Taylor Parker, a Texas woman who faked a pregnancy for months, brutally murdered a pregnant friend and cut her unborn baby from her womb in a desperate attempt to pass the child off as her own. Parker was convicted of capital murder in 2022 and sentenced to death, a sentence upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2025. The chilling case is now the subject of Netflix's documentary Maternal Instincts.
The Web of Lies Begins
In 2019, after moving to East Texas, Parker presented herself as charming and from a wealthy oil family, claiming she was waiting on a large inheritance. She met local hog trader Wade Griffin in July 2019 and soon moved in with him, spending lavishly on vehicles and discussing a multimillion-dollar ranch purchase. “She just shined,” Griffin said in the documentary. “She just kind of painted a pretty picture for the future.”
Within months, Parker announced she was pregnant with Griffin's child. Friends and family celebrated with a baby shower and photos of her apparent bump. However, those who knew Parker longer were skeptical. She had a history of fabricating illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, cancer, a brain tumor, and a stroke. Unknown to her new community, Parker had undergone a hysterectomy years earlier, making pregnancy impossible.
The Fake Pregnancy Unravels
Parker wore a silicone baby bump, produced fake ultrasound scans, shared medical paperwork, and even selected a baby name. When one of Griffin's friends contacted Parker's mother, the truth emerged. “I’ve been waiting on this phone call,” her mother said. “Taylor cannot have kids. She’s had a hysterectomy ... and there is no money at all anywhere.”
Meanwhile, Parker had befriended Reagan Simmons-Hancock, a 21-year-old wedding photographer, in September 2019. Both women appeared to become pregnant in early 2020, and Simmons-Hancock defended Parker when others questioned her pregnancy. As Parker's supposed due date in September passed, she grew desperate to prove she had given birth.
The Murder and Its Aftermath
On October 7, 2020, Parker spent the day with Simmons-Hancock, who was 35 weeks pregnant. Two days later, Simmons-Hancock stopped responding to calls. Her mother found the garage door open, signs of a violent attack, and Simmons-Hancock's three-year-old daughter hiding under a bedcovers. That same day, Parker called emergency services from a highway, claiming she had just given birth and the baby was not breathing. Officers found her performing CPR on a newborn, but doctors determined she had not recently given birth.
Investigators uncovered the truth: Parker had killed Simmons-Hancock and cut her unborn baby from her womb to pass off as her own. The baby did not survive. “It was unimaginable, what she did,” Griffin said.
Legal Proceedings and Fetal Abduction Context
Parker, 33, was charged with capital murder and convicted in October 2022. Her legal team did not dispute the crime but sought a lesser sentence. In 2025, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld her conviction and death sentence. She continues to pursue appeals.
The crime, known as fetal abduction, is rare. According to the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, only 24 cases have been recorded in the US since 1974. In Australia, criminal lawyer Avinash Singh notes that fetal abduction is an offense under Section 87 of the Crimes Act 1900, involving taking or detaining a child without parental consent. “The Taylor Parker case seems to have captured the public’s attention because of the heinous nature of the crime and questions around what would motivate a person to commit such an act,” Singh said.
