Taylor Rene Parker, 27, wanted to build a life with her new partner, Wade Griffin. Having recently divorced her second husband, Taylor was eager to find the perfect man to complete her family of three, which included her 10-year-old daughter Emersyn and 5-year-old son Trey. It wasn’t only her heart at stake: anyone she dated would undoubtedly spend time with her kids and possibly evolve into a father figure.
Wade, also 27, seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. He was a burly, hardworking man with southern values, and Taylor liked him straightaway—which means she became deadset on having him commit to her. Wade didn’t feel so intensely about Taylor, but gave it his best effort. Taylor tried proving her worth to him in a myriad of ways: she made him home-cooked meals per his request, she helped maintain his home and she looked after his livestock—and all this after only a few weeks of dating. Some folks might say he hit the dating jackpot.
After a few weeks of playing house, the couple fell pregnant with twins. Though it was unexpected, Wade was excited and committed to standing by Taylor. Sadly, she suffered a miscarriage a few months later after a farming accident. It goes without saying, the experience was tragic for both of them.
Wade moved forward by interpreting the tragedy as God’s plan and pledged to continue supporting Taylor, but eventually move on from the relationship. He wasn’t convinced they were a match and didn’t want to be with her long-term. So, it came as a complete shock to him when she fell pregnant again in February 2020, this time with a singleton baby. Taylor and Wade were only intimate once since the miscarriage six weeks earlier. He remained weary and wasn’t as enthused as the first time, but was supportive nonetheless.
Unfortunately, the pregnancy buzz was clouded by constant drama caused by Taylor’s outrageous mother, Shona Prior. Not only did Shona and Taylor not get along, but Shona resented Taylor and was hellbent on causing problems in her life. Most of their issues stemmed from money, jealousy and control, and Wade was caught in the crosshairs. He was often roped in to texting rants from Taylor’s family members and anonymous numbers claiming to be Shona, essentially bashing Taylor’s character. The situation was incredibly bizarre and Wade felt sorry for Taylor. How could a mother be so cruel?
Their baby was due September 19, 2020 but much like their life together, the birth wasn’t typical. With it being Taylor’s third pregnancy, labor went quickly—and happened three weeks late on October 9, 2020, which is potentially dangerous for the baby and unusual for a third pregnancy. Taylor didn’t seem concerned and Wade trusted her judgement.
That day, Wade was doing business out of town, so Taylor drove to the hospital alone. When she was pulled over for speeding, police discovered a frantic woman with dried blood on her face and hands, and a pale baby in her arms clinging to life. She apparently gave birth in the car. An ambulance was called and transported mom and baby the rest of the way to the hospital. Everyone was on eggshells about their safety.
While doctors performed life-saving measures on the baby, Taylor underwent routine birth-related exams to determine her condition and ensure there wasn’t any clotting or internal bleeding. When she had an ultrasound, the nurse realized something startling: she didn’t have a uterus or a cervix, and her tubes were tied. Taylor was physically unable to carry or birth a child. She was also given a blood test which tested negative for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone produced by the placenta and which remains in the body for four to six weeks after birth.
Doctors knew Taylor didn’t give birth that day and this baby wasn’t hers.
But, whose child was it?
Was Wade “in” on it?
How did no one notice Taylor wasn’t pregnant?
October 9, 2020 was the day the whole world learned that Taylor Parker wasn’t a sweet, southern belle looking for love—she was a pathological, selfish and twisted human who exploited those around her, and went to any lengths to maintain her own lies and distortions.
Wade and Taylor Meet at a Watermelon Festival
In July 2019, Taylor Parker, 27, a mother of two, attends the Naples Watermelon Festival in Naples, Texas, a three-day annual event featuring a rodeo, carnival games, arts and crafts booths, beauty pageant and parade. Wade Griffin, 27, also attends and they cross paths. Taylor and Wade keep in touch afterwards, mostly messaging via Instagram.
Wade is a supervisor for a roofing company and does side jobs such as welding, hog trapping and managing livestock. Knowing his trade, Taylor asks Wade for a quote on clearing a family property in Bryans Mills, Texas. She tells him the property was neglected in recent years and she assumed responsibility to clean it up for her grandparents. Wade quotes the project at $50,000 and Taylor’s grandmother agrees to foot the bill. (Little does he know, but Taylor fabricated the job plans to lure Wade closer to her.)
Taylor’s family is wealthy and money isn’t an object. She tells Wade she’s the heiress to the Blackburn syrup fortune, and her family also receives oil and gas royalties from leased land. Their fortune is in the billions. Unfortunately, her mother Shona is executor of the funds and controls Taylor’s access, or lack therof.
