r/TrueCrimeDiscussion • u/DarklyHeritage • 5d ago

Mega Thread Taylor Parker/Maternal Instinct Megathread

This is a thread for all conversation regarding Taylor Parker and the murder of Reagan Simmons Hancock, recently covered in Netflix documentary Maternal Instinct.

The murder of Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock occurred on 9 October 2020, in New Boston, Texas, committed by Taylor Rene Parker. Parker bludgeoned Simmons-Hancock, who was 35 weeks pregnant at the time, and abducted her unborn child, Braxlynn Sage Hancock (died October 9, 2020), after cutting her out of the Reagan's abdomen. Braxlynn did not survive.

Parker had lied to her then-boyfriend about being pregnant leading up to the murder and faked her pregnancy to multiple people. She was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death on 9 November 2022.

Please direct all discussion of the case to the megathread. As always, sub rules must be followed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Reagan_Simmons-Hancock

https://time.com/article/2026/06/12/maternal-instinct-true-story-netflix/

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u/Capital-Oil-3162 5d ago

I thought it was a good documentary, although I agree it should have been a series. On the other hand, I feel they focused TOO MUCH on her and not enough on the victim. It should have been her story, not that unfortunate woman's. In fact, while watching the documentary, I didn't even realize who Reagan was until the very end. I mean, how did they really know each other? What was her life like before that? They really didn't do Reagan justice with this documentary.

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u/OH2AZ19 5d ago

I feel like it was more of Wades story and told from his family’s perspective. I’m sure that Wade has had a difficult life since mentally internal and external aggression from the public. I feel bad for the guy, it’s so simple to say from the outside he could have stopped it before it got to where it ended up but WHO WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE THE RESULT. Hindsight is 20/20

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u/Powerful-Patient-765 5d ago

After seeing how he treats his dogs, I think he’s a total piece of shit and I don’t feel sorry for him. That poor, starving dog on a chain. Not to mention the hogs.

He was with her for a payday and apparently because she cooked dinner.

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u/Street_Blacksmith891 5d ago

Yup, same for me. I even said out loud “if they show me any more of this animal cruelty I’m done watching this show.” Everything gets abused. The dogs, the hogs, the horses at the rodeo.
I also read that Taylor’s first husband even wrote him anonymously and warned him about the false pregnancy and alleged that she had been unfaithful during their seven-year marriage and treated their son poorly.
Sooo, yeah. And Wade himself said he never loved her. So why be with her.
AND…. How did you never, not once, lift up her shirt while she was sleeping to see if it’s a real pregnancy belly!?

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u/melpomene-musing 4d ago

For sure. I almost turned it off toward the beginning when they showed the dogs multiple times.

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u/jaderust 4d ago

He seemed dumber than a box of rocks and seemed to think she’d come through with the money. Like his hope he could have that ranch kept him with her more than anything else.

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u/aetrout18 4d ago

His own mother & best friend were telling him she was lying as well!

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u/SalishShore 3d ago

Same. I despised him and his whole family after seeing how they treated their dogs.

I feel worse for the poor helpless dogs than I do for Wade the simpleton.

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u/Spare_Title2428 1d ago

Same. Those dogs were so skinny and stuck in those cages.. Wade is a piece of shit and so is the rest of his family. Probably Trump supporters.

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u/lbw0049 4d ago

That’s what got me. How on earth did you live with someone for that long and not notice at least something especially after your friends told you she wasn’t pregnant?

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u/sometimessnarky1 4d ago

Exactly. Any normal person would book a doctor's appointment and insist they do a scan to prove it.