Texas Court Denies New Trial for Woman Convicted in Murder and Baby Kidnapping

Monday, November 10, 2025 at 5:40 AM

A Bowie County woman sentenced to death for murdering a pregnant mother and taking her unborn baby has been denied a new trial.

A Bowie County woman sentenced to death for murdering a pregnant mother and taking her unborn baby has been denied a new trial. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously upheld the conviction of Taylor Rene Parker, who killed Reagan Hancock and her infant daughter Braxlynn in 2020.

Prosecutors said Parker faked a pregnancy and went to extreme lengths to convince her boyfriend she was expecting, ultimately killing Hancock to steal her baby. The court ruled there was ample evidence that the infant was born alive, rejecting Parker’s claims that she couldn’t be charged with kidnapping.

Lead prosecutor Kelley Crisp said the decision confirms the jury’s verdict was just. Parker remains on death row in Gatesville, with no execution date set.

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Texas Court Denies New Trial for Woman Convicted in Murder and Baby Kidnapping

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