fentanyl found in the urine, meaning the drugs were “medical grade.”





Det. Adam Reese, Metro Nashville Police Department



Went to Benning’s hospital room and found her unconscious.

Showed the jury the property evidence bag with the urine in it.







DAY 3 – 6/25/26



LIVESTREAM: TN v. Blaise Taylor – Day 3 | The Poison Playbook Murder Trial

Colin Feeney, Metro Nashville Police Department



Arrived at the scene, deployed patrol officers and oversaw entry before homicide detectives processed the residence.

During a search of the home, he observed a handgun in the bedroom but did not collect any evidence himself.

The warrant execution was delayed after another division failed to carry it out earlier.





Jason Terry, Metro Nashville Police Department (Retired)



Worked as a crime scene investigator and responded to the home to process evidence.

Photographed the entire apartment, including the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Collected key items, including a comforter, washcloth, drinking glass with liquor and bottles found in the kitchen.

Later discovered baby-related items in a second bedroom, including diapers, formula and infant care equipment.





Nicole Dowell, forensic scientist



Tested evidence collected from Benning’s apartment, including drinking glasses, bottles and liquid samples.

Lab performed multiple tests to detect controlled substances, including cocaine, and found nothing in any items she examined.

The comforter and washcloth were not tested by her because they contained suspected biological material; they were sent to an outside laboratory.

If a drinking glass containing drugs had been washed before testing, it could potentially remove evidence.





Detective Thomas Miller, Metro Nashville Police Department



Extracted and analyzed data from Benning’s cellphone.

Data recovered from the device included pregnancy-related images and communications relevant to the case.







DAY 2 – 6/24/26



LIVESTREAM: TN v. Blaise Taylor – Day 2 | The Poison Playbook Murder Trial

James Smith, Metro Nashville Police Department



Observed Benning in the hospital; described her as intubated, unresponsive and unable to communicate, making it impossible to interview her.

Before speaking with Taylor, he interviewed Nijaiha Jackson, whom he described as worried and concerned about Benning’s condition.

Smith located Taylor at the hospital, sitting alone near the ER entrance on his cellphone, and brought him to a private room for a recorded interview.

During that interview, Taylor told investigators that he and Benning had recently gotten back together, denied any significant arguments, discussed her becoming ill that evening and said she had not directly accused him of harming her.





Jennifer Barrett, Department of Emergency Communications



Played the 911 call Taylor placed, in which he said Benning may be suffering an allergic reaction.





Dr. Michael Olushoga, Vanderbilt University Medical Center



Was working the overnight shift and treated Benning when she was brought to the ER.

There were no signs of life when she arrived at the hospital. After performing chest compressions, they were able to restart her heart; she was then intubated.





Lauren Weber, victim’s coworker



Benning was excited about her pregnancy; she had stopped drinking and using marijuana and was actively preparing to become a mother.

Saw Benning at work on Feb. 25; Benning said that she was leaving early to go home, cook dinner, paint and spend the evening with Taylor. Benning appeared happy and excited about the plans.

After learning something had happened to Benning, Weber went to her apartment at the request of Benning’s mother to retrieve her keys and lock the property.



The apartment looked as if cooking and painting had taken place, but she felt that something was “off” because it smelled of cleaning products rather than freshly cooked food.

She took photographs of the property, retrieved Benning’s keys, blew out a candle in the apartment and then went to the hospital.





At the hospital, Weber described Jackson as distraught and upset, while Taylor showed little emotion and sat apart from others.





Stephanie Franklin, mother of victim’s friend



A longtime friend of the victim’s family, she had known Benning since she was 4 or 5 years old.

Went to Benning’s apartment after being asked to help “figure out what happened’ in the case of her death.

She used her phone to take photos and videos of the apartment to document the scene.

Followed her son’s advice, a police officer, to wear gloves while inside.

She removed one item from the apartment and turned it over to the victim’s family.





Nijaiha Jackson, victim’s friend



Met Benning as a young child and the two girls grew up together.

Described Benning as loyal, outgoing and charismatic.

Jackson testified that she was closely involved during Benning’s relationship with Taylor, including learning about their dating and Benning’s pregnancy; Jackson would accompany her to medical appointments.







DAY 1 – 6/23/26



LIVESTREAM: TN v. Blaise Taylor – Day 1 | The Poison Playbook Murder Trial

Jan Norman delivered opening statements for the prosecution.



Taylor didn’t know the victim was five months pregnant.

She arrived at the hospital and she was dead.

