“Maternal Instinct” shines light on rare but very real crime of fetal abduction
Netflix's new true-crime documentary Maternal Instinct tells the horrifying story of a woman who faked a pregnancy and ultimately murdered an expectant mother in an attempt to steal her unborn child. As shocking as the case may seem, the crime at the center of the documentary – fetal abduction – is tragically real.
Though rare, fetal abductions have occurred across the U.S. for decades. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the only child safety organization that tracks infant abductions, including fetal abductions:
- Since 1974, there have been 24 fetal abduction cases reported to NCMEC.
- 13 of the fetuses survived; 11 fetuses died.
- 22 mothers died; two survived.
- Average age of the abductor was 33, with 63% between the ages of 30-41.
- There were five cases in which the abductor had an accomplice.
- 42% of the abductions occurred at the victim’s home; 38% at the abductor’s home; 20% in a parking lot and taken to another location.
In many cases, the offender spent months pretending to be pregnant, carefully constructing a false narrative before targeting a vulnerable expectant mother. The attacks are often premeditated and devastating, leaving families and entire communities forever changed.
Maternal Instinct follows the 2020 murder of Reagan Simmons-Hancock in Texas, whose unborn daughter was forcibly removed by Taylor Parker after an elaborate scheme built on deception and fabricated pregnancies. Parker is currently on Texas death row. The case is one of several that underscore the extreme lengths offenders have taken to maintain a false identity or fulfill a desperate fantasy.
Check out more about infant abductions, including fetal abductions, on our website.