Taylor reassures Wade her grandmother will pay for the project, so he starts the job on good faith. Wade hires his friend, Juan Martinez, a father of four, to assist with labor. Taylor issues the first paycheck but Wade is subsequently forced to pay Juan out of pocket. Allegedly, Shona learns the project is underway and refuses to give Taylor any money. The project is subsequently abandoned, leaving Juan unexpectedly without a job and Wade without pay. Taylor promises Wade her grandmother and Uncle Butch are creating a secret bank account for her, where they will deposit funds for the project. No such transfer happens, but the ordeal brings them together, per Taylor’s intent, and they start dating. Wade’s family is charmed by Taylor. Shona, on the other hand, can’t bear to make eye contact with Wade when they meet at a family member’s house for dinner.
Taylor is a doting girlfriend who does anything to please Wade and make herself indispensable to him. Some describe her as “obsessed.” Knowing Wade is a foodie, Taylor makes him home-cooked meals every chance she gets. He often texts her recipes he’d like to try, only to return home from work to a freshly cooked plate. He later describes her as one of the best cooks he knew. Wade also takes care of livestock, which Taylor helps upkeep while she cleans and tends to his Simms, Texas, cabin. It’s only a few weeks in, but her commitment may suggest promise.
Two or three weeks into dating, Taylor tells Wade she’s pregnant with twins. Unfortunately, a few months later, Taylor’s father, Mark Morton, texts Wade to disclose that Taylor was involved in a farming accident while helping him tow damaged equipment. A winch snapped and a towing cable hit Taylor’s stomach. (For context, a bush hog is a rotary mower attached to the back of a farm tractor and used to clear overgrown brush and small trees. A winch is a mechanical device used to tighten or loosen a rope or cable.) The miscarriage is devastating to them both. Wade was genuinely excited at the prospect of fatherhood.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s situation with her mother worsens. Taylor receives threatening messages and emails from someone named “Mandy Body” or “Mandy Boyd,” who she believes is Shona. Even worse, Taylor says Shona conspired with the Mexican mafia to order a hit on her life, which terrifies her. Wade invites Taylor and her daughter Emersyn, 10, to move in to his home temporarily to ensure their safety. Her son, Trey, lives primarily with his father, Tommy Wacasey, and his wife Amy.
Because of the safety aspect, Wade’s boss and distant relative, Roger Pate, owner of Atlas Roofing, and his wife Angela Pate, allow Taylor and Emersyn to then temporarily live with them. Taylor assures them law enforcement officers are surveilling their home. Taylor and Angela form a friendship and she confides in Angela about her and Wade’s relationship. Their relationship is seeing some turmoil and Wade clearly isn’t as doe-eyed as Taylor. Curiously, Angela notices Taylor made mention of the Mexican Mafia after having an argument with Wade at a party. The couple didn’t speak for several days until Taylor disclosed this shocking information. Wade later confessed that he felt too badly to leave Taylor during this time, so they continued their relationship essentially out of pity.
Taylor communicates with a contact in law enforcement identified as “Cobern.” She shows Angela texts between her and Cobern, who tells Taylor about Shona hiring a middleman to kill her. Cobern also discloses Shona was involved in a shootout with police and took her own life while in custody. Wade and Taylor believe Shona is out of the picture. Angela rightfully questions why this information isn’t on the news, with it being so outlandish, but Taylor promptly explains that it’s to keep the matter private.
A few months later in April 2020, Angela receives a long, rambling and bizarre email from “Mandy Boyd.” It reads as follows:
Listen you know nothing about Taylor. Don’t try to be a mother figure to her. I did an amazing job making her look bad. It took time and accurantely planning my ever step of the way. She brought you to the bank and made herself look like she was lying to get a check cashed. I had already arranged everything. My helper knew she was coming with you because she called making sure. You wasted your time on her because that check was never good. Let her fail in life. Let her see what it’s like to have nothing. I’ve worked it out perfectly. I’ve arranged this all so there are cracks you see. Things won’t add up and she will look even more like a liar. I stole numbers to make her think people were calling and doing things for her and it was never them. This will not end well for her. No matter where she turns or what she says there wil be a like to fall back on her. See I am going to send her in such deep of a depression she will probably try to kill herself like she has tried before. But if not then making Wade leave will do the trick. See he will have no choice but the leave because nothing will be true. I’ve made his family turn on them from pretending to be people like a dealership that didn’t get paid. Does it click now to you people? Just let her fall into a hole and not get out. She will go crazy thinking she did the right thing for a curtain reason but in reality I made her think that way. She has a way of wanting to protect everyone. Well that’s what got her into this mess. If you want to be her mom good luck. She is like the child we should have terminated in the beginning because she was the accident I didn’t want. Maybe you will get the big picture and enjoy the mess. She King’s for someone to love her and when Wade leaves because I’ve made her out to be a liar well she’ll come running to you. Jus twatch. Nice website and Facebook. Maybe you can pop some sense into her because she has none.
