NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – After only two hours of deliberation, jurors unanimously decided to convict Blaise Taylor of murder. Hours later, they recommended he receive life in prison.
Blaise Tayor is the son of Texas A&M’s current Associate Offensive Head Coach, Trooper Taylor
The group began deliberating his conviction just before noon Wednesday on whether they would convict the former collegiate athlete-turned-NFL scout of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder.
He was accused of slipping a fatal dose of cocaine into a drink he gave his pregnant girlfriend, Jade Benning, in 2023. The pregnancy was ultimately lost and Benning died in the hospital.
“Is it possible that there were never any drugs in these glasses”(WSMV)
What was the result of the Blaise Taylor trial?
At about 2:20 p.m., the jury returned to the courtroom and the foreperson read aloud the verdict: guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jade Benning, guilty of first-degree premeditated murder in the death of her unborn baby and guilty on both counts of felony murder.
Each juror then affirmed their decision to the judge.
The verdict means the jury decided to convict Taylor of a lesser charge than prosecutors were aiming for in Benning’s murder. Neither the jurors nor the judge have commented on the reduction, but they are expected to return shortly, after leaving the room for a brief recess.
Shortly before 6 p.m., the jury recommended that Taylor now being sentenced to life in prison. Sentencing is set for September 9.
Following the conviction, Taylor’s attorney’s said in a statement that he maintains his innocence and that they will continue “working to prove that.” See the full statement here:
While we respect the jury system and the process, we must also respectfully disagree with today’s verdict and plan to appeal the decision because Blaise did not do this. He maintains that he is innocent and we will continue working to prove that. We understand and respect the pain that Ms. Benning’s family and friends feel over her tragic death and the death of her unborn baby, but putting an innocent man behind bars is also a tragedy.
Letitia Quinones-Hollins, Blaise Taylor’s Attorney
Sobs rang out through the courtroom after the verdict was read, apparently from both sides of the room.
The verdict follows Wednesday’s closing statements, which were the last chance for attorneys on both sides to try to convince the jury to side with them. They concluded just before noon.
The closing arguments were the culmination of a taxing trial that has given jurors little rest. The group was called back into court on Saturday to hear the last testimony before the prosecution rested. Their only respite since testimony began last week was on Sunday.
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This week, the defense began its case. Taylor ultimately declined to take the stand in his own defense, invoking his right to remain silent.
The defense strategy on Monday and Tuesday was to attempt to cast doubt on how illicit drugs ended up in Benning’s system.
On Tuesday, a medical examiner testified as a defense witness that cocaine, fentanyl and cocaethylene were found in vomit on Benning’s comforter.
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