Overview
- On October 9, 2020, prosecutors say Taylor Parker entered Reagan Simmons‑Hancock’s home in New Boston, Texas, killed the 21‑year‑old who was about 35 weeks pregnant, and removed the unborn baby who later died.
- A Bowie County jury convicted Parker of capital murder in October 2022 and sentenced her to death, appeals were rejected including a 2025 appeals‑court ruling, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case in May 2026.
- Investigators and trial testimony showed Parker sustained a months‑long fake pregnancy using padding, forged ultrasounds and staged events, while medical records established she had a prior tubal ligation and hysterectomy that made pregnancy impossible.
- Maternal Instinct, which premiered on Netflix on June 12, 2026, foregrounds interviews with Reagan’s family and others and the director chose not to interview Parker, refocusing public attention on victims and institutional failures.
- The case has left a surviving child and family seeking civil damages and prompted scrutiny of medical confidentiality, hospital access during the pandemic, and how warning signs of deception were missed by people close to Parker.