Relatives said the punishment brings a measure of closure while they plan a scholarship to preserve Jade Benning’s memory.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The family of Jade Benning said it will focus on preserving her memory after a judge sentenced former Tennessee Titans scout Blaise Taylor to two consecutive life terms for murdering Benning and the unborn daughter she was carrying.
The Sept. 9 sentencing followed Taylor’s July convictions on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder. Benning was 24 weeks pregnant when she became critically ill in February 2023 after prosecutors said Taylor secretly put a lethal amount of cocaine into a drink he gave her. Her unborn daughter died two days later, and Benning died March 6, 2023, on her 25th birthday.
For Benning’s relatives, the sentencing hearing offered a chance to tell the court how the deaths continued to affect their lives more than three years later. Her mother, Bridget Benning Burks, described the pain of knowing her daughter believed she was safe before she became ill. She also spoke about the lasting absence felt during holidays, anniversaries and ordinary family moments.
Benning’s father, Dennis Browning, said the sentence provided closure in one sense but could not bring his daughter back. After the hearing, he said the family was grateful for the outcome and wanted to turn its attention toward Benning’s legacy rather than remain defined only by the criminal case.
Browning said the family plans to create a scholarship in Benning’s name. The effort would give relatives a way to honor her beyond the courtroom proceedings that have followed her death since 2023. Family and friends embraced after the sentence was announced Wednesday.
The case went to trial this summer in Davidson County. Prosecutors argued that Taylor intentionally poisoned Benning because he did not want to become a father. Jurors heard testimony about the night Benning became ill and medical evidence showing an unusually high concentration of cocaine in her system. Doctors determined that she died of acute cocaine toxicity.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Taylor called 911 as Benning’s condition worsened and told a dispatcher that he thought she might be having an allergic reaction. She was transported to a hospital and placed on life support. Her unborn daughter, whom Benning planned to name Ivy, died Feb. 27. Benning died several days later.
Jurors deliberated for about two hours before unanimously convicting Taylor. They later recommended that he receive life in prison. The consecutive sentences imposed Wednesday apply separately to the two deaths and, according to WSMV, would require Taylor to serve 102 years before he could be released.
Taylor, 30, previously played defensive back at Arkansas State before moving into professional football scouting. He worked for the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2023. Police arrested him in 2024, about a year after Benning died, and the case later proceeded to trial in Nashville.
The sentencing does not end the legal dispute. Taylor’s attorney, Letitia Quinones-Hollins, said the defense intends to appeal and continues to challenge the prosecution’s case. She described the trial as flawed and the sentence as harsh. No appellate ruling has been made, and Taylor remains under the sentences imposed Wednesday.
For Benning’s family, the immediate focus after sentencing has shifted from awaiting a punishment to remembering Benning and the daughter she was expecting. Their planned scholarship is intended to carry that remembrance forward as Taylor’s defense moves into the appeals process.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.