Blaise Taylor, a former defensive back at Arkansas State and NFL scout for the Tennessee Titans, was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend and her unborn child Wednesday in a Nashville, Tennessee, courtroom.
The jury is now deliberating his sentence. He could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Taylor, who was arrested in 2024, was accused of poisoning girlfriend Jade Benning's pink lemonade with cocaine in February 2023. Benning died March 6, 2023, on her 25th birthday, and her 5-month-old fetus, which Taylor is believed to have fathered, died on Feb. 27, 2023.
Benning was rushed to the hospital on Feb. 25, 2023, after Taylor called 911, saying Benning was having an allergic reaction. Her condition quickly became critical, and she was unable to speak with police before she died.
Taylor, 30, was found guilty of four counts -- one count of second-degree murder of Benning, one count of first-degree murder for the unborn child, one count of first-degree felony murder of Benning and one count of first-degree felony murder of the unborn child.
Taylor was working as a defensive analyst for the University of Utah at the time of his arrest. Before that he had worked in the Titans scouting department for four years.
He was a four-year starter at Arkansas State (2014-17) and served as a captain and earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors as a defensive back and as a punt returner.
