In 2020, a Texas woman named Taylor Rene Parker was convicted for slitting the stomach of a pregnant woman and stealing the baby – both the woman and baby later died. On Monday, a jury found Parker guilty of murder and capital murder. She’s now facing the death penalty.
It all started when Taylor Rene Parker announced her pregnancy to her boyfriend – going as far as having a gender reveal. Of course, Parker wasn’t pregnant and, instead, had a much more horrific and gruesome plan. On October 9, 2020, she followed through with that tragic plan.
She came across Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock, 21, who was 34 weeks pregnant. Parker slit the woman’s stomach open and stole the baby before driving off. The woman called 911 and Parker was later found with the baby in her car at a traffic stop – umbilical cord still attached.
According to the affidavit, “the umbilical cord was connected to the infant, which appeared to be coming out of the female’s pants, as if she gave birth.” Parker and the baby were taken to the hospital, where she admitted to stealing the baby. Not long after that, the baby passed away.
Defense Team Argues Against Capital Murder for Taylor Rene Parker
During the three-week testimony, Parker’s attorneys attempted to argue that their client couldn’t be charged with capital murder because you can’t kidnap an unborn child – a stretch, I know. Medical professionals argued that the baby had a heartbeat at the time of the kidnapping.
Luckily, the jury wasn’t buying what Parker’s defense team was suggesting and they ultimately found the 29-year-old guilty of capital murder. Here’s a snippet of what Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards said to the jury during the trial:
“When Taylor had the baby and Reagan was still alive, that’s when Taylor started slashing and cutting. She can’t leave her alive. It was no quick death. She just kept cutting her. I guess Reagan would not die fast enough for Taylor to get out of there and get on with her plans.”
The attack also included several blows to the head, which left the victim’s skull compressed into her brain. As of right now, Taylor Rene Parker is facing the death penalty, though it’s more likely she receives life in prison without parole. Either way, she won’t be a part of society any longer.
“We have methodically laid out what she (Parker) did, why she did it, all the moving parts, and all the collateral damage. The best evidence the state of Texas has that baby was born alive is that Taylor Parker said it wasn’t,” added Kelley Crisp, prosecutor for Simmons-Hancock’s team.
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We should be learning more about the sentencing of Taylor Rene Parker on October 12th, which is when the next phase of punishment is scheduled to begin. Stay tuned for more updates!
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