A Texas woman, Taylor Parker, has been convicted of capital murder for killing her friend, Reagan Simmons-Hancock, and abducting her unborn child. Parker had faked her own pregnancy for 10 months, deceiving her friends and family, including her boyfriend, Wade Griffin.

The Deception

Parker had met Simmons-Hancock while searching for a wedding photographer and had formed a friendship with her. When Simmons-Hancock became pregnant, Parker claimed she was also expecting, and the two women bonded over their supposed pregnancies. However, Parker’s pregnancy was a lie, and she had undergone a hysterectomy years earlier.

Parker’s deception was elaborate, involving fake ultrasound images, staged medical appointments, and a fake baby bump. She even held a gender-reveal party and prepared a nursery for the baby. Despite the deception, Simmons-Hancock’s family described her as an exceptional mother and a loving wife.

The Tragedy

On October 9, 2020, Simmons-Hancock was found dead in her home, with over 100 sharp-force injuries and her skull crushed with a hammer. Her unborn child, Braxlynn Sage, was cut from her womb and later died. Parker was arrested and charged with capital murder and kidnapping.

Parker’s attorneys argued that the baby was never alive, but medical professionals testified that the infant had a heartbeat when born. Parker is now on Texas death row, and her case is the subject of a Netflix true-crime documentary, ‘Maternal Instinct’.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.