Texas Woman Faked Pregnancy in Obsessive Scheme That Led to Brutal Murder of Pregnant Friend and Unborn Child

New Boston, Texas – In a case that shocked the nation with its calculated deception and unimaginable violence, Taylor Rene Parker was convicted of capital murder for killing her pregnant friend Reagan Simmons-Hancock and cutting the unborn baby from her womb. The horrific crime stemmed from Parker’s desperate, months-long effort to fake an entire pregnancy to keep her boyfriend from leaving her.

Parker, who had undergone a hysterectomy in 2019 and could not have children, went to extreme lengths to maintain the fiction. She used a silicone pregnancy belly, fabricated ultrasound images, hosted a gender-reveal party, and staged maternity photoshoots. She even deceived her boyfriend, Wade Griffin, and many others for nearly a year, claiming she was expecting a baby girl.

On October 9, 2020, Parker drove to the home of 21-year-old Reagan Simmons-Hancock, a friend she had met while photographing her engagement and wedding. Reagan was seven-and-a-half months pregnant with her daughter, Braxlynn. Prosecutors say Parker attacked Reagan in a brutal assault, stabbing her more than 100 times in what investigators described as a scene of extreme violence. Parker then used a scalpel to remove the unborn child from her womb.

Parker later claimed she had given birth on the side of the road and that the baby was not breathing. She arrived at a hospital with the infant and Reagan’s placenta stuffed in her pants to support her story. The baby did not survive.

Investigators quickly connected Parker to the crime scene. Evidence, including her extensive deception about the pregnancy and forensic links, led to her arrest. In 2022, a jury convicted her of capital murder. She was sentenced to death and remains on death row in Texas as appeals continue.

The case has drawn renewed attention with the release of Netflix’s documentary Maternal Instinct, which examines the psychological aspects of Parker’s obsession, the devastating impact on Reagan’s family, and the broader questions of trust and manipulation.