Accused of poisoning, former American football player hears his pregnant girlfriend’s last words on trial
A Nashville, Tennessee courtroom this week heard the moving last words of Jade Benning, the pregnant girlfriend of a former college football player, during her murder trial. Prosecutors allege that the defendant, Blaise Taylor, poisoned her with cocaine, resulting in the death of her and her unborn baby.
Blaise Taylor, 30, a former Arkansas State University player, faces four counts of murder. He is accused of intentionally administering a fatal dose of cocaine to Jade and her daughter who were waiting in her apartment, on February 25, 2023. The former athlete, who previously served as a scout for the Tennessee Titans, pleads not guilty.
Victim’s final statements shock during court proceedings
The second day of the trial was marked by a testimony that revealed Jade Benning’s last words. Nashville Assistant District Attorney Jan Norman described a call the young woman made to her best friend shortly before she lost consciousness. In the conversation, Jade accused Taylor of having spiked her drink.
“What did you put in my drink?” Jade Benning reportedly said, as Norman reported. “I knew my drink tasted funny. You did it because you didn’t want the baby.” The friend, Nijaiha Jackson, previously recalled the same call during Taylor’s bail hearing in April 2024, describing Jade’s despair before she stopped responding.
The tense phone call that preceded the fatal emergency
Taylor, who was 27 at the time, was the one who called 911 after Benning, who was five months pregnant, lost consciousness in another room. The audio of the call, played for the jury, recorded the former player panting.
“I don’t know, I think she’s having an allergic reaction. We were eating, cooking and talking, and then she said she wasn’t feeling well,” Taylor told the 911 operator around 9:38 p.m. He said he did not know what substances Benning might be allergic to, while paramedics were dispatched to the scene.
The devastating chronology: from the loss of the baby to the death of the young woman
When rescuers arrived about 20 minutes later, they found Jade Benning without a pulse, lying face down on the bed. She was promptly hospitalized and placed on life support, but the tragedy had already begun.
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- February 27, 2023:Jade’s daughter, who would be called Ivy, passed away in the hospital.
- March 6, 2023:Jade Benning died on her 25th birthday.
Prosecutors say Benning’s toxicology results, which indicated an unusual concentration of cocaine, were a first for the Nashville medical examiner’s office. They maintain that Taylor did not want the child.
Disagreement between prosecutors and defense over murder case
Taylor’s defense, on the other hand, portrayed him as a father eager for his baby’s arrival. Attorney Letitia Quinones-Hollins alleged that Benning used drugs and alcohol.
“There was only one person that night who called 911,” Quinones-Hollins argued to jurors. “With all of this medical emergency, all of these things that were happening to this young woman, there was only one person who called the police, who asked for help, and that was Blaise.”
Understand the serious accusations faced by the former athlete
Blaise Taylor is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated murder, which could result in life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. First-degree murder generally implies premeditation, while felony murder occurs when a death results from the commission of another serious crime, such as intentional poisoning, even if the death was not the immediate primary objective.
Since the April 2024 hearing, Taylor has been required to wear a GPS monitor after posting a $2.5 million bond. The trial continues, seeking to clarify the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Jade Benning and her daughter.
