The Netflix documentary “Maternal Instinct” returns to the case of Taylor Parker, who was convicted of capital murder in 2022 and is imprisoned at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville as Texas courts exhaust her options. Parker told The New Yorker’s Lawr
On Netflix. “Maternal Instinct” opens on Taylor Parker’s carefully staged life—pregnant in photos. planning for a baby that never existed. But the documentary’s real weight lands years later. after a jury sentence. appeals. and the slow tightening of time for a woman now held in Texas prison. awaiting the end of a case that began with a supposed friendship.
Parker, shown in pictures with her boyfriend Wade Griffin, lived in New Boston, Texas, about 160 miles northeast of Dallas. The couple reportedly hadn’t been together long when Parker told him she was pregnant. saying their baby girl would be born in September 2020. It was a lie. Parker had been unable to have children after a hysterectomy, a fact she never told Griffin. Still. she began buying baby clothes. wore a fake pregnancy belly. and convinced a friend to host a gender reveal party.
Griffin’s family noticed the truth catching up. As Parker’s due date arrived and passed without a baby, Griffin confronted her. Rather than confess, the story turned to violence.
In 2019, Taylor Parker was hired as a photographer for a wedding—Reagan Simmons-Hancock’s wedding to Homer Hancock. Simmons-Hancock’s sister Emily Shirey later described Parker as someone who didn’t feel like a stranger. saying she “almost” seemed like a bridesmaid because she was in so many of their selfies.
After the wedding, the friendship continued. In 2020, Simmons-Hancock became pregnant with her second child, and Parker told her she was pregnant too. Not long before Simmons-Hancock was due. Simmons-Hancock spent time with Parker. and Parker said she would be induced the next day. Simmons-Hancock’s mother. Jessica Brookes. recalled that “Reagan felt like Taylor was probably overwhelmed with everything. ” and that she was trying to be “that one person there for her when nobody else was.”.
The next day, Parker returned to Simmons-Hancock’s house. There, the documentary traces Parker killing Simmons-Hancock, who was 21, and extracting her unborn baby. Simmons-Hancock’s young daughter was still in the house.
Parker then tried to pass the baby off as her own. When the baby wasn’t breathing, she called 911 from her car. Pulled over by police, she told authorities she had just given birth and asked to be taken to the hospital. She even inserted the baby’s umbilical cord into her pants. Doctors at the hospital quickly determined Parker had not given birth and took her into custody.
Simmons-Hancock and her daughter—who she planned to name Braxlynn—did not survive.
What happened in court, and what comes next, has kept the case tied to dates and decisions. A jury convicted Parker of capital murder in 2022 and sentenced her to death. She lost an appeal in November 2025. In May 2026, the Supreme Court declined to review her case.
Parker is currently imprisoned at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, approximately 42 miles west of Waco, awaiting her execution.
The documentary also shows how the courtroom tried to make sense of the brutality. OB/GYN Dr. Christopher Mason became emotional during his testimony, speaking about Parker’s disregard for Simmons-Hancock. He said, “It had to be extremely painful,” adding, “I would not know how anybody could ever do that.”.
Between punishment and denial, Parker’s own words added another layer. In a February 2025 New Yorker story, journalist Lawrence Wright spoke with Parker. She told him she initially didn’t believe the charges. saying. “I told myself. ‘You didn’t do what they said. It’s lies,’” and that her realization came when she had to face the autopsy photos. Parker also described her mindset in prison at the time. saying. “It’s the hardest thing to admit. but I do not believe in going home for myself. My place is here.” She added. “I stand firm on the belief you do not deserve to have something you took from another. That’s part of the acknowledgment and acceptance process on the road to redemption.”.
As the youngest woman on death row in Texas, Parker told Wright she was known as “the baby” because she’s “everybody’s kids’ age.” She remains one of seven female inmates sentenced to death in Texas.
For now, the timeline is still not set. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, her execution date has not yet been scheduled.
Taylor Parker Maternal Instinct Netflix documentary Texas death row Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit capital murder Reagan Simmons-Hancock