Nashville Chef’s Last Call Raises Doubts in Ex-Football Scout’s Murder Trial

POLICY WIRE — Nashville, USA — The mysterious death of a young professional chef in Nashville has centered on a chilling final phone call that prosecutors say casts doubt on her then-boyfriend. Jade Benning, a 24-year-old culinary professional who was months pregnant at the time, allegedly claimed her drink tasted “funny” just before her health collapsed in 2023.

Nashville Assistant District Attorney Jan Norman laid out the evidence on the second day of the trial, highlighting the conversation Benning had with her childhood best friend, Nijaiha Jackson. This voicemail has emerged as a pivotal piece of evidence, suggesting the victim accused the suspect of spiking her beverage before she became severely ill.

Benning’s death occurred under complicated circumstances at a Nashville hospital in March 2023, leaving her family and friends grappling with grief. Investigators turned their attention to Blaise Taylor, Benning’s partner, who had a background as a football scout and a former player at Arkansas State University. She had been preparing to welcome a daughter named Ivy into the world with Taylor.

Taylor, who was 26 years old at the time of the incident, had served as an assistant football scout for the Tennessee Titans. The pair had planned a private date at Benning’s apartment on February 25, 2023, an evening that would end in tragedy and launch a high-profile criminal investigation.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the case has attracted national attention from television networks. The matter is set to be highlighted in an upcoming episode of CBS’s 48 Hours, joining other high-profile legal stories in the network’s lineup for October 31.

The episode will examine the details of the murder conviction and the surrounding scandal, providing a deeper look into the life of the chef and the events leading to her death.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)