NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TCN) — A 30-year-old former football player and scout for the Tennessee Titans has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for second-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend in 2023.
In February 2023, Blaise Taylor called 911 and said his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jade Benning, was suffering from an allergic reaction. Her unborn child died two days after their transport to a hospital and Benning died on her 25th birthday, March 6, 2025. Following Benning’s death, Taylor moved to Utah, where he was arrested and extradited back to Tennessee to face charges. He pleaded not guilty.
According to WZTV, prosecutors believe Taylor put a fatal dose of cocaine into a glass of pink lemonade for Benning because he did not want her to have the baby. Taylor’s defense argued that Benning overdosed of her own accord, KARK reports.
Taylor was convicted July 1 of second-degree murder in Benning’s death and first-degree murder in the unborn child’s death. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 51 years in connection with the first-degree murder charge.
On Sept. 9, Taylor appeared in court to be sentenced on the second-degree murder charge, according to WKRN. Prosecutors and the defense argued their sides to the judge, and the defense submitted more than 80 letters testifying to Taylor’s character.
Nashville Assistant District Attorney Jan Norman said, “Your Honor, the defense just submitted 87 letters all speaking to Mr. Taylor’s character. They describe a man of honor, honesty, a man of great accomplishments and as someone who has faith in the Lord and was raised by a strong family. … More than one of the authors of those letters actually stated he is someone they would want their own daughters to marry. The person described in these character letters, the authors themselves, not one mentioned Jade Benning, not one of them mentioned baby Ivy, and not one single letter out of the 87 letters mentioned anything about what Blaise Taylor did.”
After hearing both sides, the judge sentenced Taylor to two consecutive life sentences, WKRN reports. Taylor’s attorney, Letitia Quinones-Hollins, told the outlet, “We are extremely disappointed but not surprised by the harsh sentence. This was a flawed trial of a tenuous case, and we will appeal and look forward to doing so.”
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