Taylor Parker remains on death row in Texas after being convicted of murdering Reagan Simmons-Hancock and stealing her unborn daughter, a case revisited in Netflix's documentary Maternal Instinct. Parker was sentenced to death in November 2022 after being found guilty of capital murder in the killing of 21-year-old Simmons-Hancock. The crime shocked the United States and drew national attention due to the elaborate deception that preceded it.
The Deception
Investigators found that Parker had spent months falsely claiming she was pregnant, despite having undergone a hysterectomy years earlier. She reportedly used fake baby bumps, staged medical appointments and organised a gender reveal celebration to maintain the deception with family and her then-boyfriend, Wade Griffin.
The Crime
On October 9, 2020, Parker travelled to Simmons-Hancock's home in New Boston, Texas. Prosecutors said she stabbed the expectant mother multiple times before removing her unborn child and fleeing the scene. Shortly afterwards, Parker was stopped by police while driving erratically and claimed she had just given birth. Medical staff quickly determined that Parker had not recently delivered a baby. The infant, Braxlynn, was pronounced dead, and Parker was later charged with capital murder, murder and kidnapping.
Netflix Documentary
The Netflix documentary explores Parker's actions leading up to the crime, including her use of numerous aliases, fabricated financial claims and efforts to convince those around her that she was expecting a child.
Current Status
Today, Parker is housed at the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas. Her conviction was upheld on appeal in 2025, and in May 2026 the US Supreme Court declined to review her case. She remains the youngest woman on death row in Texas, where she continues to serve her sentence while the case remains one of the most disturbing crimes.
Maternal Instinct is now available to watch on Netflix.
