Son of former Tennessee Vols assistant coach arrested for first degree murder

Blaise Taylor, the son of former Tennessee Vols assistant coach Trooper Taylor, was arrested for first degree murder on Thursday evening in Utah. 

According to Nashville.gov, Taylor is being charged in Nashville with two counts of first degree murder for the poisoning death of his girlfriend and the couple's unborn child.  

From Nashville.gov: Deputy United States Marshals, at the request of the MNPD, this evening arrested Blaise A. Taylor, 27, in Utah on a Nashville grand jury indictment charging him with two counts of first-degree murder for the poisoning deaths of his girlfriend and her five-month-old fetus which Taylor is alleged to have fathered.

Jade Benning died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on March 6, 2023, her 25th birthday. She was rushed to the hospital by ambulance on the night of February 25, 2023, after Taylor telephoned 911 at 9:38 p.m., said Benning appeared to be having an allergic reaction, and asked for paramedics. Benning’s medical condition immediately became critical. Her unborn fetus died on February 27, 2023. Benning was not able to be interviewed by police before she died.

Months of investigation, led by Homicide Unit Detective Adam Reese and involving scientists from crime laboratories and doctors from the Medical Examiner’s Office, led to Wednesday’s return of the murder indictment against Taylor. He is alleged to have poisoned Benning without her knowledge while visiting her Lebanon Pike apartment on the night of February 25.

Taylor played college football at Arkansas State from 2014 to 2017. He served as a graduate assistant at Duke in 2018 and 2019 under former Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe. Taylor also spent time working with the Tennessee Titans before landing at Utah State as senior defensive analyst in 2023. He was set to join Texas A&M's staff as a defensive analyst for the 2024 season. 

Taylor's father, Trooper, was an assistant at Tennessee under Phillip Fulmer from 2004 to 2007, working under Cutcliffe for two of those seasons. Trooper later joined Cutcliffe at Duke from 2018 to 2021 (Trooper remained at Duke through 2023 after Cutcliffe's retirement in late 2021).