Texas murderer killed woman to steal her unborn baby

Taylor Rene Parker, 23, was sentenced to death for the murder of a pregnant 21 year old. (Image: AP)A woman has been handed the death sentence for murdering a pregnant mother and cutting the unborn baby out of her womb.Taylor Rene Parker, 23, was convicted of capital murder on October 3 for the shocking killing of 21-year-old Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock and her unborn infant daughter in New Boston in 2020.Ms Simmons-Hancock’s baby died at the hospital after being removed from her womb.Her mother, Jessica Brooks, called Parker an “evil piece of flesh demon” in a victim impact statement read to the court on Wednesday.”My baby was alive still fighting for her babies when you tore her open and ripped her baby from her stomach,” Brooks said, according to the Texarkana Gazette.Ms Simmons-Hancock’s body was found October 9, 2020 at her home in New Boston, Texas. Her three-year-old daughter was home when she was killed. The courthouse where Parker was sentenced to death. (Image: Google Maps)Later that morning, when Parker, from Texas, was pulled over by a state trooper for driving erratically and speeding. She claimed she had just given birth. Baby Braxlynn Sage Hancock was taken to a hospital in Oklahoma where she was pronounced dead.Prosecutors determined that Parker had pretended to be pregnant in order to stay with her boyfriend and had even faked ultrasounds and had a gender reveal party.She also watched YouTube videos about caring for and delivering infants. On the day of Ms Simmons-Hancock’s murder, Parker watched a video of a physical exam of a baby born at 35 weeks. Ms Simmons-Hancock was 35 weeks pregnant when she was murdered.A Bowie County jury of six men and six women deliberated for one hour and 15 minutes before determining Parker should be sentenced to death for the murder of Ms Simmons-Hancock.Jurors gave the verdicts to two special issue questions asked by the court.READ MORE: Host says John Fetterman could run for PresidentThe first question asked jury to decide whether there is a probability that the defendant would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society to which the jury answer “yes”.The second question asked the jury to consider all the evidence, the defendant’s character, background and moral culpability to determine if there were significant mitigating circumstances to sentence Parker to life in prison instead of the death penalty. The jury answered “no” to this question.Judge John Tidwell told Parker: “You have been found guilty of capital murder and punished by Texas law to death. I formally sentence you to death.”After listening to the victim impact statements made by the family, Judge Tidwell told the bailiff: “Take her to death row.”