Texas mother Taylor Parker celebrated the gender reveal of her unborn child with then-boyfriend Wade Griffin and claimed they would build a life together with expansive property and a large inheritance.
Except none of it—including the pregnancy—was true, and Parker turned to a horrific, deadly scheme to keep the charade alive.
Parker was convicted of capital murder for the brutal killing of young mother Reagan Simmons-Hancock in October 2020 and cutting her unborn child from her womb in an attempt to pass the baby off as her own. The unusual events leading up to the fatal confrontation and the aftermath are the subject of Maternal Instinct, an investigative documentary streaming on Netflix starting Friday, June 12.
Now 33, Parker is on death row awaiting word of her execution as the macabre case enters the spotlight once again. Here’s what you need to know about her background and life behind bars today.
Who Is Taylor Parker?
Parker was born on December 8, 1992, and is listed as a native of Titus County, Texas. Little is publicly known about her early life.
According to court testimony from her brother, Zachary Morton, Parker’s parents—Shona Prior and Mark Morton—divorced sometime during her childhood. Zachary accused Mark of inattentive behavior as a parent, a trend he later witnessed with Parker and her own children. “When dad was chasing other women or drugs, we were put on the back burner,” he explained in court. “It seemed like when Taylor was chasing another man, instead of the focus being on her children, it was on herself. It was all about her at one specific time.”
Parker is twice-divorced, with previous marriages to Tommy Wacasey and Hunter Parker, according to Oxygen. She has at least one daughter and one son; she willingly conceded custody of the latter during her divorce settlement with Wacasey.
Parker worked office jobs at a staffing agency and an obstetrician-gynecologist clinic, per KTAL. However, family and acquaintances claim Parker has repeatedly lied about her background and health history in order to maintain romantic relationships. She purported she is due an inheritance along with millions of dollars in oil and gas royalties from a family business, but this is untrue.
Parker underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight in 2014, which her brother testified was a turning point in her behavior. She also had a tubal ligation that same year and a hysterectomy in 2015—leaving her unable to have children. However, Parker continued to claim otherwise to fool an ex-boyfriend.
How Did Taylor Parker Meet Boyfriend Wade Griffin?
In 2019, Parker met Wade Griffin—a roofer, welder, and hog-trapper—at a rodeo, and the pair began a relationship. Although Parker had a seemingly affable personality, those around Griffin sensed something might be off. “She seemed to want a close relationship. I could not tell if he wanted that or was standing back. There were some red flags. One was that she didn’t have custody of her son,” his mother, Connie Griffin, testified in court.
Parker involved Griffin in her alleged schemes. Claiming she was an heir to the Blackburn syrup fortune, Parker attempted to complete a real estate deal worth as much as $20 million. An agent testified Parker viewed a property listed at $4.7 million with Griffin and included both of their names in the agreed-upon contract—with Parker using the name Taylor Parker-Griffin, though they were not married.
More disturbingly, Parker began claiming she was pregnant—as Griffin had no knowledge of her previous medical procedures. According to prosecutors, she used a pillow to fake her pregnancy belly, faked ultrasounds, and purchased baby clothes and other care items. The couple even held a gender reveal party.
Connie suspected the situation was a con, but testified her son “doesn’t know about pregnancy” and was convinced Parker had been telling the truth. As her made-up due date approached, Parker turned to a deadly scheme to keep the ruse going.
How Did Taylor Parker Kill Reagan Simmons-Hancock?
In the meantime, Parker befriended 21-year-old Reagan Simmons-Hancock of New Boston, Texas, near the Oklahoma and Arkansas borders. According to Reagan’s husband, Homer Hancock, Parker had taken their engagement and wedding photos.
On October 9, 2020, the pregnant Simmons-Hancock was killed inside her home. Simmons-Hancock was slashed more than 100 times and left in a pool of blood, with her unborn baby Braxlynn Sage Hancock cut from her womb, according to the Associated Press. She was also beaten with a hammer. Simmons-Hancock’s 3-year-old daughter was in the home at the time, but left unharmed.
It turns out Parker was responsible for the attack as an attempt to steal Braxlynn as her own child. That same day, police pulled Parker over for speeding and driving erratically, and she claimed she had just given birth. Both were taken to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where Braxlynn was pronounced dead. Upon an external exam, it was confirmed that Parker had no uterus, and it was quickly confirmed by DNA testing Braxlynn was not her biological child—immediately leading authorities to suspect her in Simmons-Hancock’s murder.
Parker was arrested, and a grand jury indicted her later that year on charges of kidnapping and capital murder for the deaths of Simmons-Hancock and her daughter. She pleaded not guilty.
What Happened at Taylor Parker’s Trial?
Parker was convicted of capital murder on October 3, 2022, and the sentencing phase of her trial began, according to KSLA.com. Jurors heard from 142 witnesses over the course of 25 days.
The defense argued the fetus of Braxlynn wasn’t alive and breathing at the time of Simmons-Hancock’s death; therefore, a kidnapping didn’t occur and asked for an acquittal of the capital murder charges. However, a doctor for the prosecution testified baby Braxlynn arrived at the hospital with a heartbeat.
Ultimately, the charge held, and Parker was sentenced to death. “I’m overwhelmed with happiness it’s over because she has been such a burden in our life for so long now that I haven’t been able to think about my sister without thinking about her,” Simmons-Hancock’s sister Emily Simmons said while addressing Parker and the court.
Where Is Taylor Parker Now?
Parker is on death row at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She is eligible for inmate visitation.
The prison is the same facility where Yolanda Saldívar, the convicted killer of Tejano music superstar Selena Quintanilla, is currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.
As of November 2022, Parker is one of only seven women on death row in Texas. None of them are currently scheduled for execution. Only six women total have been executed in the state since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, according to WKRG.
While Parker’s behavior at O’Daniel has been kept relatively private, details of her time at a Bowie County, Texas, jail prior to her sentencing have emerged. Court documents showed Parker “repeatedly and continuously engaged in criminal behavior, violations of jail policy, and has continued her fraudulent pattern of lying and misrepresenting most all aspects of her medical history and medical status,” according to an October 2022 report from WLBT 3. Parker reportedly “ripped up” or modified her jail clothing to make it more revealing, and prosecutors said she maintained romantic relationships with both male and female inmates.
In November 2025, Parker’s appeal of her kidnapping conviction was denied. More recently, in May 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a plea to hear Parker’s case without explanation regarding her death sentence. This means that Parker is still on death row and awaiting information on when her execution might take place.
Watch Maternal Instinct on Netflix Starting June 12
Netflix has confirmed few details about the documentary, including whether Parker was asked to participate. Her ex-boyfriend Griffin appears throughout the trailer, hinting at a new interview.
Maternal Instinct begins streaming Friday, June 12, on Netflix and is directed by Jessica Dimmock.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
