Netflix documentary Maternal Instinct recounts the horrifying case of Taylor Parker, a Texas wedding photographer who harbored a dreadful secret. The film arrives on the streaming platform this week.
The Case of Taylor Parker
Parker pretended to be pregnant with her boyfriend Wade Griffith, a roofer and hog trapper. She displayed a baby bump on social media, but as the due date neared, friends and family began to doubt. The truth emerged in a shocking crime: Parker murdered her pregnant friend Reagan Simmons-Hancock in 2020 and cut the unborn baby girl, Braxlynn, from her womb. She fled with the deceased infant but was stopped by a State Trooper and arrested.
Parker admitted to faking her pregnancy and planned to pass the child off as her own. She left Simmons-Hancock's three-year-old daughter alone with her dying mother as she escaped. Her deception included placing a pillow under her clothing, fabricating ultrasound scans, hosting a gender-reveal party, and posting updates online.
Where Is Taylor Parker Now?
Parker is on death row after being convicted of capital murder in 2022. She appealed but was denied a new trial in 2025. The documentary explores the case, with Simmons-Hancock's mother Jessica Brookes testifying that she was unaware of the women's close contact until her daughter announced her pregnancy.
In the trailer, one person remarks: "It's unimaginable what she did. I don't even know how to explain it." Maternal Instinct is released on Netflix today.
