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Thread: Taylor Rene Parker - Texas Death Row

  1. #1
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    Taylor Rene Parker - Texas Death Row





    Woman accused of murdering expectant mom, kidnapping unborn is indicted

    A woman accused of murdering an expectant New Boston mom and taking her unborn baby from her body on a recent October morning was formally indicted Thursday and is facing a possible death sentence.

    By Lynn LaRowe
    Texarkana News

    NEW BOSTON, Texas — A woman accused of murdering an expectant New Boston mom and taking her unborn baby from her body on a recent October morning was formally indicted Thursday and is facing a possible death sentence.

    Taylor Parker, aka Taylor Morton and Taylor Wacasey, was indicted by a Bowie County grand jury Thursday on charges of capital murder and kidnapping in the deaths of Reagan Michelle Simmons Hancock and her unborn daughter, Braxlynn Sage Hancock. The capital murder charge involves the mother's death while the kidnapping charge involves the abduction of the unborn infant. An information charging Parker with murder in the baby's death filed earlier this year by First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp remains pending.

    Parker, 27, allegedly attacked 21-year-old Reagan Hancock the morning of Oct. 9 at her home in New Boston, according to a probable cause affidavit. A Texas state trooper pulled Parker over in DeKalb, Texas, not far from the Oklahoma border, just after 9:30 a.m. that morning. Parker allegedly was performing CPR on the infant girl in her lap and the umbilical cord appeared to be coming from her pants. Parker allegedly claimed to have delivered the child roadside.

    An ambulance transported Parker and the baby to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where the baby was pronounced deceased and doctors determined Parker had not given birth.

    The trooper first made contact with Parker at 9:37 a.m. Oct. 9. At approximately 10:20 a.m. the same morning, Hancock's mother discovered her daughter's body in the living room of the home Hancock shared with her husband and 3-year-old daughter in New Boston.

    When Hancock's mother called 911 mid-morning Oct. 9, she "was screaming that someone killed her baby."

    A large amount of blood was noted throughout the house on the floor, furniture, walls, appliances and other items. Hancock was found lying face down on the living room floor. After learning Hancock was approximately 34 weeks along, just six weeks away from a full term pregnancy, paramedics were asked to check on the status of the unborn child.

    When LifeNet personnel turned Hancock over, a large cut across her abdomen was revealed and it was determined the baby had been removed.

    Parker allegedly confessed to an investigator with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that she was not pregnant and admitted to having been in an "altercation" with Hancock.

    "Parker used a small scalpel to remove the unborn infant from the body," the affidavit states.

    A small scalpel was found lodged in Hancock's neck during an autopsy by a Dallas medical examiner that had not been visible to investigators at the crime scene.

    Parker and Reagan Hancock were friends on Facebook and reportedly knew one another. Reagan Hancock had posted a sonogram photo on the social media site with an early November due date in the months before her death. The happy post included a name for the baby, Braxlynn Sage Hancock.

    Parker allegedly convinced her boyfriend she was pregnant and often made social media posts supporting her claim. The boyfriend reported to police the couple held a gender reveal party in advance of Parker's fictitious Oct. 9 due date to celebrate the arrival of a baby that never truly existed. The boyfriend reported that he expected to meet Parker, 27, at a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, at noon Oct. 9 for a planned, induced labor and delivery.

    According to an Oct. 19 civil filing in Bowie County by the Texas Attorney General's Office, Parker, under the name Taylor Wacasey, is thousands behind on child support to the father of a son she gave birth to in 2013. The motion accuses Parker of failing to make even one monthly payment of $225 toward the support of her son as ordered beginning March 1, 2018. Parker is allegedly more than $7,600 delinquent in payments and interest.

    Bowie County court records show Parker divorced a man with the last name Wacasey in March 2018 and was granted a marriage license to wed a man with the last name Parker the following month. In July 2019, Taylor Parker's marriage to Parker ended in divorce in Bowie county.

    No children were born of that marriage. Parker reportedly has a daughter who is older than her son and who has a different father.

    Parker is being held in the Bowie County jail in downtown Texarkana with bails totaling $5 million. Texarkana lawyer Jeff Harrelson was recently appointed to represent Parker by 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp is leading the prosecution.

