TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Bowie County District Attorney Jerry Rochelle assigned First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp to lead the prosecution—a decision that would prove crucial. Crisp was one of the people who would ultimately shoulder the weight of the case with a resolve equal to the family’s loss. From the moment the file crossed her desk, Crisp recognized that this was unlike anything she, or almost any prosecutor, had ever seen. Crisp said, “I knew from the day of the homicides that we were about to embark upon an investigation and prosecution that few agencies and few prosecutors had ever encountered, as fetal abduction murder is, thankfully, very rare.” As the investigation moved forward and the trial began, Crisp’s role would extend far beyond the courtroom; it would become a deeply personal commitment to seeking justice for a young mother whose life had been stolen with unfathomable brutality. She worked tirelessly to develop the case that would see justice served. “For me and for the law enforcement officers and members of the district attorney’s office working on the case, justice demanded the death penalty,” Crisp explained. She knew in order for a jury to assess such a penalty, they must understand the full scope of what had taken place. Crisp explained that the complexity of the case weighed heavily on her. “Simply getting a handle on the backstory was a monumental undertaking,” she said. “I lost countless nights of sleep over it, just trying to determine the most effective trial strategy. The payoff, however, was justice for Jessica, Homer, and the rest of their family.” On November 9, 2022, after just 90 minutes of deliberation, a Bowie County jury sentenced Taylor Rene Parker to death, for the murder of Reagan Hancock and her unborn daughter, Braxlynn Sage Hancock. Crisp said of the outcome, “The jury got it right.” But even the strongest verdict does not nullify grief. Justice offered accountability, but it could not offer restoration. What remained was the lifelong work of learning how to live in the after—where sorrow and strength walk side by side, and where survivors must find new ways to keep going. “Mercifully, most people will never know the depth of the pain and loss that Jessica and her family suffered,” Crisp reflected. Crisp spoke of Jessica’s unwavering faith, saying it “was a constant for me during the trial. As a testament to the kind of person she is, Jessica was thinking of me during the trial. She sent me prayers and passages of scripture daily. Her faith led her to serve as the bright spot on some of the darkest days I’ve known as a prosecutor.” Crisp’s up close and personal journey with Reagan’s family gave her a front-row seat to who they were, even amid unimaginable loss. “When you talk with them,” Crisp stated, “they are filled with joy and peace. They will always mourn the loss of Reagan and baby Braxlynn, but they do not live lives marked by anger or even sadness. My prayer is that Reagan’s memory will always be a blessing for this family.” More than two years after her conviction, Taylor Parker’s bid for a new trial was denied in November 2025, when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously rejected her appeal. The ruling marked another significant milestone in a case that shocked Bowie County and garnered national attention. For Reagan’s family, the denial brought a measure of closure.
KEY FACTS OF THE CASE THE CRIME On October 9, 2020, in New Boston, Texas, Reagan Michelle Hancock, 21, and her unborn daughter, Braxlynn Sage Hancock, at 34 weeks’ gestation, were murdered. THE DEFENDANT Taylor Rene Parker, also known as Taylor Morton and Taylor Waycasey. CHAIN OF EVENTS In the months leading up to the crime, Parker faked her own pregnancy, telling friends and family she was expecting a baby. She staged a gender reveal party, shared false ultrasound images, and told others she was scheduled to be induced. On October 9, 2020, Parker went to Hancock’s home in New Boston. Inside the home, she attacked Hancock, forcibly removed her unborn child, and fled the scene with the infant, intending to present the baby as her own. THE ARREST A state trooper stopped Parker for speeding and erratic driving. Officers found her covered in dried blood and holding the deceased infant, with the umbilical cord still attached. When Parker was taken to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, medical staff determined she had not given birth. TRIAL & CONVICTION Parker was charged with capital murder. A Bowie County jury convicted her on October 3, 2022. She was sentenced to death on November 9, 2022. The case was prosecuted by Bowie County First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and her team. APPEALS Parker appealed her conviction and death sentence, alleging prosecutorial misconduct. In November 2025, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied the appeal and unanimously affirmed the sentence. CURRENT STATUS Parker is incarcerated at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where she remains on death row awaiting an execution date. WHY THIS CASE IS UNIQUE Parker’s death sentence places her among only seven women on Texas’ death row. Women represent less than 2% of the nation’s death row population, making capital convictions involving female defendants exceptionally rare. The outcome reflects the seriousness with which prosecutors and jurors viewed the circumstances of the crime.
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LIFE & STYLE
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