NASHVILLE — A Nashville jury returned a guilty verdict for Blaise Taylor on July 1, 2026, on four counts related to the deaths of Jade Benning and her unborn child. The charges included one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree felony murder of Benning. Taylor was also found guilty of one count of first-degree murder of the unborn child and one count of first-degree felony murder of the unborn child.

The jury recommended a life sentence for Taylor for the first-degree murder charges. He will receive his formal sentencing in Nashville on September 9, 2026. Sentencing on the second-degree murder charge will also take place in September 2026. Taylor was 30 years old at the time of the verdict.

Prosecutors argued that Taylor poisoned Benning with cocaine on February 25, 2023, by putting it into her pink lemonade. Officials determined that Benning was poisoned without her knowledge. Benning died on March 26, 2023, which was her 25th birthday, while her unborn child died on February 27, 2023.

Taylor called 911 on the night of February 25, 2023, reportedly stating that Benning appeared to be having an allergic reaction. Benning was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by ambulance, and her condition became critical. Police were unable to speak with Benning before her death due to her critical condition. Taylor is believed to have been the father of Benning's unborn child.

Taylor was arrested in 2024. At the time of the arrest, he was working as a defensive analyst with the University of Utah. Football Scoop reported that Taylor was slated to join Texas A&M's staff as a defensive assistant days before his arrest. Taylor had previously worked as a scout for the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2023 and as a defensive analyst at Utah State at the time of the deaths.

Benning was a former cheer captain from Little Rock. She worked as a head pastry chef at Mirabellas Table and also as a chef at Earnest Bar & Hideaway. Benning created a catering business named JTB Eatery.

Taylor was a four-year starter at Arkansas State, where he also served as a team captain and earned All-Sun Belt defensive back honors. He received all-conference nods in 2014 and 2016. Taylor holds the Arkansas State program record for career punt return yards with 1,089, which is the second-most by a Sun Belt player. He was also a NFF National Scholar-Athlete and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees before his senior season in 2017.