    If convicted of kidnapping, Parker faces two to 10 years in prison. If found guilty of murder she faces five to 99 years or life. If convicted of capital murder, Parker faces a sentence of life without parole or death by lethal injection.

    https://www.texarkanagazette.com/new...dicted/852111/
    Last edited by Steven; 10-23-2023 at 05:37 AM.

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    State will seek death penalty for woman accused of murdering mom, stealing unborn baby

    By Field Walsh
    TXK Today

    Bowie County District Attorney Jerry Rochelle announced Friday at a hearing in New Boston that his office will seek the death penalty for Taylor Rene Parker in the death of Reagan Simmons Hancock.

    Texarkana attorney Jeff Harrelson entered pleas of not guilty on Parker’s behalf to capital murder and kidnapping. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp asked 202nd District Judge John Tidwell to revoke Taylor’s current $5 million in bail due to the charges and possible death sentence.

    Harrelson said it is unlikely Parker can make the $5 million bond but objected to her having no bond set at all. Tidwell scheduled a hearing for March 5.

    Crisp said she expects to ask a Bowie County grand jury to indict Parker for murder in the death of Baby Hancock in February. Crisp said those charges were not presented to the grand jury that indicted Parker for capital murder and kidnapping in December because a report from the medical examiner had not been received at that time.

    Rochelle said his office decided to seek the death penalty after “deliberations” with his staff and the victim’s family. Rochelle called the crime “horrific” and said Parker planned the murder for months.

    Parker is accused of attacking 21-year-old Reagan Hancock at her home in New Boston on the morning of Oct. 9. Parker was stopped by a Texas state trooper near DeKalb, Texas, at 9:37 a.m., according to a probable cause affidavit.

    Parker was allegedly attempting to perform CPR on the infant in her lap and allegedly claimed she gave birth to the baby on the side of the road. Parker and the infant were transported by ambulance to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma. The baby was pronounced dead and doctors there determined Parker had not given birth.

    Parker was arrested in Oklahoma after Hancock’s mother discovered her body and paramedics determined the baby had been cut from the mother’s body.

    Parker had allegedly been faking a pregnancy and was a friend of Hancock’s. Parker’s boyfriend told investigators he and Parker had a gender reveal party and that he believed she was pregnant with his child. The boyfriend said he expected to meet Parker at the Idabel hospital that day at “about lunch time” for an induced delivery.

    Parker allegedly confessed to the phony pregnancy and admitted to using a small scalpel to remove the unborn infant from Hancock’s body. The scalpel was found lodged in Hancock’s neck during an autopsy performed at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.

    Capital murder is punishable by death or life without parole.

    https://txktoday.com/crime/state-wil...g-unborn-baby/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Wow another Lisa Montgomery. Let’s hope this ends the same way.
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    Taylor Parker indicted on second capital murder charge for infant's death

    NEW BOSTON, Texas —A third indictment has been issued by a Bowie County grand jury for a woman accused of murdering a pregnant friend and removing her unborn infant from her body in October.

    Taylor Rene Parker, aka Taylor Morton and Taylor Waycasey, is currently under indictment for capital murder in the mother's death and kidnapping for taking her infant. The state announced in January that it will seek the death penalty.

    A third indictment leveling a second charge of capital murder against Parker in the baby's death was issued by a grand jury Thursday. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp said at a hearing in January that she was unable to present the baby's case in January because she had not yet received a final report from the medical examiner detailing findings on the infant, Braxlynn Sage Hancock.

    Parker's lead defense attorney, Jeff Harrelson of Texarkana, entered pleas of not guilty in January to the initial capital murder and kidnapping charges.

    Parker, 28, allegedly attacked 21-year-old Reagan Michelle Simmons Hancock the morning of Oct. 9 at her home in New Boston, according to a probable cause affidavit. A Texas state trooper pulled Parker over in DeKalb, Texas, not far from the Oklahoma border, just after 9:30 a.m. Parker was allegedly performing CPR on the infant girl in her lap and the umbilical cord appeared to be coming from her pants.

    An ambulance transported Parker and the baby to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where the baby was pronounced dead and doctors determined Parker had not given birth.

    The Texas trooper first made contact with Parker at 9:37 a.m. Oct. 9. Approximately 10:20 a.m. the same morning, Hancock's mother discovered her daughter's body in the living room of the home Hancock shared with her husband and 3-year-old daughter in New Boston.

