Woman Who Killed Pregnant Friend To Steal Unborn Baby Faces Capital Murder In Infant's Death

A Texas woman, who has been accused of kidnapping and murdering her pregnant friend to steal her fetus, was indicted Friday on a capital murder charge for the death of the unborn baby.

Taylor Rene Parker, 28, was previously indicted with murder and kidnapping for the death of her 21-year-old friend Regan Simmons-Hancock. This is the third indictment against her for the alleged attack that happened in October 2020.

Simmons-Hancock, who was 34 weeks pregnant, was found dead at her home in New Boston on Oct. 9, 2020, reported Law And Crime. Her body was soaked in blood when the investigators arrived at her home.

"A large amount of what appeared to be blood was located on the floor, furniture walls, appliances, and other items in the home," according to the probable cause statement.

When the investigators checked on the status of Simmons-Hancock's unborn baby, they found a "very large cut" across her abdomen area and determined that the baby had been removed and abducted.

On the same day, Texas troopers pulled over Parker after she was found driving with a newborn girl on her lap. Parker was allegedly performing CPR on the baby. "The umbilical cord was connected to the infant, which appeared to be coming out of the female’s pants as if she had given birth to the child," the document said.

Parker and the baby were sent to a hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead. However, a medical examination on Parker revealed that she had not given birth.

Parker reportedly convinced her boyfriend Wade Griffin that she was pregnant and announced a fictitious due date of Oct. 9. Griffin was scheduled to meet Parker on the same day at a hospital in Oklahoma for her planned induced labor. Griffin even told the investigators that they had a gender reveal party to celebrate the birth of their child.

During an interview with the investigators, Parker admitted that she had been in a physical altercation with Simmons and that she had abducted the child. Parker was friends with Simmons-Hancock, reported local news outlet Texarkana Gazette.

A few months before her death, Simmons-Hancock had reportedly posted a sonogram photo on a social media site with an early November due date.

If found guilty of the charges in connection with the death of Simmons-Hancock, Parker could be sentenced to death or life without parole. She could face sentencing of up to 99 years in prison if convicted of the baby's murder. Parker could also face a possible sentence of between two and 20 years behind bars on kidnapping charges.