Former College Football Player and Texas A&M Analyst Blaise Taylor Charged with Poisoning Deaths of Girlfriend and Unborn Child
Blaise Taylor, a former college football player and current analyst at Texas A&M University, was arrested in Utah on Thursday following indictments from a Nashville grand jury for the poisoning deaths of his girlfriend and her five-month-old fetus. Taylor, 26, is accused of fathering the child.
The tragic events unfolded on February 25, 2023, when Taylor allegedly poisoned his girlfriend, Benning, while they were at her apartment in Lebanon Pike. Unaware of the harm she had been subjected to, Benning was rushed to the hospital that night as Taylor called emergency services claiming she was experiencing an allergic reaction. However, her unborn baby died just two days later, and Benning succumbed to her injuries on March 6, 2023.
Taylor has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the alleged poisoning deaths, and he is currently held without bail at the Cache County Jail in Logan, Utah. No attorney is listed for him in the jail records.
The Nashville Police Department has remained tight-lipped regarding the nature of the alleged poisoning, only stating that “months of investigation” led to this outcome. The Homicide Unit Detective Adam Reese spearheaded the investigation, involving scientists from crime laboratories and doctors from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Shortly after Benning’s death, Taylor relocated to Utah. The Nashville police are collaborating with their Utah counterparts to arrange Taylor’s return for further questioning and legal proceedings.
A defensive back at Arkansas State from 2014 to 2017, Taylor started every keyboards during his tenure while his father, Trooper Taylor, was a defensive backs coach at the school. Trooper Taylor now serves as an associate head coach and running backs coach at Texas A&M. He has amassed over three decades of coaching experience, including tenures at Baylor, New Mexico, Tulane, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, and Auburn during their 2010 BCS National Championship run.
Texas A&M released a statement expressing their condolences for all those affected by the situation and supporting Coach Trooper Taylor, Dr. Evelyn Taylor, and their family during this difficult time. Taylor was placed on suspension from his role at the university pending an investigation.
Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko conveyed, “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking situation, including the family and friends of the victim. It’s essential to allow the courts to handle this situation with the diligence and fairness it demands.”
No additional details have been released regarding the incident or investigation at this time.