Pecan Point and Other Purchases
With Shona seemingly out of the picture, Taylor no longer worries about her safety. She can access her money with ease and suddenly $6 million becomes available to her. Taylor decides to buy an investment property: 800-acre Pecan Point in Tom, Oklahoma.
Suggested by Wade, who previously worked on the property, Pecan Point is a sprawling plot of land retailing for $4.6 million. The property, located along the Red River, is a dream come true for him, as it offers hog and duck hunting, cow grazing and a pecan grove, among other amenities. Taylor and Wade meet with Realtor Rusty Lowe and offer $3.5 million with $200,000 down in earnest money, or good-faith deposit. On the paperwork, Taylor signs her name “Taylor Parker-Griffin” even though she and Wade aren’t married or planning to do so.
Over the next four months, Taylor corresponds with Rusty via text, phone and email. She sends him two checks, each for $150,000, which she promptly takes back, and makes ongoing claims about impending wire transfers from her Uncle Butch. None of the people representing the banks and communicating with Rusty via email (i.e., Shelly Linx of Shell Western Global) are reachable by phone. The deal falls through, which doesn’t surprise Rusty.
But now that Taylor can “access” the money, she also promises to buy Wade anything he desires. Wade believes her and finances several vehicles while awaiting her inheritance. He finances a $92,000 pickup truck, a $29,000 ATV, a Nissan Altima for his mother and 20 cows for $21,000. Wade’s excited about his new “toys,” but only at first. His suspicion grows about the money’s legitimacy, as his stress mounts over unexpected payments and growing bills. Wade can’t afford these rash purchases. The stress affects Wade intimately and he no longer wants to be affectionate or physical with Taylor come January 2020. She notices the change and demands intimacy, but he brushes her off.
Something else recently happened that makes Wade further question Taylor: Shona returned from the dead. Despite supposedly dying in prison, she nonchalantly walked into a family member’s house during a Christmas celebration in December 2019. No one seemed surprised about her presence except for Wade and Taylor, who were confused but didn’t question anything outright. It seemed the joke was on them or rather, on Wade. And if Shona is alive and well, access to finances is going to be a struggle, once again.
But if she’s unharmed and not incarcerated, what about the other players involved—like Cobern and law enforcement that was surveilling them?
What about the Mexican mafia involvement?
Why wasn’t the rest of the family concerned?
Pregnancy Announcment
In February 2020, Taylor announces she’s pregnant again. Unlike the “first time,” Wade isn’t excited. He’s becoming more depressed about the financial strain of their big purchases, and the stress of waiting for Taylor’s money that’s never without excuses. Adding a baby on top of their financial problems only makes the situation more unbearable.
Nevertheless, to cheer up Wade, Taylor offers to replace his old tractor with a new one. Despite the ongoing issues with money, Taylor and Wade purchase a $63,000 tractor, with Taylor handing over a check. To be expected, the check bounces and the tractor is repossessed.
Wade somehow holds out a shrivel of hope for positive change. He is suspicious, yes, but it doesn’t make sense for Taylor to go to such lengths, to lie about her family life. At the same time, there’s yet another promise for land inheritance. Wade receives texts from numerous family members, including Taylor’s aunt Katie Joe, who promises to gift Taylor and Wade more land for their cows.
At the same time, Wade’s close friend Cody Ott and his wife Stephanie smell something rotten. They warn Wade about Taylor. They don’t believe she has money. They don’t believe anything she says, and they try to warn their friend to look out for himself.
Taylor Plans for Baby No. 3
Taylor shares ongoing updates with Wade about her visits to the OB/GYN and the baby’s growth. She also shares every update, both major and minor, to social media. The baby is due September 19, 2020.
In March 2020, a month into her pregnancy, Wade’s friends Cody and Stephanie host a gender reveal party for Taylor, despite not fully believing she is pregnant. In attendance are Taylor’s father, daughter Emersyn, and Emersyn’s paternal grandmother, as well as Wade’s mother Connie Griffin and his employer Roger Pate. In Texas fashion, Wade brings out a baby cow with a large pink bow to announce the baby’s gender. The baby’s name is also announced: Clancy Gaile Griffin.
As time wears on, Taylor experiences intense bouts of morning sickness. She begins nearly every day with intense vomiting. Her discomfort throughout the pregnancy affects their intimacy and the couple is not intimate throughout the later stages of the pregnancy. Wade understands; he witnesses Taylor’s growing discomfort every day.
