A Davidson County Criminal Court jury convicted Blaise Taylor on July 1, 2026, on all four counts arising from the deaths of his pregnant girlfriend, Jade Benning, and her unborn child [1][2]. The charges reaching trial included second-degree murder in Benning's death, first-degree premeditated murder of the unborn child, and two counts of first-degree felony murder, one for each victim [1][2][3]. Taylor, a former Tennessee Titans scouting employee, had been arrested after investigators alleged he administered cocaine to Benning by concealing it in her drink [3].
Jurors deliberated approximately two to three hours before returning the guilty verdict on all counts [1]. The jury also recommended a life sentence [2][3]. Prosecutors had built the case around the theory that Taylor poisoned Benning, whose pregnancy was known to him at the time of her death [1][3]. Defense counsel Quinones-Hollins of the Law Office of Quinones-Hollins contested the charges throughout trial [2].
The court imposed life sentences on three of the four counts following the verdict [1][2]. Formal sentencing on the remaining count is scheduled for September 9, 2026 [2][3]. Under Tennessee law, a life sentence for first-degree murder carries a mandatory minimum before parole eligibility; the precise parole exposure will be determined at the September proceeding.
Taylor's attorneys retain the right to file post-trial motions and a direct appeal to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals [3]. No post-trial motions had been filed publicly as of the verdict date. The case drew national attention in part because of Taylor's affiliation with an NFL franchise, which elevated the proceedings beyond a typical state-court homicide prosecution [3].