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A-State Football Alum Blaise Taylor’s Murder Conviction to be Featured in ’48 Hours’ Special

Photo: Arkansas State University


Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Former Arkansas State University football player and NFL scout Blaise Taylor, who was recently sentenced to life in prison for a double homicide, will be the focus of a new “48 Hours” special airing Saturday night.

According to a press release, the episode, titled “Jade Benning’s Final Call,” airs Oct. 31 at 10 p.m. The broadcast investigates the February 2023 deaths of Taylor’s 24-year-old pregnant girlfriend, Jade, and their unborn child.

Correspondent Natalie Morales will examine how a scheduled date night at Benning’s Nashville apartment ended in a fatal poisoning. The network noted the episode centers on a crucial piece of evidence in Taylor’s murder trial: a phone call Benning made as she was dying.

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Following a trial in Nashville, a jury convicted Taylor in July on charges of first-degree murder and felony murder. A judge later ordered Taylor, 30, to serve two consecutive life sentences.

Before his 2024 arrest, Taylor worked as a scout for the Tennessee Titans. Locally, he is known for his tenure at A-State, where he was a four-year starter, team captain, and earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors.

According to the release, Saturday’s special features interviews with Benning’s best friend, both of Benning’s parents, Taylor’s mother and sister, and the legal teams involved in the case.

Viewers can watch the broadcast on KJNB or stream it on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7.

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