Taylor shares pregnancy updates with Wade, like talks of the baby moving. Unfortunately, he’s never able to feel the baby move, but they chalk it up to its positioning. Curiously, Taylor doesn’t “show” as prominently as he anticipated, and he shares this curiosity with his mother, Connie. Connie tells him to brace himself; she believes Taylor is lying. Wade shares this same information with his boss, who gives Taylor the benefit of the doubt and explains women of different body types “show” differently. Taylor isn’t bothered by Wade’s concerns; she had a tummy tuck a few years ago, which caused her to carry differently than with her other children, she says. Taylor eventually “pops” and in August 2020, they book a maternity photoshoot.
Wade tries to be as supportive as possible, which includes taking time off work to accompany her to doctor visits. Unfortunately, because Taylor is pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wade isn’t allowed into the doctor’s office with her and instead sits in the waiting room. He relies on Taylor’s word-of-mouth updates on the baby’s growth.
The Birth is Delayed, and Delayed Again
Time creeps closer to the due date. Wade uses family leave to take a few days off work ahead of Taylor’s due date. However, September 19 comes and goes, and Taylor is now three weeks past her due date; an unusual occurrence for a third child. Wade’s mother insists Taylor isn’t pregnant. If someone is three days past they’re due date, that’s normal, but three weeks puts the health of mother and baby at risk. There would be back-to-back doctor appointments to check on the status of the baby near-daily. Doctors don’t encourage such a scenario because of the associated risks. As a third-time mom Taylor knows this, but she doesn’t seem concerned.
Taylor allegedly schedules an induction on October 5, 2020 at CHRISTUS Health Mount Pleasant Hospital, formerly Titus Regional Medical Center, in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Coincidentally, at 7:30 am that day, Wade’s house catches on fire. Fortunately, he’s able to put out the fire with a hose. Later that morning, the hospital also receives a bomb threat and goes into lockdown. Taylor blames both incidents on her mother’s meddling. Due to concerns about Shona further intervening in the birth, Taylor opts to give birth at McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, one hour away. She tells Wade she hopes it’s far enough to avoid interference from Shona.
Around this time, Wade receives text messages from an unknown number, warning him about Taylor’s pregnancy. He believes the texts are from Shona, but the texter claims to be Tommy Wacasey, Taylor’s first ex-husband. The texter alleges Taylor isn’t pregnant and is unable to carry a child. He also says all area hospitals are on high alert. He believes the texts are nonsense and discards them as such—but this time, it wasn’t nonsense. Tommy knew what he was talking about.
The Worst Crime You’ve Ever Heard Of
The day is October 9, 2020, three weeks after Taylor’s due date. She wakes up with cramping and discomfort. Despite her symptoms at such a late stage in pregnancy, she had planned to visit the Side X Side ranch in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, with Wade to assist in a $6,100 hog sale she orchestrated. Wade wakes up around 3:30-3:45 am and plans to leave at 4 am. Taylor tells him to go on because she has cramps. She’ll get ready and check into the hospital, and they can meet there later.
Wade embarks on the three-hour drive and arrives at Side X Side at 7:35 am to meet Scott Robinson. When he speaks with Scott to square up the sale, Scott doesn’t know who Wade is or why he’s there, and is shocked to learn about the supposed hog order. Wade shows Scott the text exchange where they corresponded, but Scott claims the number isn’t him. Wade assumes it’s Shona setting him up for problems: it’s illegal to cross state lines with livestock, and that’s exactly what Wade did.
Despite traveling for a bogus deal, Wade speeds home after learning Taylor is at McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel. Taylor went to Walmart that morning to purchase new baby items to replace what was destroyed in the fire when she started cramping intensely. Clancy was finally on her way.
When Wade arrives at the hospital and asks for Taylor’s room at the front desk, he’s met with suspicion. The nurse isn’t friendly and doesn’t welcome him, but merely points in the direction of the room. Three police officers approach Wade and place him in handcuffs. Wade believes he’s being arrested for transporting livestock across state lines. Police take him in for questioning before he can see Taylor.
Now, he learns the truth: Taylor isn’t pregnant and is under arrest for murdering a pregnant woman and stealing the baby out of her womb.
Oh, and also, most of what you read above isn’t true either.
Taylor was never pregnant with twins or a singleton baby girl.
Taylor is unable to conceive of or carry a child. She previously had a partial hysterectomy, leaving her without a cervix or fully functioning uterus, and a tubal ligation, known as “getting your tubes tied.”
To appear pregnant, Taylor purchased a faux baby belly on fakeababy.com, which she wore for their maternity photoshoot and towards the end of her pregnancy. The ultrasound photos she shared with Wade and on social media were also fake. (The existence of such a website is another discussion in itself.)
