Once again, Netflix has released a new crime documentary that has the internet buzzing. This time it’s Maternal Instinct, and it tells the story of a woman named Taylor Parker whose elaborate pregnancy hoax resulted in a gruesome murder.
The documentary, directed by Jessica Dimmock, debuted at No. 2 on Netflix’s English film list with 15 million views after premiering on June 12.
The film breaks down how Parker, a young woman from East Texas, managed to convince all those closest to her that she was pregnant. All along, however, she was never actually expecting a child.
To create her fake narrative, Parker used everything from fake ultrasound images to maternity photos and social media posts. Even her boyfriend, Wade Griffin, was fully convinced.
As Parker’s fake due date approached, keeping up with her lies became more and more difficult, and she felt she had to take desperate measures to keep up the facade.
Ultimately, she targeted a 21-year-old woman named Reagan Simmons Hancock, whom she had met online. Hancock really was pregnant and had shared some of her maternity photos on the internet, catching Parker’s attention.
In October of 2020, Parker drove to Hancock’s home with sick intentions. At the time, Hancock was 8-months-pregnant and home alone with her 3-year-old daughter.
After entering the home, Parker viciously attacked Hancock, ultimately killing her. She then used a scalpel to remove the 21-year-old’s unborn child from her stomach.
Parker took the child and fled, but was later pulled over for driving erratically. She tried to pass the baby off as her own, claiming she had just given birth and that the baby wasn't breathing.
Not long after, she was taken to the hospital; however, it became clear that she had not given birth and that the child, who tragically did not survive, was not hers.
Parker was later found guilty of capital murder and fetal abduction. In November of 2022, she was sentenced to death.
