Former college football player Blaise Taylor He was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Jade Benning and her unborn child.
On Wednesday, July 1, a Nashville jury found Taylor, 30, guilty on all four counts related to the deaths of Benning and her unborn child in 2023, via WSMV 4 News.
The athlete was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree murder in Benning’s death, as well as first-degree murder and first-degree murder in the death of an unborn child.
Later, jurors recommended a life sentence for the first-degree murder charges, per WKRN. Taylor will be sentenced on September 9 for second-degree murder.
According to local reports, the jury reached its guilty verdict within two hours of deliberations that concluded in the eight-day trial on Wednesday.
Taylor remained silent as the judge’s examiner read the verdict in Davidson County Criminal Court.
Us Weekly has reached out to Taylor’s attorney and the Nashville District Attorney’s Office for comment on the decision.
Taylor’s attorney Letitia Quinones-Hollins told WKRN of Wednesday’s court decision, “While we respect the jury system and the process, we must also respectfully disagree with today’s decision and plan to appeal the decision because Blaise did not do this.”
“[Taylor] he insists that he is innocent and we will continue to work to prove that,” continued the lawyer.” “We understand and respect the pain Ms. Benning’s family and friends are feeling over her tragic death and the death of her unborn baby, but putting an innocent man in prison is also a tragedy.”
During the trial, the prosecution accused Taylor of giving Benning a fatal dose of cocaine in a drink on a date night at his home on February 25, 2023.
Nashville District Attorney Jan Norman On Wednesday, June 24, he told the court that Benning called his friend that night in February and told her that he was afraid that Taylor might drink his drink because he did not want her to carry the pregnancy to term. (Through the prosecution, Taylor claimed the unborn child was hers.)
Jade Benning
Jade Benning/Linkedin“What did you put in my drink?” Benning wanted to know, according to a friend You are chasing Jackson. “‘I knew my drink tasted good. You did this because you didn’t want a baby.’
Benning died on her 25th birthday on March 6, 2023, having lost her unborn child a few days earlier on February 27, 2023. An autopsy found that Benning had 1,787 nanograms of cocaine per milliliter of blood at the time of her death.
For his part, Taylor has pleaded not guilty and denies all charges. His lawyers argued in court that Benning’s death was caused by suspected drug use.
Taylor played college football at Arkansas State University from 2014 to 2017 before joining Duke University as an assistant coach. He later served as a scout for the Tennessee Titans from 2021 to 2023.