Even worse, Taylor didn’t even more children for the sake of being a mother. By several accounts, she wasn’t a very good mother to her existing children. She only wanted a baby because of the attention she’d receive, and as a way to trap Wade into staying with her.
Taylor’s family wasn’t rich and had no connection to Morton’s or Blackburn syrup. While they do receive oil and gas royalties from leased land, it’s not a high amount. As a result, Wade was left with mountains of debt.
No one who texted Wade, or who Taylor mentioned in her elaborate stories, were real. Not Mandy Boyd, Jace, or aunt Katie Jo, nor Colbern or anything from Shona. The only real character was Tommy Wacasey, whose warnings were sincere.
Oh, and Shona wasn’t a criminal. She was a concerned mom who was burned by Taylor time and again. She didn’t put out a hit for her daughter and she wasn’t associated with the Mexican Mafia. She also didn’t harass Taylor and Wade. She was cold towards Wade upon meeting him, but it was because she felt Taylor rushed in to a relationship too soon after her second divorce.
Here’s the thing: Shona knew the truth. She knew Taylor wasn’t pregnant. She never confronted Taylor about it because she figured the truth would reveal itself. She knew Taylor had a gender reveal party she wasn’t invited to for a nonexistent pregnancy. She told Emersyn and Trey, Taylor’s children, their mother no longer had the body parts required to have another baby. When Connie Griffin, Wade’s mother, called Shona a few days before the murders, asking if it was possible for Taylor to be pregnant, she told her it wasn’t.
But here’s what Taylor did to protect her story: at some point in their relationship, Taylor asked to borrow Wade’s phone so she could have a friend install special software to prevent Shona from hacking it. Realistically, Taylor blocked all her real family members’ phone numbers from his phone, so they couldn’t expose her truth. The only number she didn’t block was Tommy Wacasey, who attempted to warn Wade about Taylor’s lies.
Taylor is Arrested for Murder
Wade’s mother was right, as were several family members and friends: Taylor was not pregnant. She never was. Even worse, she was suspect in the murder of Reagan Hancock, 21, and the kidnapping of her unborn baby girl.
On September 30, 2020, Taylor went to an OB/GYN clinic in Paris, Texas, to register as a new client. The clinic was more than an hour from Simms, where she lived with Wade, and Taylor would have been 11 days past her due date; an extremely odd time for an expectant mother to seek out new doctors. She became emotional in the lobby of the clinic, claiming she had a military husband who recently passed and her mother couldn’t attend the appointment. She later sat outside the back entrance of the clinic for a good while. The clinic was suspicious of Taylor but also wanted her to leave because she was disturbing the other patients. While outside, Taylor scoped out the pregnant women who came and went. She wrote down a few license plates of the women she saw and who appealed to her. She was in the process of finding both a victim and a suitor; a baby who might possibly resemble her and Wade. But her plan took a different direction.
Instead of targeting a stranger, she went for someone she knew.
Reagan Simmons-Hancock, 21, was a married mother of a three-year-old daughter, Kynlee Grace, from a previous relationship. She married her husband Homer Hancock a year prior in a beautiful, sunflower-adorned ceremony. Reagan loved sunflowers.
At the time, Reagan was 7.5 months pregnant. The couple was expecting a daughter. For their girl, they chose the name Braxlynn Sage.
Taylor temporarily worked as a freelance photographer in 2019—one of her fleeting interests/endeavors—and Reagan hired her to photograph her engagement and wedding photos. Taylor was present for some of the most momentous times in Reagan’s life. She met her husband, her daughter, her parents and best friends. Taylor and Reagan reconnected years later via Facebook when Taylor saw she was pregnant, and Reagan believed she could connect with another pregnant mom to be. They’d often share updates and vent about their pregnancies.
On October 8, 2020, she delivered Starbucks and a gift to Reagan Hancock. The next day, she killed her.
On the morning of October 9, 2020, Taylor went to McDonald’s and later to Reagan’s home in New Boston, Texas, arriving around 7:30 am. Reagan was surprised to see her, but let her friend inside. Not long after she entered, Taylor grabbed a 4 lbs. glass mason jar filled with sand and hit Reagan in the head with it, blindsiding her. The mason jar was actually a relic from Reagan’s wedding and was filled with colored sand.
TRIGGER WARNING. HIGHLY GRAPHIC CONTENT.
Reagan was attacked in several locations around her home. Blood was everywhere because of the gruesome nature of the attack but also because Reagan kept walking and standing during the attack. She tried to fight back. She tried to get away. She tried protecting her unborn baby. During her final moments, she operated with all of her strength to protect her unborn.
