Who Was Jade Benning? 25-Year-Old Murder Victim In Ex-Tennessee Titans Scout Blaise Taylor Trial

The name Jade Benning has been at the center of one of the most closely watched criminal cases involving a former NFL employee. On Wednesday, a Nashville jury found former Tennessee Titans scout Blaise Taylor guilty in the deaths of Benning and their unborn daughter, bringing a trial that drew national attention to a close. The verdict has also renewed interest in the life of the 25-year-old woman whose death shocked her family and community. Jade Benning was living in Nashville when she died in March 2023. She was five months pregnant, and prosecutors said Taylor was the father of the unborn baby. Friends remembered her as an ambitious young woman who loved food, had a background in cheerleading, and was excited about becoming a mother.

Who was Jade Benning?

According to prosecutors, Jade Benning became critically ill on February 25, 2023, after spending time with Taylor at her apartment. Taylor called 911 and told dispatchers she seemed to be having an allergic reaction. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but her condition quickly worsened. Her unborn daughter died on Feb. 27, and Benning died on March 6, which was also her 25th birthday. Detectives were never able to interview her before she died.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Taylor intentionally poisoned Benning by putting cocaine into her drink. The defense rejected that claim and argued she died from a drug overdose, with Taylor maintaining his innocence throughout the case. After hearing evidence over an eight-day trial, the jury convicted Taylor on four counts, including first-degree murder involving the unborn child and felony murder charges related to both deaths. The jury also recommended a life sentence for the first-degree murder convictions.

What happens next in the Blaise Taylor case?

Taylor, 30, previously worked as a scout for the NFL team  Tennessee Titans and later served as a senior defensive analyst at Utah State. He was arrested in Utah after leaving Tennessee following Benning's death. Before working in the NFL, he played college football at Arkansas State.

Taylor is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 9 for sentencing on the second-degree murder conviction. The judge will also decide whether his sentences will run at the same time or one after another. His attorney has already said the defense plans to appeal, maintaining that Taylor is innocent. While the legal process will continue, the verdict marks a major moment in a case that has kept Jade Benning's name in the public eye for more than three years.