Taylor Parker becomes seventh woman on Death Row in Texas

The baby did not survive. Braxlynn Sage is set to become the seventh woman on Death Row in Texas for the kidnapping of her unborn baby and the murder of Reagan Hancock in Bowie County on Wednesday – (KTAL/KMSS) Texas. Parker Taylor is set to become the seventh woman on Death Row in Texas for the kidnapping of her unborn baby and the murder of Reagan Hancock in Bowie County on Wednesday – Texas (KTAL/KMSS) BOSTON NEW.

Kimberly Cargill, who was the final woman to receive a death sentence in June 2012 for the murder of her, was scheduled to give testimony against her intellectually impaired babysitter in Smith County during a custody dispute.

None of the females presently on Death Row in Texas are slated for capital punishment.

Since the reinstatement of the death penalty by the Supreme Court in 1976, a total of six women have been executed in the state of Texas, according to the Department of Criminal Justice.

Lisa Coleman was put to death in Texas on September 17, 2014, for inflicting torture and starvation upon her girlfriend’s 9-year-old son, making her the final woman to be executed.

She was executed in Texas before being housed in a federal prison, although she tried to pass off her own baby’s murder as an accident. Afterward, in Missouri, she was convicted of using a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb and attempting to strangle the expectant mother with a rope. Her case is chillingly reminiscent of Parker’s and it was the first execution of a female inmate carried out by the federal government since 1953. Lisa Montgomery, executed in January 2021, was the last woman to be executed in the US.

Texas has executed 129 criminals since the beginning of the death row. Only three of them are women, accounting for just 3.1% of female inmates on Texas’ death row, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

On November 14th, Monday, Christina Parker appeared on the official list of the state’s female death row inmates. Before being transferred to the Mountain View Unit where all the state’s female death row inmates are housed, she was moved to the Crain Unit in Gatesville for processing. This transfer took place within hours of her sentencing on Wednesday.

Cases that do not involve life sentences are more common than high-profile cases that involve the death penalty, and they are sentenced by the court to parole. They can be processed into the state prison system on the same day, as testified by Timothy Fitzpatrick, the TDCJ’s Director of Records and Classification.

Fitzsimmons says that an individualized plan for each inmate is a crucial part of building. As part of the intake process, all inmates are required to fill out a questionnaire about their experiences with adverse childhood events. Additionally, they undergo IQ testing and screening for drugs. The Sheriff’s Office in Bowie County, responsible for preparing the “pen packet” or the packet pen, includes the inmate’s history from the police report and court judgment. This packet is expedited to transfer Parker to Gatesville before her sentencing.

Death Row prisoners are provided with a 148-page handbook that introduces them to the rules and regulations of prison life shortly after their arrival. They are confined to a designated area and prohibited from engaging in any work activities. Senior Warden Andrea Lozada stated during her testimony that the prison staff closely monitors the conduct of each new inmate to identify any indications of potential security threats, not only towards the staff but also towards other individuals on death row.

Unless they engage in two hours of daily recreational activities and take showers, they are only permitted to leave their cell. They are equipped with a window, sturdy steel doors, a stool accompanied by a metal desk, a combined toilet, sink, and water dispenser, as well as a bunk. The female prisoners residing in solitary confinement on Death Row occupy individual cells that measure 60 square feet. The Mountain View Unit is located in a separate facility within the TDCJ complex, distinct from the other inmates.

Female prisoners who are on Death Row have the opportunity to engage in tasks such as manufacturing blankets and pillows. The range of job options available to them is restricted. All equipment is documented and they are constantly monitored. It is essential for them to display exemplary conduct, adhere to the regulations, treat the staff with respect, refrain from any attempts to manipulate, and avoid posing any risks to safety. The assigned work takes place within the confines of the cell block, and all employment opportunities are subject to the warden’s discretion.

Without any deviations, they proceed from “point A” to “point B”. All of the corridors are sealed, with no other prisoners nearby. They undergo a thorough body search initially, are bound at the wrists and ankles, and are accompanied by two prison guards whenever they leave their designated space. Their meals are delivered to their cell. The prisoners in that facility are not granted any freedom to move around. According to Fitzpatrick, Death Row is where the Texas Department of Criminal Justice exercises the highest level of control over any inmate.