    A large amount of blood was noted throughout the house on the floor, furniture, walls, appliances and other items. Hancock was found lying face down on the living room floor. After learning Hancock was approximately 34 weeks along, just six weeks away from a full-term pregnancy, paramedics were asked to check on the status of the unborn child.

    When LifeNet personnel turned Hancock over, a large cut across her abdomen was revealed and it was determined the baby had been removed.

    A small scalpel was found lodged in Hancock's neck during an autopsy by a Dallas medical examiner which had not been visible to investigators at the crime scene.

    Parker and Reagan Hancock were friends. Reagan Hancock posted a sonogram photo on a social media site with an early November due date in the months before her murder. The happy post included a name for the baby, Braxlynn Sage Hancock.

    Parker allegedly convinced her boyfriend she was pregnant and often made social media posts supporting her claim. The boyfriend reported to police the couple held a gender reveal party in advance of Parker's fictitious Oct. 9 due date to celebrate the arrival of a baby that never truly existed. The boyfriend reported that he expected to meet Parker at a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, at noon Oct. 9 for a planned, induced labor and delivery.

    Parker's jury will have three options when deciding if she is guilty of capital murder in Reagan Hancock's murder: death by lethal injection, life without parole, or acquittal. If found guilty of kidnapping, Parker faces two to 20 years. If convicted of murder in the baby's death, Parker faces five to 99 years or life in a Texas prison.

    https://www.texarkanagazette.com/new...-death/862322/
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    Judge sets 2022 trial date for woman accused of murdering pregnant friend, stealing unborn baby

    Trial in the capital murder case of a woman accused of killing a pregnant New Boston, Texas, woman and removing her unborn daughter is scheduled to begin in September 2022.

    Taylor Rene Parker, 28, aka Taylor Morton, is accused of attacking Reagan Hancock at her home in New Boston on the morning of Oct. 9. Parker allegedly removed Hancock’s unborn child, Braxlynn Sage Hancock, and allegedly planned to pass the child off as her own following a fake pregnancy.

    Parker appeared before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell for a pretrial hearing Friday at the Bowie County courthouse in New Boston. Tidwell said he has set firm dates for jury selection and trial in the case.

    Tidwell said jury selection will begin at the end of June with a date for juror qualification and for jurors to complete questionnaires. Because the state is seeking the death penalty for Parker, jurors will be questioned individually rather than as a group during the month of August 2022.

    The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 19, 2022. First Assistant District Attorney said previously that the state intends to try Parker on the charge of capital murder in Reagan Hancock’s death first. Parker also faces a capital murder charge in the baby’s death and a charge of kidnapping.

    Parker is accused of killing Reagan Hancock, 21, at her home in New Boston on the morning of Oct. 9. Parker was stopped by a Texas state trooper near DeKalb, Texas, at 9:37 a.m., according to a probable cause affidavit.

    Parker was allegedly attempting to perform CPR on the infant in her lap and allegedly claimed she gave birth to the baby on the side of the road. Parker and the infant were transported by ambulance to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma. The baby was pronounced dead and doctors there determined Parker had not given birth.

    Parker was arrested in Oklahoma after Hancock’s mother discovered her body and paramedics determined the baby had been cut from the mother’s body.

    Parker had allegedly been faking a pregnancy and was a friend of Hancock’s. Parker’s boyfriend told investigators he and Parker had a gender reveal party and that he believed she was pregnant with his child. The boyfriend said he expected to meet Parker at the Idabel hospital that day at “about lunch time” for an induced delivery.

    Parker allegedly confessed to the phony pregnancy and admitted to using a small scalpel to remove the unborn infant from Hancock’s body. The scalpel was found lodged in Hancock’s neck during an autopsy performed at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.

    If found guilty of capital murder Parker faces death or life without parole. If found guilty of kidnapping she faces 2 to 10 years in prison.

    (source: txktoday.com)
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    Autopsy findings discussed in case of pregnant mother and unborn child

    NEW BOSTON, Texas -- Autopsy findings were discussed Friday at a pretrial hearing for a woman accused of killing a pregnant friend and taking her unborn child last year.

    By Lynn LaRowe
    Texarkana News

    NEW BOSTON, Texas —Autopsy findings were discussed Friday at a pretrial hearing for a woman accused of killing a pregnant friend and taking her unborn child last year.

