Taylor Parker, the youngest woman on Texas's death row, committed a crime in October 2020 that involved killing her 21-year-old friend, Reagan Simmons-Hancock, and removing her unborn daughter from her womb. New court records examined by the Daily Mail detail conflicting expert testimony regarding Parker's mental state and its potential role in the meticulously planned murder. A neurologist who examined Parker concluded that she suffered from frontal lobe syndrome, a condition affecting impulse control, judgment, and emotional regulation, which he suggested contributed to her actions. However, a psychologist who testified for the prosecution countered that Parker exhibited psychopathic traits, including pathological lying, manipulativeness, and a lack of remorse, and raised concerns about malingering.
A Deceptive Pregnancy and a Brutal Attack
The crime was the culmination of an elaborate scheme by Parker, 33, to fake a pregnancy for nearly ten months. Despite having undergone a hysterectomy in 2014, she convinced her boyfriend, friends, and community she was pregnant, using fake ultrasound images and a silicone baby bump. Her deception unraveled as her fictitious due date approached, leading prosecutors to believe she began searching for a way to obtain a baby. Parker targeted Simmons-Hancock, whom she had met when hired as a wedding photographer. The two women had grown close, with Simmons-Hancock believing they were both expecting daughters. On October 9, 2020, Parker traveled to Simmons-Hancock's home in New Boston, Texas, where she attacked her. An autopsy revealed Simmons-Hancock suffered over 100 sharp-force and blunt-force injuries before Parker used a scalpel to remove the unborn child. Simmons-Hancock died slowly in front of her three-year-old daughter.
Post-Attack Actions and Conflicting Diagnoses
Following the attack, Parker took Simmons-Hancock's baby and drove to Oklahoma, where she was found by police pulled over and performing CPR on the infant, claiming she had just given birth in her car. Hospital scans revealed she had never been pregnant. The infant later died, and Parker was arrested. Court records indicate prosecutors presented evidence of Parker's extensive Google searches for hospitals, clinics, and locations where pregnant women and infants might be found, suggesting her victim search spanned Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. They also noted her research into childbirth procedures.
During the trial, neurologist Dr. Siddhartha Nadkarni testified that brain scans of Parker revealed significant gaps between the folds of her brain, indicating cerebral atrophy, or tissue loss, which he believed contributed to her disinhibition and impulsivity. He argued that individuals with frontal lobe dysfunction can still formulate and execute detailed plans, even criminal ones. In contrast, psychologist Dr. Timothy Proctor found no evidence of a mental disease that explained her actions, instead diagnosing psychopathic traits. Psychiatrist Dr. Edward Gripon testified that Parker displayed traits of several personality disorders but did not meet full diagnostic criteria, describing her behavior as a mental condition rather than a formal disorder. He predicted she would remain manipulative and dishonest.
Parker is currently incarcerated on death row at the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, with no execution date scheduled. Her case was recently featured in the Netflix documentary "Maternal Instinct."