When Taylor Parker was convicted of capital murder in October 2022 for killing her pregnant friend Reagan Simmons-Hancock and cutting the unborn baby from her body, one family member stood at the center of the case: her mother, Shona Prior.
Prior became one of the most consequential figures during Parker’s trial and the years that followed. She took custody of Parker’s daughter, testified in court, took jail calls from her daughter and offered blunt assessments of the crimes that landed Parker on Texas death row. Her role has come back into the spotlight after Netflix released the documentary Maternal Instinct in June 2026, chronicling Parker’s 10-month web of lies and the disturbing case that followed.
Here’s everything to know about Prior, below.
Shona Prior Took Custody of Taylor Parker’s Daughter
Parker welcomed daughter Emersyn at age 17 with then-boyfriend Donald Whiteside. Little has been publicly shared about Whiteside’s role in Emersyn’s life since he and Parker split.
At the time of Parker’s October 2020 arrest, Emersyn had been temporarily staying with Parker’s first ex-husband, Tommy Wacasey. That arrangement had been put in place earlier that year — around the same time Parker first claimed to be pregnant with boyfriend Wade Griffin’s child, according to reporting from KTAL.
Following Parker’s arrest, Prior filed for custody of Emersyn, and the request was granted. Prior currently has custody of Emersyn, while Wacasey has custody of Parker’s son, Trey, whom Parker welcomed at 21 during her marriage to Wacasey.
During the trial, Prior testified that Emersyn continued to see Wacasey and his family on a regular basis. She also told the court she had connected her granddaughter with a counselor to help her process what her mother had done.
Shona Prior Testified During Taylor Parker’s Capital Murder Trial
Prior took the stand during Parker’s trial and offered candid answers about how her granddaughter was coping — and how much she understood about her mother’s crimes.
“You explained to me that you didn’t think (Taylor’s daughter) knew about the crime,” First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp asked during the trial.
Prior responded, “She does not know the horrific details. She knows that two people have died at the hands of her mother.”
Jail phone calls played during the trial revealed that Parker told Emersyn not to talk to people about why she was in jail. Prior also testified that she was not in a custody dispute with Wacasey over Trey, telling jurors the boy remained in his father’s full-time care.
Prior told the court that both of Parker’s children “love her,” and several family photos were entered into evidence alongside the jail calls between Parker and her kids.
Shona Prior Confronted Taylor Parker in Prison Phone Calls
In a jail call recording obtained by The Sun, Parker complained to Prior about life behind bars — criticizing her jail cell, saying she couldn’t wear makeup during court proceedings and crying about not being able to speak to her two children.
“Mom, they would charge me with s***ting on a fly right now if they could, literally, that’s what it comes down to,” Parker said during the call, which took place sometime between 2021 and 2022. “I mean, there’s another girl that’s here, and they literally just threw some bogus bulls*** on her just because they could, just because it makes them look better.”
Prior said she understood, but she didn’t let her daughter off the hook.
“I don’t think you’re thinking about that like you should be thinking about that,” Prior said. “I mean, it’s not just you do one horrible thing and they try to throw the book at you.”
When Parker apologized through tears, Prior made clear she wasn’t convinced her daughter was truly sorry.
“I know you did not think about the consequences of your actions. I know that,” Prior said.
After Parker cried about not being able to see her son, Prior offered another sharp response: “I’m sure it does, but you know what? I hate to say this, but if you’d have been thinking about the children that you had on earth, you might not be in the situation you’re in.”
She added, “But, I mean, that’s what’s done is done. And you have to go forward and deal with the consequences as best you can. You’re not the only one dealing with them. We’re all dealing with them.”
Prior was more sympathetic when the conversation turned to Parker’s concerns about her appearance in court.
“So the thing about it is if they try to discriminate [against] you as a person, that will work in your favor in the long run because they’re not giving you a fair chance,” Prior said. “You know, they’re wanting you to look like a homeless criminal.”
She continued, “They’re not wanting you to look like a human because that would be beneficial to you and detrimental to them.”
Shona Prior Was on a Prison Phone Call With Taylor Parker’s Daughter
In a separate call released by TMZ in June 2026, Parker spoke to Emersyn and Prior as if life were normal — despite being accused of a horrific fetal abduction crime.
Emersyn told Parker she was standing near a campfire, and the group discussed a storm that had rolled through the night before. Emersyn shared that she had received sapphire and diamond jewelry as an early Christmas gift and that her younger brother, Trey, got a cross chain.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Parker said.
As the call continued, Parker asked what Emersyn was up to that day, and Emersyn described her bedroom at Prior’s home. The call was ultimately cut short by the jail’s automated system. Mother and daughter concluded by telling each other they loved one another.
The exact date of the call has not been made public, though TMZ reported it took place after Parker’s arrest and before her conviction.
Shona Prior’s Relationship With Taylor Parker’s Father
Prior shares Parker with ex-husband Mark Morton, whom she divorced in 2005.
Parker and her brother, Zachary Morton, witnessed their parents fight often during their childhoods. After the divorce, Prior and Morton initially shared custody, but Prior testified that Morton’s anger about the split made the arrangement difficult.
The children were given the option to live with Mark, and Parker primarily lived with her father and his mother, while Zachary stayed with Prior.
During the trial, Zachary suggested his father’s lifestyle may have influenced his sister’s personality.
“When dad was chasing other women or drugs, we were put on the back burner,” Zachary testified. “It seemed like when Taylor was chasing another man, instead of the focus being on her children, it was on herself. It was all about her at one specific time.”
Parker was found guilty of capital murder and kidnapping in October 2022 and sentenced to death. She is currently the youngest woman on death row in the state of Texas.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