    Taylor Rene Parker, aka Taylor Morton, 28, is currently under indictment for two counts of capital murder and a count of kidnapping in the Oct. 9 deaths of Reagan Hancock and her daughter, Braxlynn Sage Hancock. Parker has pleaded not guilty to the charges and the state has announced that it is seeking the death penalty.

    Parker appeared Friday with Texarkana lawyer Jeff Harrelson and Mount Pleasant lawyer Mac Cobb before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp said she filed a motion Friday to amend the indictment charging Parker with capital murder in Reagan Hancock's death based on newly received findings from the medical examiner.

    The indictment currently alleges Parker murdered Reagan Hancock by slashing and/or cutting her abdomen and body with a knife and/or scalpel and by beating and/or striking her in the head and body with a blunt object. Crisp said that she and Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards recently met with the medical examiner to discuss autopsy results and have determined that additional language should be added in light of those findings.

    Crisp's motion seeks to include allegations that strangulation was a factor in Reagan Hancock's death in addition to slashing, cutting, beating and striking.

    "They included information that there is a component of strangulation," Crisp said, noting that she provided a copy of the autopsy report to the defense.

    Crisp also addressed the matter of expert witnesses who may be hired by the defense. Under Texas law, each side has to give notice to the other regarding the substance of expert testimony at least 20 days in advance of trial.

    Crisp said she worries that 20 days may not give the state the time it will need to respond as the allegations against Parker are unique. Fetal abductions are extremely rare and there is little if any scientific literature on such occurrences.

    "These experts are going to be difficult to come by," Crisp said. "We're not dealing with typical criminal behavior. This is unusual, I think we'd all agree."

    Tidwell asked the lawyers to file briefs on the matter prior to Parker's next pretrial hearing in late July.

    Parker's trial is scheduled to begin in mid-September 2022 with weeks of jury selection to occur the month before. Because the state has announced it does intend to seek the death penalty for Parker, jury selection will differ from a trial where a prison term is sought. Jurors will report individually to answer questions from the defense and prosecution.

    At an earlier pretrial hearing, Crisp said the state intends to first try Parker on the charge of capital murder involving Reagan Hancock. Parker faces death by lethal injection or life without parole if convicted.

    Parker allegedly attacked 21-year-old Reagan Hancock the morning of Oct. 9 at her home in New Boston, according to a probable cause affidavit. A Texas state trooper pulled Parker over in De Kalb, Texas, not far from the Oklahoma border, just after 9:30 a.m. Parker was allegedly performing CPR on the infant girl in her lap and the umbilical cord appeared to be coming from her pants.

    An ambulance transported Parker and the baby to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where the baby was pronounced dead and doctors determined Parker had not given birth.

    The Texas trooper first made contact with Parker at 9:37 a.m. Oct. 9. Approximately 10:20 a.m. the same morning, Hancock's mother discovered her daughter's body in the living room of the home Hancock shared with her husband and 3-year-old daughter in New Boston.

    When LifeNet personnel turned Hancock over, a large cut across her abdomen was revealed and it was determined the baby had been removed.

    A small scalpel, which had not been visible to investigators at the crime scene, was found lodged in Hancock's neck during an autopsy by a Dallas medical examiner.

    Parker and Reagan Hancock were friends. Reagan Hancock posted a sonogram photo on a social media site with an early November due date in the months before her murder.

    Parker allegedly convinced her boyfriend she was pregnant and often made social media posts supporting her claim. The boyfriend reported that he expected to meet Parker at a hospital in Idabel at noon Oct. 9 for a planned, induced labor and delivery.

    Parker is currently being held in the Bowie County jail.

    https://www.texarkanagazette.com/new...d-died/872927/

  7. #7
    Moderator Ryan's Avatar
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    I'm calling it now! Parker is going to death row.
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    Change of venue motion discussed at pretrial hearing in fetal abduction, capital murder case

    Judge sets hearing for January to address venue motion in Taylor Parker capital murder case

    By Lynn LaRowe
    Texarkana Gazette

    NEW BOSTON, Texas --A venue change in the death penalty trial of a woman accused of murdering a friend and taking her unborn child was discussed Thursday at a pretrial hearing in Bowie County.

    Taylor Rene Parker, 28, is accused of capital murder in the Oct. 9, 2020, death of Regan Hancock.

    Hancock, 21, was approximately eight months pregnant when she was attacked in the New Boston house she shared with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.

