The Netflix documentary Maternal Instinct, which began streaming on June 12, examines the troubled background of convicted killer Taylor Parker and her deadly attack on Reagan Simmons-Hancock and her unborn daughter.
In October 2020, Parker—a friend who had taken Simmons-Hancock’s engagement and wedding photos—attacked and killed the 21-year-old mother inside her New Boston, Texas, home. Parker also cut Simmons-Hancock’s daughter, Braxlynn Sage Hancock, from the womb as the final step of an elaborate fake pregnancy scheme that duped her ex-boyfriend, Wade Griffin.
The shocking case landed Parker on death row with a capital murder conviction and left Simmons-Hancock’s mother, husband, and other family members desperate for answers. Here’s everything we know about their relationship with Simmons-Hancock and their response to her tragic death.
Where Was Reagan Simmons-Hancock From?
Simmons-Hancock was born November 14, 1998, in Hope, Arkansas, according to her obituary from the Bates-Rolf Funeral Home in New Boston.
Her mother, Jessica Brookes, offered a glimpse at her early life in a January 2026 interview with Texarkana Magazine. She described Simmons-Hancock as a “very sweet, sweet child” who didn’t care about toys but was into shoes and fashion. She was the second oldest of four siblings in a blended family.
“Reagan always had the biggest heart,” Brookes said. “But she could be a little spitfire, too. She was sweet as sugar one minute and all attitude the next.”
Simmons-Hancock was a member of the J-C Cowboy Church in Lewisville, Arkansas, and worked at Flying Burger & Seafood of Texarkana, Texas.
How Many Children Did Reagan Simmons-Hancock Have?
Simmons-Hancock first became pregnant at age 17 and was initially “freaked out,” but the family saw her child as a blessing and supported her, per the Texarkana Magazine interview. Her first daughter, Kynlee, was born in 2017.
“She was the best mama I have ever known,” Brookes said.
Simmons-Hancock later met and married Homer Hancock, and she became pregnant again. Kynlee helped share the big news, revealing she had a little sister on the way in a video clip with her mother.
This was Braxlynn Sage Hancock, the unborn daughter who would become the focal point of Taylor Parker’s deadly attack.
How Did Reagan Simmons-Hancock Meet Taylor Parker?
Simmons-Hancock met Parker when she was looking for a photographer for her engagement and 2019 wedding to Homer, according to the documentary.
“She said one of her friends had recommended her and she was trying to stay budget-friendly, so this person was ideal for that, and her name was Taylor Parker,” Brookes said in Maternal Instinct. “Very polite young lady. The moments she captured of Reagan and the wedding were absolutely beautiful.”
“It almost felt like she’s a bridesmaid at one point, because she was in all of our selfies,” Simmons-Hancock’s sister Emily Shirey added.
Parker didn’t offer up much about her personal life to Simmons-Hancock and her family. She was twice married and divorced by 2019 and, that year, began a relationship with her ex-boyfriend Wade Griffin. Brookes only recalled her daughter saying that Parker was “going through some difficulties with her ex-husband.”
What Happened During Reagan Simmons-Hancock’s Murder?
According to Brookes, she sensed something was wrong when the pregnant Simmons-Hancock didn’t report to work the morning of October 9, 2020, and didn’t drop Kynlee off at daycare.
Brookes went to her daughter’s home in New Boston and discovered blood streaks outside and a bloody handprint. Inside the house, a much more gruesome scene awaited: Simmons-Hancock had been viciously attacked with more than 100 slash wounds and blunt trauma from a hammer.
Brookes didn’t initially realize the extent of her daughter’s injuries, and, while waiting on the scene, deduced through a news article posted to Facebook around 11:30 a.m. that Braxlynn had been abducted from the womb. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma. Thankfully, a family member found Kynlee unharmed inside the house and hiding under a blanket.
Eventually, investigators identified Parker—who was in Simmons-Hancock’s home the night prior—as the suspect in the apparent murder. It turned out she had faked a pregnancy to maintain her relationship with Griffin and had attempted to steal Braxlynn as her own child.
Parker, a mother of two, was unable to have more children, as she had previously undergone a tubal ligation and hysterectomy.
What Did Reagan Simmons-Hancock’s Family Say at Taylor Parker’s Trial?
Parker was ultimately convicted of capital murder for Simmons-Hancock’s killing in October 2022 and sentenced to death. After multiple failed appeals, she is currently on death row at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas.
In an impact statement addressed to Parker, Brookes described her as an “evil piece of flesh demon.”
“My baby was alive still fighting for her babies when you tore her open and ripped her baby from her stomach,” she added, according to Click2Houston.com.
“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,” Shirey said in her own statement.
What Happened to Reagan Simmons-Hancock’s Daughter Kynlee?
According to Texarkana Magazine, Kynlee is 8 years old as of 2026 and, as Brookes describes, bears a striking resemblance to Simmons-Hancock.
“We remind her all the time what a good mommy she had. We would be doing an injustice to Reagan if we didn’t,” Brookes said of Kynlee.
Simmons-Hancock’s sister Shirey later married and had her own daughter, Haisley. The child’s middle name is Michelle to honor the late Simmons-Hancock.
Watch Maternal Instinct Now on Netflix
You can learn more about Simmons-Hancock’s early life and the aftermath of her murder by watching Maternal Instinct. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
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.
