True crime enthusiasts have been left thoroughly shaken by Netflix's latest documentary, Maternal Instinct. The factual film, released on 12 June, chronicles the chilling case of Taylor Parker, who on the surface appeared to have everything as she and her partner Wade Griffin eagerly awaited the arrival of their first child, reports the Mirror.
Parker proudly flaunted her pregnancy across social media and even hosted a gender reveal party in celebration. Yet as Parker's due date crept ever closer, those around her began raising serious questions about the pregnancy. When the truth finally came to light, it proved far more sinister and disturbing than anybody could have possibly imagined.
WARNING: This article contains references to baby loss and other details that some readers may find distressing.
Maternal Instinct opens with footage of Parker contacting the emergency services while driving with a newborn infant in her lap.
She is stopped by a State Trooper and claims she has just given birth and urgently needs to reach hospital to have her baby examined.
Upon arriving at hospital, medical staff swiftly determine that Parker has not given birth and displays no evidence of having been pregnant. She is detained and subjected to police questioning regarding the origins of the infant.
Tragically, the baby passed away after being brought to hospital.
Parker had in fact murdered the baby's mother Reagan Simmons-Hancock and removed the unborn baby girl Braxlynn from her womb. Parker then fled the scene of the crime, taking baby Braxlynn with her, while victim Simmons-Hancock was left to die alone alongside her three year old daughter.
Prior to Simmons-Hancock's tragic death, Parker had grown close to her upon learning of her pregnancy, even going so far as to take Simmons-Hancock's engagement and wedding photographs.
As the documentary reveals, the pregnancy hoax was merely one thread in Parker's vast web of deceit, which also encompassed fabrications about her finances, health conditions and family relationships.
Before her relationship with Wade, Parker had undergone a permanent sterilisation procedure that physically blocked her fallopian tubes. Some eighteen months later, doctors discovered a cyst on one of her ovaries, leading to a hysterectomy — the complete removal of the uterus — which rendered pregnancy a biological impossibility.
Once Parker's elaborate story rapidly fell apart and the truth emerged, she was swiftly arrested and brought to trial. In 2022, she was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.
Despite launching appeals against her convictions, she currently remains on death row in Texas.
The Sands National Helpline provides support for anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby. The telephone helpline is free to call from landlines and mobiles on 0808 164 3332.
Maternal Instinct is streaming on Netflix now
