Netflix's 'Maternal Instincts' Unveils Gripping True Crime Tale

WHO:

Fox News - Taylor Parker, Wade Griffin, Michelle Simmons-Hancock, Reagan Simmons-Hancock, Homer Hancock, Jessica Brookes, Emily Shirey

Yahoo - Taylor Parker, Wade Griffin, Michelle Simmons-Hancock, Reagan Simmons-Hancock, Homer Hancock, Jessica Brookes, Emily Shirey

WHAT:

Fox News - The documentary "Maternal Instinct" focuses on Taylor Parker, who was convicted in 2022 for the slaying of Michelle Simmons-Hancock and the death of her baby.

Yahoo - Parker was arrested on October 9, 2020, on suspicion of killing Simmons-Hancock and was convicted of capital murder in October 2022.

Yahoo - Parker is currently the youngest woman on death row in Texas.

Yahoo - In May 2026, the Supreme Court declined to hear Parker's case.

WHERE:

Fox News - The documentary is available on Netflix.

Yahoo - Parker is being held at the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas.

WHEN:

Fox News - "Maternal Instinct" premiered on Netflix on June 12, 2026.

Yahoo - Parker was arrested on October 9, 2020.

Yahoo - Parker was convicted in October 2022.

Yahoo - Parker's appeal for a new trial was denied in 2025.

WHY:

Yahoo - Parker faked her pregnancy and attacked Simmons-Hancock to pass off her baby as her own.

HOW:

Yahoo - Parker claimed she had given birth after being pulled over by a state trooper, but medical examinations revealed she had not recently given birth.

Yahoo - Parker had a hysterectomy after the birth of her second child, which meant she could not have been pregnant.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 18:34 UTC)

The documentary "Maternal Instinct," which premiered on Netflix on June 12, 2026, delves into the chilling case of Taylor Parker, who was convicted of capital murder in October 2022 for the slaying of Michelle Simmons-Hancock and the death of her baby. Parker, currently the youngest woman on death row in Texas and held at the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, was arrested on October 9, 2020, after faking her pregnancy and attacking Simmons-Hancock to claim the baby as her own. In May 2026, the Supreme Court declined to hear her case, and her appeal for a new trial was denied in 2025.