Opening statements began in Nashville in the murder trial of Blaise Taylor, the former Tennessee Titans scout accused of poisoning his pregnant girlfriend, 25-year-old Jade Benning, and causing the deaths of Benning and her unborn daughter.

Taylor is facing two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony murder. He has pleaded not guilty. On Day 1, jurors heard two competing versions of what happened on February 25, 2023, the night Taylor called 911 and reported that Benning appeared to be having an allergic reaction.

Prosecutors Say Benning Accused Taylor Before She Became Unresponsive

The State opened by focusing on Benning and Taylor’s relationship, Benning’s pregnancy, and the events leading up to the 911 call.

Prosecutors said Benning and Taylor met on a dating app and began dating in August 2022 while seeing other people. According to the State, Benning learned she was pregnant in November 2022 and told Taylor, who prosecutors said was not interested in becoming a father. Prosecutors said the two then went their separate ways.

The State said Benning later planned a date night with Taylor at her home on February 25, 2023, while she was five months pregnant. During the night, Benning’s friend Nijaiha Jackson stopped by with another friend, Keaunte Jones. Prosecutors said they stayed for about 30 minutes and left.

About an hour and a half later, prosecutors said Benning called Jackson and did not sound like herself. The State said Benning said someone put something in her drink. Prosecutors framed that phone call as one of the most important pieces of the case, quoting Benning as saying, “What did you put in my drink? I knew my drink tasted funny. You did this because you didn’t want the baby.”

Prosecutors also told jurors that Taylor called 911 after first calling his father. Taylor reported that Benning appeared to be having an allergic reaction. Benning was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was placed on life support until March 6.

The State said Benning had a level of cocaine in her system that was higher than anything seen before in any overdose death. Prosecutors said Benning died of acute cocaine toxicity after she was taken off life support.

Prosecutors also told jurors that before Benning’s death, Taylor asked an ex-girlfriend if she could get an abortion pill to put in another girl’s drink.

The Defense Says Benning Never Identified Taylor

The defense gave jurors a different account of the relationship and the emergency.

Defense attorneys said Taylor and Benning began dating again in January to get to know each other because they could possibly be parents. The defense described the relationship as casual in its earlier stages and argued that Taylor became more involved after learning he was likely the father of the baby.

The defense pushed back on the State’s interpretation of Benning’s phone call with Jackson. Attorneys argued that Benning never said Taylor was the person who put something in her drink. They pointed to Jackson’s response by text, saying that when Benning made the accusation, Jackson texted back, “are you talking to me.”

The defense also emphasized that Jackson did not call 911 after getting off the phone with Benning. They argued that Taylor was the person who called for help and stayed at the hospital after Benning became critically ill.

The defense also raised concerns about the apartment scene. Attorneys said that while Taylor stayed at the hospital, one of Jackson’s friends went back to Benning’s apartment. According to the defense, that person removed items, locked the apartment, and brought Benning’s purse and ID to the hospital. Attorneys said police later described the crime scene as contaminated. Beyond Benning’s purse and ID, attorneys did not say on Day 1 whether anything else was taken.

First Responders Testify About Taylor’s Behavior and Benning’s Condition

After opening statements, jurors heard from Nashville Fire Paramedic Marisol Baldwin and other first responders who arrived at Benning’s apartment.

Baldwin and other first responders testified about the scene inside the apartment and Benning’s condition when they arrived. They said Taylor was acting erratic and was not letting them perform life-saving measures on Benning.

First responders deemed the scene unsafe. They testified that their priority became getting Benning out of the apartment as quickly as possible so they could continue trying to help her.

A medic also testified that Benning was found face down on her bed with pink foam around her mouth. Baldwin described Benning as unresponsive and said first responders worked to move her out of the apartment as the emergency unfolded.

That testimony gave jurors their first detailed account of what the scene looked like after Taylor’s 911 call, and it also gave both sides important facts to work with. For prosecutors, the testimony raised questions about Taylor’s behavior during the emergency. For the defense, the larger response timeline still included the fact that Taylor placed the 911 call.

