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Former Arkansas State star arrested in poisoning deaths

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Former Arkansas State star arrested in poisoning deaths


Oct 7, 2021; Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves Helmet at Centennial Bank Stadium.
Image: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

A former Arkansas State football star and Tennessee Titans scout has been arrested in last year’s poisoning deaths of his girlfriend and her unborn child in Nashville, Tenn.

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Blaise Taylor, 27, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and arrested by U.S. Marshals on Thursday night in Utah. Nashville police said Taylor is “alleged” to have fathered the child.

Taylor is accused of poisoning Jade Benning at her Nashville apartment on Feb. 25, 2023. She was rushed to a hospital after Taylor called 911 and reported that she was suffering an allergic reaction.

Benning’s 5-month-old fetus died two days later, and she passed away on March 6 — her 25th birthday — without ever speaking to police.

Following months of investigation by police, scientists and the medical examiner, authorities determined Benning had been “poisoned without her knowledge” after Taylor visited her home.

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Taylor was a four-year starter as a defensive back and return specialist at Arkansas State from 2014-17. A captain and first-team All-Sun Belt selection, he set the school record for career punt-return yards (1,151) — returning one for a touchdown in each of those seasons.

Taylor later worked as a scout for the NFL’s Titans for four years before serving as a defensive analyst at Utah State in 2023. Earlier this month, he joined the defensive staff at Texas A&M, where his father, Trooper Taylor, is the Aggies’ running backs coach.

—Field Level Media



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Arkansas

No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals

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No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals



COLLEGE STATION – A victory in the 5,000m by Nick Busienei and third place in the distance medley relay had No. 1 Arkansas leading the team score with 18 points on the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships.

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The Razorbacks produced 12 of those points in the 5,000m as Nick Busienei won the race in a meet record of 13;31.86, which ranks him No. 7 on the UA all-time list. Busienei bettered the meet record of 13:37.52 set by Razorback Patrick Kiprop in 2025.

James Sankei added two more points in placing seventh with a time of 13:44.57.

Dating back to 1992 when Arkansas competed in its first SEC Indoor meet, Busienei claimed the 21st title for the program and is the 14th Razorback to win the indoor 5,000m.

Six more points were added in the distance medley relay as Arkansas posted a time of 9:30.84 from the foursome of Owan Logorodi (2:58.46), Zyaire Nuriddin (46.51), Julian Carter (1:49.10), and Brian Masai (3:56.77).

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South Carolina won the race in 9:30.08 with Ole Miss runner-up in 9:30.34. Florida originally placed third in 9:30.37 but was disqualified for spiking the baton at the conclusion of the race.

Jelani Watkins led the Razorback crew in the 200m prelims as three Arkansas sprinters advanced to the final. Watkins produced an indoor career best of 20.42 rank second overall to a 20.38 by Florida’s Wayna McCoy. Watkins remains No. 2 on the UA all-time list as he improved his previous time of 20.43.

Dapriest Hogans followed with a 20.63 that equaled his career best and his No. 8 ranking on the UA all-time list. Tevijon Williams clocked 20.65 to reach the final where 20.71 was the cutoff time. Jamarion Stubbs ran 20.87 in his prelim heat.

Cooper Williams completed the first day of the heptathlon in sixth place with 2,862 points. He started with a 7.43 in the 60m (736), then added a 21-9.5 (6.64) long jump (729). In the shot put, a mark of 36-8.25 (11.18) picked up 557 points. Williams wrapped up day one by topping the field in the high jump with a clearance of 6-8.25 for 840 points.

Link Lindsey placed 15 in the long jump with a mark of 23-6.75 (7.18).

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Arkansas

The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation

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The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation


“Arkansans have been made better economically, intellectually and socially by letting go of the ‘terrified truculence’ toward outsiders in recent decades. Sadly, as we’ve experienced this sad winter, all signs are that many similar seasons of defiant isolation are in our state’s future,” writes political scholar Jay Barth.



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Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas

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Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas


Authorities in Arkansas have arrested a man accused of being behind the wheel during a January car crash that left one man dead.

Suspect arrested in Arkansas for Dallas hit-and-run

What we know:

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U.S. Marshals tracked down 22-year-old Enrique Hernandez in De Queen, a southwest Arkansas town about three hours away from Dallas and an hour north of Texarkana.

Hernandez has been charged with collision involving death, a second-degree felony, in connection with the case. He is currently being held in an Arkansas jail before he is transferred to a jail in Dallas County.

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What we don’t know:

Dallas police haven’t said if the suspect has any ties to the victim or the area of Arkansas where he was arrested.

The backstory:

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The fatal hit-and-run occurred around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11 near W. Davis St. and N. Westmoreland Dr. in Dallas.

26-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez was dropped off by friends outside his Dallas neighborhood early Sunday morning after celebrating his birthday.

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Surveillance video shows Rodriguez in the media area of the road when a dark-colored SUV hits him and drives away.

Rodriguez was left with severe head trauma, later dying from his injuries.

A bittersweet victory for the family

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What they’re saying:

John Rodriguez, the victim’s father, struggled to find the words to describe the news he received.

“It’s not going to bring him back, bring my son back,” Rodriguez told FOX 4’s Peyton Yager. “It hurts every day, every minute. I wake up every morning, and he is not here. We are really going to miss him.”

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The Rodriguez family worked with police to help find their son’s killer. They found more surveillance video near the scene of the accident that helped authorities find and arrest Hernandez in Arkansas.

“We are going to fight for justice. Long live Johnny, and we are going to keep on fighting,” Rodriguez said.

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The Source: Information in this story came from current and previous FOX 4 reporting.

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