    At the hearing Thursday, 202nd District Judge John Tidwell told the parties he has been informed that the defense intends to seek a change of venue for Parker's trial.

    Such motions typically complain that pretrial publicity has made it unlikely the accused can get a fair trial in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred.

    Tidwell told the defense he wants the motion filed by Dec. 10 and scheduled a hearing to address it for early January.

    Other issues addressed Thursday include the testing of evidence by the state crime lab. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Parker's lead defense lawyer, Jeff Harrelson of Texarkana, told Tidwell they are working to schedule a meeting with crime lab staff, which is required by Texas law in a death penalty case.

    "Hopefully we can agree on the items to be tested," Crisp said.

    Parker, who has also used the names Taylor Morton and Taylor Wacasey, sat quietly at the defense table as the lawyers discussed the exchange of evidence in the case, DNA testing and issues surrounding expert testimony.

    A large gathering of Hancock's family filled many of the seats in the courtroom.

    Parker has been in custody since the day of Hancock's murder.

    A Texas state trooper pulled Parker over in DeKalb, Texas, not far from the Oklahoma border, just after 9:30 a.m. the morning of Oct. 9, 2020, according to a probable cause affidavit. Parker allegedly was performing CPR on the infant girl in her lap and the umbilical cord appeared to be coming from her pants.

    An ambulance transported Parker and the baby to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where the baby was pronounced dead and doctors determined Parker had not given birth, according to records.

    Approximately 10:20 a.m. the same morning, Hancock's mother discovered her daughter's body in the living room of the home Hancock shared with her husband and 3-year-old daughter in New Boston.

    Parker and Reagan Hancock were friends, according to records. Reagan Hancock had posted a sonogram photo on the social media site with an early November due date in the months before her death. The happy post included a name for the baby, Braxlynn Sage Hancock.

    Parker allegedly convinced her boyfriend she was pregnant and often made social media posts supporting her claim. The boyfriend reported to police the couple held a gender reveal party in advance of Parker's fictitious Oct. 9 due date to celebrate the arrival of a baby that never truly existed. The boyfriend reported that he expected to meet Parker, then 27, at a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, at noon Oct. 9 for a planned, induced labor and delivery.

    Parker is scheduled to be tried in fall 2022 on a charge of capital murder involving Regan Hancock. Parker is also charged with capital murder in connection with the baby's death and with kidnapping.

    Parker's jury will have three options when deciding if she is guilty of capital murder: death by lethal injection, life without parole or acquittal. If found guilty of kidnapping, Parker faces two to 20 years in a Texas prison.

    Tidwell scheduled the case for another status hearing in December.

    Parker is being held in the Bowie County jail.

    https://www.texarkanagazette.com/new...d-at-pretrial/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Defense seeks change of venue in capital murder of pregnant woman, unborn child

    By Field Walsh
    TXK Today

    The defense has filed a motion seeking to move the trial out of Bowie County for a woman accused of murdering a pregnant friend and taking her unborn child last year.

    Taylor Rene Parker, 29, faces a possible death sentence if convicted of capital murder in the Oct. 9, 2020, death of Reagan Hancock. Hancock, 21, was approximately 8 months pregnant with a baby girl at the time.

    Parker’s defense team, Jeff Harrelson of Texarkana and Mac Cobb of Mt. Pleasant, filed a motion Friday for a change of venue for the trial. The motion argues that Parker cannot get a fair trial in Bowie County, Texas, or in an adjacent county because of pretrial publicity. Jury selection is currently scheduled to begin in the summer with trial to begin in September.

    A hearing to address the defense motion is scheduled for February before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards are prosecuting.

    Parker allegedly attacked Hancock at her home in New Boston on the morning of Oct. 9. Parker was stopped by a Texas state trooper near DeKalb, Texas, at 9:37 a.m., according to a probable cause affidavit.

    Parker was allegedly attempting to perform CPR on the infant in her lap and allegedly claimed she gave birth to the baby on the side of the road. Parker and the infant were transported by ambulance to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma. The baby was pronounced dead and doctors there determined Parker had not given birth.

    Parker was arrested in Oklahoma after Hancock’s mother discovered her body in her home in New Boston and paramedics determined the baby had been removed from the mother’s body.

    Parker had allegedly been faking a pregnancy and was a friend of Hancock’s. Parker’s boyfriend told investigators he and Parker had a gender reveal party and that he believed she was pregnant with his child. The boyfriend said he expected to meet Parker at the Idabel hospital that day at “about lunch time” for an induced delivery.