Andrea Browning Testifies About Benning and Her Pregnancy

Andrea Browning, Benning’s stepmother, then testified about who Benning was and how she was preparing for motherhood.

Browning said she saw Benning regularly and had a good relationship with her. She told jurors Benning was okay with having the baby and was preparing to become a mother.

Browning also said Benning did not reference the baby’s father when they talked. Her testimony gave jurors a view of Benning’s pregnancy from inside the family, including Benning’s apparent acceptance of becoming a parent and the preparations she was making before the medical emergency.

Benning’s OB Says There Was No Indication of Drug or Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

After Browning, Benning’s OB testified about Benning’s pregnancy and medical care.

The OB told jurors there was no indication of drug or alcohol use during Benning’s pregnancy. That testimony directly connected to one of the major disputes in the case, because prosecutors allege Benning was poisoned with cocaine, while the defense has suggested jurors should consider questions about drug and alcohol use.

The OB’s testimony became especially important because the State is expected to rely heavily on medical and toxicology evidence as the trial continues.

Judge and Defense Clash Over Text Message Evidence

Court then took a tense turn during a heated exchange between the defense team and the judge over text message evidence.

The dispute centered on information the defense raised while questioning Benning’s OB. The defense asked about a text message suggesting drug use, but after that line of questioning, the defense said the text had actually been sent by someone else.

The exchange led to a tense courtroom standoff with the judge. The moment mattered because it involved evidence tied to one of the defense’s key themes, whether Benning had any history of drug or alcohol use and how that issue should be presented to the jury.

Keaunte Jones Describes Seeing Benning Earlier That Night

Keaunte Jones, an acquaintance of Benning, testified after that. Jones was one of the people who had been at Benning’s apartment earlier on February 25.

Jones testified that he visited Benning’s apartment with Nijaiha Jackson. He said Benning appeared happy, normal, and in good spirits during that visit.

Later that night, Jones said he received frantic phone calls and briefly heard Benning on a three-way call. He described her voice as faint and distressed.

Jones also testified that he spoke with Taylor twice by phone after Benning became ill. According to Jones, Taylor denied harming Benning during those conversations, but Jones said he sensed panic in Taylor’s voice.

His testimony gave jurors another before-and-after comparison: Benning appearing normal earlier in the evening, then sounding faint and distressed later that night.

Another First Responder Describes the Scene and Medical Procedures

Jurors then heard from another first responder who testified about the scene and the procedures performed on Benning.

That testimony continued the emergency-response timeline from inside the apartment to the medical efforts that followed. It also added more detail about what first responders saw, how they assessed Benning’s condition, and what they did as they tried to treat her.

Jurors See Police Body-Camera Footage

Jurors also saw police body-camera footage from officers at the apartment.

The footage showed officers questioning Taylor after first responders arrived. Jurors later saw additional body-camera footage with more questions from another officer.

The body-camera evidence gave jurors a direct look at Taylor’s demeanor and statements close in time to the emergency. It also helped establish what police saw and asked in the early stages of the response.

Where Day 1 Leaves the Trial

Day 1 gave jurors the framework for the case.

Prosecutors say Taylor poisoned Benning during a date night at her apartment and point to the phone call where Benning allegedly said someone put something in her drink. They also previewed evidence about cocaine toxicity, Benning’s pregnancy, and an alleged prior question about putting an abortion pill in another girl’s drink.

The defense says the evidence does not prove Taylor did it. Attorneys emphasized that Benning did not clearly identify Taylor in the phone call, that Jackson did not call 911, that Taylor did call for help, and that the apartment scene later became contaminated.

The first witnesses helped build the timeline from different angles: first responders described the emergency scene, Benning’s stepmother and OB described her pregnancy, Keaunte Jones described seeing her before she became critically ill, and jurors saw body-camera footage of officers questioning Taylor.

The trial is expected to continue with more testimony from investigators, medical experts, and people connected to Benning and Taylor.