But even when Reagan fell to the floor, Taylor continued attacking her. Crime scene investigators determined Reagan was attacked in four or five places in the home before collapsing. Sometime during the attack, Reagan’s 3-year-old ran into her bedroom and hid in the closet. Urine was later found in the living room that was believed to have been Kynlee’s; an extremely sad detail because it suggests she knew her mother was being attacked and was downright terrified.
Taylor further incapacitated Reagan using a hammer. She then grabbed a kitchen knife and attempted to cut baby Braxlynn out of Reagan’s uterus. The process didn’t work as seamlessly as she’d hoped, so she retrieved a scalpel blade from her car. Reagan suffered a total of 113 sharp force wounds—98 incision wounds and 15 stab wounds—as well as 39 blunt-force injuries, five skull fractures and a broken nose. The scalpel was left embedded in her neck with the handle broken off. The attack was absolutely brutal. Reagan tried fighting back; she had defensive wounds on her arms and hands, and was missing the tip of a finger. At least one of Taylor’s purple press-on nails were found embedded in her own placenta.
Once Taylor extracted Braxlynn, she placed the baby up to Reagan’s cheek and muttered, “Tell mama bye” and left Reagan’s home around 9:10 am. She ditched Reagan’s cell phone, the hammer and her shoes, none of which were ever recovered. Taylor was then pulled over in De Kalb, Texas, at 9:36 am for driving erratically. Braxlynn was observed as pale, limp and not breathing. Curiously, even though she was “overdo” according to Taylor’s due date, the baby appeared quite small for being so far past its due date (7 lbs and 18.75 in.).
Jessica (“Jess”) Brookes, Reagan’s mother, discovered the gruesome scene. It’s hard to imagine how utterly broken she must have felt after coming upon her daughter’s remains, and the realization that baby Braxlynn was missing. Reagan’s husband, Homer, asked Jess to check on his pregnant wife. She sent a him few abnormal text messages that morning about not wanting to be alive, which was unlike her. Jess headed over and did some sleuthing, learning that Reagan didn’t show to her morning shift at a restaurant and her daughter Kynlee was never dropped off at daycare.
Jess entered the home to find her daughter mutilated and the house drenched in blood. She had to physically step over Reagan’s body to enter the home. She didn’t see Kynlee and was too afraid to look; she didn’t know what state she might find her granddaughter in. Fortunately, Kynlee was safe and unharmed. A blanket was placed over her head while leaving the home to prevent her from seeing what happened to her mother.
The Trial & Conviction
The crime rocked the Texas town and caught the attention of media outlets nationwide and worldwide. What Taylor did was utterly incomprehensible—and it still is. There’s also a degree of heinousness that was so unexpected, that pushed pregnant people to take more precautions about the people around them.
In pre-trial hearings, Taylor wore a face mask with a sunflower design. Her decision to wear a mask with this particular design was interpreted as a cruel and direct statement. Reagan loved sunflowers. Her wedding was adorned in sunflowers. Taylor was there, and she knew this about Regan, yet she still wore this mask.
Towards the end of the trial, Dr. Siddhartha Nadkarni, a New York City neuropsychologist, testified about his findings of Taylor’s brain. He claimed to have found evidence of atrophy in her frontal lobes, which could explain her compulsive lying habit and exaggerated stories, impulsivity and lack of empathy.
The defense tried arguing for capital murder charges to be dropped, stating that under Texas Law, an unborn fetus wasn’t recognized as a person. The judge presiding over the case, Judge John Tidwell denied the request.
Not a single witness spoke on Taylor’s behalf, which speaks volumes to her character. The jury deliberated for just over an hour.
On November 9, 2022, Taylor was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death in the state of Texas. She is housed at the Patrick O’daniel unit in Texas, joining seven other women on death row.
Who is Taylor Parker? The Backstory
Taylor Parker was born Taylor Rene Morton on December 8, 1992 in Titus County, Texas to Shona and Mark Morton. She has a brother, Zachery, who is four years her junior.
Taylor’s behavior was typical up until third grade when she exhibited a significant personality shift. She began lying a lot. The lies weren’t insignificant either; they referenced sickness and abuse.
That grade year, she had a particular teacher she resented, for unknown reasons, and often refused to attend school, citing severe stomach issues. Taylor missed school more often than she attended, but come fourth grade, when she had a different teacher, the issues seemed to resolve and she resumed attending school as normal.
It was in fourth grade when Taylor started telling people that she had sex with someone in the shower. Now, keep in mind that fourth-graders are nine and 10 years old.
Around this time, Taylor’s parents divorced. The family began alternating weekends by keeping the children in the same house and retreating to separate residences. The arrangement was productive in thought but didn’t last long because Mark refused to leave the home. He wanted Shona and his family back. The arrangements caused arguments and was likely disturbing for the children to observe.
