From Infant Abduction to Matricide: The Violent Stories of Texas’ Seven Condemned Women

A horrifying new Netflix documentary details the events that led up to a Texas woman killing a pregnant mother in order to steal her unborn baby. The woman, now the youngest woman on Texas death row, joins six others awaiting death. These are their stories.

Texas Women On Death Row

While capital punishment in Texas is overwhelmingly dominated by male inmates, a small, group of female offenders occupies the maximum-security Mountain View Unit in Gatesville. Following her sentencing for the capital murder of Reagan Hancock and the abduction of unborn baby Braxlynn Sage, 29-year-old Taylor Parker became the seventh member of this restricted cellblock, breaking a decade-long stretch in Texas without a female defendant receiving a death sentence.

Executions

Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, Texas has executed six women, more than any other state. The last state-level execution of a female inmate occurred in September 2014, when Lisa Coleman was put to death. Below is the list of the 7 women currently on Texas Death Row.

Erica Yvonne Sheppard

The 49-year-old is currently the longest-serving female inmate on Texas' death row, having spent 27 years inside the Gatesville facility. She was convicted alongside a male co-defendant for the 1993 robbery and murder of a 43-year-old woman inside her home. The state proved the crime was committed as part of a plot to steal the victim’s car.

Darlie Lynn Routier

The 52-year-old has spent 25 years on death row following one of the most intensely publicized capital murder trials in Texas history. She was condemned for the brutal 1996 stabbing deaths of her two young sons, Damon and Devon, inside their Rowlett home. Routier, who was also wounded during the incident, has maintained her innocence for over two decades while her legal team continues to fight for a new trial.

Brittany Holberg

The 49-year-old has spent 24 years of confinement in the restricted unit. She received a death sentence for the 1996 robbery and murder of an 80-year-old man in his apartment. Prosecutors presented evidence showing the victim was stabbed more than 60 times and had part of a lamp shoved down his throat before his death. The jury rejected a life sentence in favor of capital punishment.

Linda Carty

The 64-year-old has been on death row for 20 years and holds the distinction of being the only British national currently facing execution in the United States. She was convicted of orchestrating the 2002 home invasion and murder of a 20-year-old neighbor, which was carried out by three men in an attempt to steal the neighbor’s newborn infant. While her accomplices received lengthy prison sentences, Carty was handed the death penalty as the mastermind of the operation.

Melissa Lucio

The 54-year-old has spent 14 years on death row following her conviction in the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Mariah. Her case became a national flashpoint when her scheduled execution was abruptly halted just days before it was set to take place. Lucio remains in the unit as her legal team pursues an exoneration claim through the Texas court system.

Kimberly Cargill

The 55-year-old has resided at Mountain View for 10 years following her conviction in Smith County. She was sentenced to death in June 2012 for the choking murder of her developmentally disabled babysitter. Evidence presented at trial showed that Cargill committed the crime to eliminate the babysitter as a witness, as the woman was legally subpoenaed to testify against Cargill in an upcoming child custody battle.

Taylor Rene Parker

The 29-year-old is the newest and youngest resident of the female death row block. She was officially added to the unit’s roster following her conviction for the capital murder of pregnant mother Reagan Hancock and the kidnapping of her unborn child, who did not survive. Parker’s arrival breaks a decade-long stretch in Texas without a female defendant receiving a death sentence. A Netlix documentary, "Maternal Instinct", details the events leading up to and following the murder of Hancock and her baby.