Taylor Rene Parker: Texas woman found guilty of killing pregnant friend and ripping out her unborn baby
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion is advised
NEW BOSTON, TEXAS: Taylor Rene Parker, a Texas woman is convicted of killing a pregnant woman, Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock, and kidnapping her unborn baby by cutting her straight from the womb which happened on October 2020.
Taylor also known as Morton and Griffin, had previously pleaded not guilty to capital murder and kidnapping, and non-capital murder in connection with the infant, reports DailyMail. The verdict of Taylor came in after a gruesome testimony that lasted for almost three weeks.
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According to ABC News, in front of the Bowie County jury in northeast Texas, the prosecutor of Taylor, Jeff Harrelson claimed that the baby was never alive. Thereby requested to dismiss the kidnapping charge, which would have lowered the capital murder charge to murder. Harrelson stated in his final argument, “That’s why in opening statements we spent so much time on definitions. You can’t kidnap a person who has not been born alive."
“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,” said prosecutor Kelley Crisp.
Further, Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards told the jury said, “In the past two weeks, the evidence has never been more clear, she’s a liar, a manipulator, and now she’s gonna be held accountable for it.” Lauren also reminded the jury of how the victim was beaten on her head multiple times which compressed her skull. She stated, “The pain Reagan must have felt when Taylor started cutting her abdomen, hip to hip … indescribable,” Richards said, reports New York Post.
The Assistant District Attorney further claimed, “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."
According to Law and Crime, Texarkana Texas Police Department crime scene investigator Marc Sillivan has previously stated, “Injuries on Hancock‘s body included numerous stab wounds and deep incisions caused by a sharp-edged weapon consistent with a scalpel. She was cut open from hip to hip, and her uterus was pulled out and cut." Further, the report elaborated, “Her hands showed extensive defensive wounds, including bruises, scrapes, stab wounds, and cuts on her fingers and palms. One finger was dislocated, and the tip of another was nearly cut off.”
The punishment for Taylor will be declared on Wednesday, October 12. Though the prosecution has requested the death penalty, there are chances that the jury might sentence her to life imprisonment without parole, claims New York Post. Meanwhile, Hancock’s aunt Jamie Mason who spoke to Law and Crime said, “I know sentencing doesn’t start until October 12, just pray for the family because it is still hard time until we know for sure what she is going to get.”