As a person, Mark suffered his own issues. Zachery has shared memories of his father bringing him along to a drug house. Mark used the children as pawns in the divorce to illicit sympathy or attention. The kids felt the weight of the stress. Mark cycled back and forth from chasing drugs and women, to then again trying to prioritize his children. Zachery later testified that Taylor shared similar behaviors, in that she’d neglect her own children when chasing men.
As Taylor grew older she claimed to have various health issues. She’d also befriend people and then mimic the symptoms these people were having. It seemed she also used these health problems as a way to gain sympathy, but also to relieve her of responsibilities and form friendships with people. As an adult, it didn’t seem Taylor knew how to form genuine friendships based on real common interests.
Early Motherhood and First Marriage
Taylor was a teen mother, which isn’t an easy experience, even given the most supportive of environments. (I’ll give her that.) At 17, she fell pregnant with her high school boyfriend, 19-year-old Donald Whiteside, and had a daughter, Emersyn, in 2009 or 2010. Taylor temporarily moved into a trailer with Donald on his family’s property, but the relationship quickly fell apart due to Donald’s infidelity before Emersyn was born. Donald never met his daughter and has never been involved in her life.
A few years later, Taylor met and married Tommy Wacasey. At age 21, Taylor gave birth to her second child, a boy named Trey. She suffered from preeclampsia during her pregnancy; a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by elevated blood pressure in pregnancy.
In 2014, Taylor underwent gastric bypass surgery and a tummy tuck procedure. She traveled to Mexico to have the surgery. As she recovered, she lost a significant amount of weight. It was the first time in a long time Taylor felt confident. Before surgery, the 5”4’ young woman weighed 240 lbs. and after she dropped several sizes. She was pleased with her new body and show off, she did.
Several family members testified about weight loss surgery being a turning point for Taylor. This woman, whose entire world was formerly her husband and her children, became selfish, superficial and attention-seeking. Taylor flirted openly with the men around her, including friends’ boyfriends; their relationships didn’t compromise her behavior. She also dressed more provocatively and spent more time out of the home, leaving her children with Tommy.
Also sometime in 2014, Taylor began working at the Mount Pleasant OB/GYN office where she had a tubal ligation procedure. The preeclampsia complication during her second pregnancy spurred her decision to undergo a tubal ligation to prevent future pregnancies. However, the tubal ligation failed and two years later, Taylor had an ectopic pregnancy; a situation that occurs when an egg implants itself in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus, and is potentially life-threatening. She underwent a procedure related to the ectopic pregnancy, and doctors discovered extensive scarring due to endometriosis (when the uterus grows outside of the uterus) and large cysts in her uterus. Because Taylor was already under anesthesia, doctors asked her mother, Shona, if they should perform a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). Because of her condition, a hysterectomy was likely in her future, and doing so in the moment would cause less physical strain for Taylor and accrue costs. Shona agreed to the hysterectomy and doctors removed her cervix, half of her uterus and one of her ovaries. Even though Taylor didn’t want more children at the time, she was absolutely furious with her mother, and continued to hold the decision over her for years to come.
During the course of their marriage, Tommy found himself alone at home with the children often—even though he worked full time and Taylor was a stay-at-home mom. Taylor formed a new group of friends and immersed herself into their culture—their jeep culture. You see, Taylor was invited into the friend group because she related to a woman, Caitlin Glass, who she met through a mutual friend. Caitlin suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS) and Taylor claimed to have the condition as well. She didn’t. Taylor had only heard there was a possibility she may develop MS at a single previous doctor appointment.
The pair grew close over their “shared” condition and even got matching tattoos of the Celtic symbol for new beginnings. When Caitlyn had flare-ups, so did Taylor. Taylor began mimicking Caitlyn’s symptoms. Every time Caitlyn went to the hospital for treatment, Taylor did the same a few days later. Taylor also began seeing Caitlyn’s doctor, Interestingly, while Caitlyn refused to take opioids for pain relief, Taylor used Stradol, a synthetic opioid dispensed in a nasal spray and used for migraines. Taylor was diagnosed with migraines, but not MS. Friends began noticing the strange coincidences but it’s unknown as to whether Taylor was confronted.
Caitlyn was also in a “jeep club”—a group of friends who all drove jeeps—and Taylor wanted in. Despite not having any income, she convinced her husband to buy her a jeep and she joined the club, which comically went by the name “porn”; an acronym. Taylor was often gone on nights and weekends participating in jeep club activities.
And while driving around and traveling with her friends, Taylor did a good deal of flirting and infidelity. While Tommy was home holding down the fort, Taylor told anyone who’d listen about his “abusive ways.” Despite her claims, Caitlin knew she’d throw herself into furniture to create bruises she alleged were physical abuse. She also began cheating on Tommy left and right with other men in the jeep club. She’d go on weekend outings; on one occasion she spent the entire weekend in another man’s tent, in another she was caught in the act by the man’s spouse, and on another she ran off to El Dorado for a weekend with another man. Her blatant infidelity turned Caitlyn off to their friendship and they stopped spending time together.