The concentration of cocaine in her blood was the highest the medical examiner’s office had ever seen.

She orally ingested cocaine dissolved in liquid while drinking a pink drink that night.

Benning met Taylor on a dating app.

She called her best friend, but wasn’t talking to her and was talking to someone else; she heard her say, “I knew my drink tasted funny.”





Letitia Quinones-Hollins delivered opening statements for the defense.



Taylor met Jade in Tennessee; he never drank and never did any drugs while he was in college, while Benning drank and did drugs.

Met on Hinge in January 2022; they didn’t talk again until August 2022, when they met and had dinner. The two began a relationship but were not exclusive.

At the end of September, Benning thought she might be pregnant. On Nov. 4, she told Taylor the child was his.

She wanted to keep the child but he did not. She suggested she go her own way and he go his and he did not have to be involved. He gave her the space she asked for — by then abortion was no longer an option.

Told his parents he had met a woman and might be having a child.

On Dec. 31, he contacted Jade and on Jan. 1, 2023, they met up at a park and talked for hours. They decided to get to know each other so they could co-parent if the child was his.

Benning was involved with marijuana, mushrooms, Adderall and drank a lot.

On Feb. 25, Benning planned a spontaneous date night with Taylor but they weren’t going to have alcohol because he didn’t drink.

Sometimes Benning infused her foods with marijuana.

The medical examiner could not come to the conclusion that she died at the hands of another; it was ruled undetermined.

Taylor was the one who called 911 and stayed with the victim in the hospital.





Marisol Baldwin, Nashville Fire Department



Responded to a call on Feb. 25, 2023, which was initially reported as an “allergic reaction.”

Upon arrival, found Benning unresponsive in a bedroom, lying face down, with no signs consistent with an allergic reaction (such as swelling or hives).

Benning had fluid around her mouth, was not responsive and was later treated for cardiac arrest with CPR, airway support, IVs and cardiac monitoring.

Taylor was present and appeared frantic.

Taylor attempted to assist by moving the patient, which interfered with their ability to properly treat her.





Andrea Browning, victim’s stepmother



Benning moved to Nashville in 2022 to work as a chef and appeared excited about her life and pregnancy, which she disclosed around Thanksgiving 2022.

Benning stopped drinking after learning she was pregnant and remained focused on preparing for the baby, including attending OB-GYN appointments.

Attended sonogram appointments with the victim, where she learned she was having a baby girl and described her stepdaughter’s demeanor as consistently happy and stable.





Dr. Alison Mullaly, OBGYN



Benning’s pregnancy was progressing normally with no health concerns for mother or baby.

Benning attended all of her prenatal appointments, appeared happy and engaged about the pregnancy, never expressed hesitation about becoming a mother and reported no use of drugs, alcohol, smoking or vaping.

A minor ultrasound finding prompted additional genetic testing, but the results came back normal and there were no concerns about the baby’s development.





Keyaunte Jones, Victim’s classmate



One of the last people to see and speak to the victim before her medical emergency, she was described as “happy and normal” when he left her apartment earlier that evening.

Later that night, received frantic calls from Najah Jackson and joined a brief three-way call in which Benning’s voice sounded faint, weak and distressed.

Taylor repeatedly denied harming Benning and said he didn’t know what was happening, though Jones said he heard panic and uncertainty in Taylor’s voice.





Andrea Rose, Paramedic



Responded to the victim’s apartment on Feb. 25, 2023.

Described Benning’s condition as critical, noting pink frothy vomit, no vital signs and a GCS score of three, indicating severe unresponsiveness.

Taylor appeared frantic, anxious, and physically interfered with medical efforts, including not allowing EMTs to properly assess the victim inside the apartment.

The scene was considered unsafe for immediate CPR, leading EMS to use a “load and go” approach and begin full resuscitation efforts in the ambulance.





Officer Jack Pfeiffer, Nashville Police Department



Dispatched to the hospital after police received a report of a possible poisoning incident.

Identified Taylor in the ER area and saw him standing outside in a busy area, on his phone, before later interacting with him as part of the investigation.





Officer Jerrod Kallinsky, Nashville Police Department



Dispatched to ER for a possible drugging. His interactions were recorded on bodyworn camera.

Encountered Taylor in the ER waiting room. Video from his bodyworn camera was played in court.

Taylor says in the video that he went over to Benning’s for date night, and then she cooked food and her friends came over. She began feeling sick, then he called his dad, who told him to call 911.

Benning’s friend seemed more upset and distraught than Taylor did.