Blaise Taylor Update (Sept. 2026): Two Back-to-Back Life Sentences for Ex-NFL Scout

Blaise Taylor's résumé used to be all football: a playing career at Arkansas State, four years in the Tennessee Titans' scouting department, then a defensive analyst job at the University of Utah. On Sept. 9, 2026, a Nashville judge made sure it will mean something else for the rest of his life.

Taylor, 30, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 22 years for the deaths of his pregnant girlfriend, Jade Benning, and their unborn daughter. His lawyer says an appeal is coming.

What sentence did Blaise Taylor get?

Two life sentences to be served back to back, plus 22 years, according to WSMV and FOX 17 in Nashville. The jury had already set life on the three first-degree counts in July; what the judge decided on Sept. 9 was whether those terms would overlap.

They won't. Benning's family had told reporters they hoped for life without parole. What they got works out close to it.

Does he ever get out?

In practical terms, no. A life sentence in Tennessee requires 51 years in custody before release eligibility.

Stack two of those and the minimum is 102 years, before counting the additional 22-year term. That's our arithmetic, and it lands where legal commentators did: the practical gap between this and life without parole is mostly on paper.

What was he convicted of?

Four counts: second-degree murder of Benning, first-degree premeditated murder of the unborn child, and two counts of first-degree felony murder, one for each death. Tennessee law allows a homicide charge for the death of a fetus, which is why a single event produced two sets of murder counts.

Jurors deliberated for a little over two hours. Prosecutors had argued Taylor put cocaine in a drink he gave Benning because he did not want the child. A key piece of evidence was a late-night call Benning made to a friend, saying her drink tasted wrong.

What did the defense argue?

Attorney Letitia Quinones-Hollins told jurors the medical examiner could not settle the manner of death and that the timeline cut against premeditation.

After sentencing she called it a flawed trial of a weak case. Taylor has maintained he is innocent.

What happens next in the Blaise Taylor case?

In Tennessee, the usual first step is a motion for a new trial before the same court. If that fails, the case moves to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, and murder appeals there often take a year or more.

Taylor stays in custody the entire time. He will serve the sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction.

👉 The next thing to watch is the new-trial motion. Nothing changes for Taylor unless a court grants one.

Where does this sit among this week's case news?

It's the rare case this month that actually reached the end of a trial court. Most of what we've tracked is still mid-stream: the Jared Bridegan murder-for-hire case in Florida is fighting over a phone, and Bryan Kohberger is trying to undo a guilty plea.

For a look at how long "life" can really mean, compare the Menendez brothers' parole timeline or Rex Heuermann's life-without-parole sentence in New York.

The three newsmagazines are mostly dark until the fall premieres; next week's grid has the details, and the how-to-watch guide covers channels and streaming.

FAQ

How long is Blaise Taylor's sentence? Two consecutive life sentences plus 22 years. Each Tennessee life term carries 51 years before release eligibility.

Who was Jade Benning? Taylor's girlfriend, who was pregnant with their daughter. She died March 6, 2023, on her 25th birthday.

Is Blaise Taylor appealing? His attorney said after sentencing that they will appeal.

More updates are in our case files.

Sources

• WSMV — Former NFL scout to serve 2 life sentences (Sept. 9, 2026)
• FOX 17 Nashville — Blaise Taylor sentenced to life in prison
• FOX 17 Nashville — Taylor convicted on all counts (July 1, 2026)
• Office of the District Attorney General, Nashville — Former NFL scout found guilty
• KBTX — Blaise Taylor convicted of murdering pregnant girlfriend

By the True Crime On Air desk · Updated 8:50 a.m. ET