They will be in the room by themselves. If not, inmates who are “work capable” can be together in the dayroom. They are allowed to be out for two hours a day to vote on what to watch, and they have a single television. Row Death at jail-State Bi has a dayroom between two rows of cells, just like the general population in the pod seg ad.

They must ensure that prison checks are conducted to ensure that they have been approved, and that they are not former inmates or prison employees. They must also ensure that they have contact with their family members to demonstrate their relationship. Visitation is conducted behind glass with no physical contact. Attorneys and spiritual advisors are not included in the weekly visit count, and these visits can last up to two hours. Inmates who are able to work can have one visit per week. Death Row inmates can only update their list of visitors every six months and can have up to 10 visitors on their list.

All items bought from the commissary must be closely monitored, both for their intended purpose and for the personal use of the offender. Death Row inmates are allowed to make commissary purchases every two weeks, with a maximum limit of $85, and these purchases are closely monitored.

The study conducted inside the Death Row building, known as “In-cell study,” is explained by Fitzpatrick as a church-like atmosphere where inmates come for medical reasons only. If they require an x-ray, for example, they may need to go to the medical building. This study is conducted with no guard close by and is attended by doctors or nurses as needed.

They do not travel on buses with other inmates, like those housed in the general population. For certain reasons, such as the need to go to the hospital in Galveston, Death Row inmates have the opportunity to leave the prison by themselves, accompanied by at least two guards and a supervisor, in a van.

A dozen corrections officers are hand-selected by the warden to manage inmate accounts, using their skills in account management, experience, and abilities, along with their tenure with Row, Death.

Fitzpatrick stated that staffing shortages at the prison will not impact Death Row. “No matter the staffing shortages at this prison, it will never impact the staffing on Death Row,” he explained. Although there may be other areas in the facility that do not meet the desired staffing ratio due to staffing issues.

On the witness stand, Lozada verified, ‘They adhere to the regulations, possess knowledge of human supervision, and acknowledge manipulation. They receive extensive additional instruction to ensure they do not become targets of any form of unsuitable conduct.’ Irrespective of my limited number of staff members, when it concerns Death Row, it will undoubtedly have the necessary workforce due to security.

Parker, who is 29 years old, will be the youngest among them. The age of the other six women housed at the Mountain View Unit varies from 49 to 64. These six women have been residing there for a period ranging from 10 to 27 years.

Darlie Lynn Routier (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
Melissa Lucio (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
Brittany Holberg (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
Erica Yvonne Sheppard (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
Kimberly Cargill (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)
Linda Carty (Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice)

Yvonne Erica Sheppard, a 43-year-old woman, has been convicted along with a co-defendant in the 1993 murder of a 27-year-old woman in her home.

Darlie Lynn Routier, 52, has been sentenced to Death Row for 25 years after being found guilty of the 1996 stabbing of her two young sons, Damon and Devon.

Brittany Holberg, aged 49, has been present in that place for a span of 24 years. She is currently residing in Death Row due to her involvement in the murder and theft that took place in 1996. The victim, an elderly man of 80 years, was brutally stabbed over 60 times and had a portion of a lamp forcefully inserted into his throat.

She has been there for 20 years. Carty received the death penalty. Three men who were found guilty as accomplices received lengthy prison sentences. Carty claimed she was not involved. In 2002, she was convicted of planning the murder of her 20-year-old neighbor and kidnapping the neighbor’s baby. Linda Carty, a 64-year-old British woman, is currently the only woman from the UK who is on Death Row in the United States.

Melissa Lucio has been on Death Row for 14 years for the conviction of her 2-year-old daughter’s murder in April. The execution of her was delayed as she continues to fight for exoneration.

Kimberly Cargill, aged 55, was given the death penalty in 2012 for the murder of her mentally challenged childminder in Smith County. The babysitter was scheduled to provide evidence against her in a legal dispute regarding the custody of a child. She has spent a decade in that place.

As of November 11, 2023, six executions have already been scheduled for this year, and Texas State has executed four individuals in 2022.