    If found guilty of capital murder Parker faces death or life without parole. Parker is being held in the Bowie County jail.

    https://txktoday.com/crime/defense-s...-unborn-child/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Jury selection begins soon in fetal abduction case

    Process to take weeks

    By Lynn LaRowe
    Texarkana Gazette

    NEW BOSTON, Texas -- The first step began last week in picking a jury to decide the fate of a woman accused of murdering a pregnant New Boston mom and taking her unborn child in October 2020.

    Two thousand summonses were mailed out Friday to Bowie County residents with instructions to report for juror qualification later this month in the capital murder trial of Taylor Rene Parker, 29, aka Taylor Morton and Taylor Waycasey. The state is seeking the death penalty for Parker in the Oct. 9, 2020, death of Regan Simmons Hancock.

    At a pretrial hearing Wednesday morning, 202nd District Judge John Tidwell said those who receive a summons will be given one of two times to report the morning of June 29 for qualification at the New Boston High School auditorium.

    "I needed a place where we could have several hundred people sitting together," Tidwell said.

    To qualify for jury service a person must meet certain criteria including being at least 18, a U.S. citizen, a Bowie County resident and able to read and write. Tidwell said those who qualify for jury service will be given a questionnaire to complete and a date to return in August for individual questioning by the court, state and defense.

    "I'm only going to take up official qualification and exemptions. I'm not going to take up excuses," Tidwell said of his plan for June 29. "Major medical issues I'll take up, but everything else I'll take up at voir dire."

    "Voir dire" is a term used for jury selection which means "to speak the truth."

    Opening statements are scheduled to begin Sept. 12.

    Tidwell addressed a recently filed defense motion asking for a delay in the trial by reviewing a scheduling order for the case established in January 2021.

    "I feel like addressing the motion now would be premature," Tidwell said. "If we need an extra week or two, I'd be amenable to that. If we need a day during the trial to visit with experts, I'd be amenable to that."

    Tidwell said he built in months of extra time in the case's scheduling to avoid the need to move the trial date.

    First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp said discovery in the case is ongoing as the state continues to acquire evidence, including "things coming from the jail," such as interviews with inmates housed with Parker and recordings of jail phone calls.

    Tidwell denied defense motions challenging Texas death penalty laws but granted a defense motion he referred to as "reveal the deal."

    Parker's lead defense attorney, Jeff Harrelson of Texarkana, said he wants to know if the state has any agreements with potential witnesses.

    Should any witness be offered an incentive to testify, such as a plea deal in a criminal case, they must disclose the arrangement to the defense in advance of trial. Crisp said it is her office's policy not to offer deals to witnesses.

    "We have interviewed several inmates at the county jail for issues that have come up since her (Parker's) arrest," Crisp said.

    Members of Hancock's family sat together at the hearing Wednesday as they have at all of Parker's previous pretrial appearances.

    A Texas state trooper pulled Parker over in DeKalb, Texas, not far from the Oklahoma border, just after 9:30 a.m. the morning of Oct. 9, 2020, according to a probable cause affidavit. Parker allegedly was performing CPR on the infant girl in her lap and the umbilical cord appeared to be coming from her pants.

    An ambulance transported Parker and the baby to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where the baby was pronounced dead and doctors determined Parker had not given birth.

    Approximately 10:20 a.m. the same morning, Hancock's mother discovered her daughter's body in the living room of the home Hancock shared with her husband and 3-year-old daughter in New Boston.

    Parker and Reagan Hancock were friends, according to records. Reagan Hancock was nearing her due date and she and her husband had already chosen a name, Braxlynn Sage Hancock.

    Parker allegedly convinced her boyfriend she was pregnant and often made social media posts supporting her claim. The boyfriend reported to police the couple held a gender reveal party in advance of Parker's fictitious Oct. 9 due date to celebrate the arrival of a baby that never truly existed. The boyfriend reported that he expected to meet Parker, then 27, at noon Oct. 9 at a hospital in Idabel for a planned, induced labor and delivery.

    Parker is facing capital murder and kidnapping charges involving the baby and may be tried on those charges later. She is being held without bail in the Bowie County jail.

    If convicted of capital murder, she faces death by lethal injection or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    https://www.texarkanagazette.com/new...bduction-case/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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