Around this same time, Taylor also told her family, friends and Tommy that she began attending school. Despite being away from home during class times, she was never enrolled in the program. It was another excuse to buy time to do whatever she wanted.
It was pretty clear to Tommy, and anyone aware of the truth, that Taylor wasn’t enamored with the responsibilities of motherhood and homemaking. She wanted to do what she wanted, when she wanted, while also having the security of a home and family to return too. But reality says you can’t have both, and within due time, reality spoke. Taylor and Tommy divorced in 2017 and despite maintaining joint custody of Trey, he lived with his father and infrequently saw his mother. Taylor was court-ordered to pay child support but Tommy never went after her for it. At the time of the trial (2022), she owed $8,469.08.
Second Marriage to Hunter Parker
Shortly after divorcing Tommy, Taylor, started dating Hunter Parker. Taylor and Hunter married in 2018.
Hunter wanted children and Taylor gave him the impression that it was a possibility, despite having had surgeries that made it impossible without intervention. On the side, she asked friends to serve as her surrogate, offering McKenzie Bright and Abby Bell $100,000 to do so. Both friends were trying to conceive themselves and said no. However, when McKenzie became pregnant with a girl, Taylor obsessively attended doctor appointments with her and wanted to know every detail of her pregnancy. She was less interested in Abby’s pregnancy once she learned she was having a boy. Taylor didn’t have the money nor intentions of actually paying anyone. Her worst attempt came after a friend suffered a miscarriage that was near full-term. She asked her if, now that she wasn’t pregnant, she’d consider surrogacy for $20,000. No one agreed to assist Taylor.
Taylor and Hunter divorced in April 2019 after only being married for less than a year months. Two months later, she began dating Wade Griffin.
My 2 Cents
It’s hard to pinpoint where to start with a case like this, but we’ll begin with Taylor and Wade. It’s clear from the start that Taylor tried to rope Wade in any chance she could. She concocted a lie of extreme wealth that Wade was either directly or indirectly promised access to upon marriage, or indirectly as a result of being with Taylor. She fabricated a story about being pregnant, with the child serving as a lifetime bind between them. She also created a number of dramatic scenarios, which served to trauma bond them, and made Wade feel he couldn’t leave her while she was already in the midst of tough scenarios. On top of this, she cooked and cleaned. She really pulled out all the stops—and she distracted Wade with the bells and whistles into being with her, but only so long as the smoke and mirrors remained.
Taylor wanted a relationship, or what she believed was a relationship, so she basically created it herself. She set the scene and the tone. She created obstacles for them to go through and milestones to celebrate. The problem was obviously that it was all fake, and that her and Wade had no foundation beyond that. He didn’t love her. I don’t think he even particularly liked her. But because of the manipulations, she trapped him into staying around, and perhaps he figured that with millions or billions, and a child, he’d learn to be happy.
Some might also say Wade was naive, and perhaps he was. But remember, he worked long hours. He was out of the house often trying to afford his lifestyle, and then afterwards his mounting debt. And with Taylor being a new relationship, no one assumes someone is making intricate and wild lies straightaway. But perhaps, this case shows it’s necessary to keep your head on a swivel.
It’s hard for me to believe there isn’t pathological wrong with her. She made so many decisions that were selfish and illogical, that it doesn’t make sense otherwise. She risked her freedom, killed two people and left a child without a mother, and prevented her from mothering her other two children—and for what? To give the illusion of a third so Wade wouldn’t leave her? Even the scoping out of women leaving a health care clinic as she considered how he plan would unfold, was absolutely incomprehensible. She had intent. She knew the only way to present a baby was to kill an innocent life, and she pushed forward with it.
Taylor is right where she needs to be. A person with this much psychopathy and manipulation up her sleeve would have undoubtedly caused damage in the free world, and perhaps especially to her children. If she would stop at nothing to live out her desires, that’s a very scary place for a mother to be in regard to her kids. It’s also terrifying to imagine what else she may do to any member of the general public who defies her.
Sources
- Parker v. State of Texas
- KTAL News — Ex-boyfriend takes stand in Taylor Parker capital murder trial
- KTAL News — Former friend testifies in Taylor Parker trial
- KTAL News — Taylor Parker capital murder and kidnapping trial coverage: Day by day
- KTAL News — Taylor Parker’s mother: ‘We figured the lie would be exposed’
- Texas Scorecard — Death row inmate appeals sentence, claims prosecution fat-shamed her
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