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AT A GLANCE

Victim: Hazana Anderson, age 2
Date: Friday, October 19, 2018
Location: Houston, Texas
Perpetrator(s): Tiaundra Kae Christon, 21, and Kenny D’Shawn Hewett, 32
Relationship to victim: mother and mother’s boyfriend
Crimes in sum: Tiaundra Christon, 21, brought her daughter, Hazana Anderson, 2, on a trip to visit her boyfriend, Kenny Hewett, 32, an hour and a half from their home. The toddler took her last breaths in a Houston hotel room after Tiaundra and Kenny beat her for not eating—but they didn’t stop there.


TRIGGER WARNING: CHILD ABUSE RESULTING IN LOSS OF LIFE.


Hazana Anderson was a beautiful baby girl from College Park, Texas; a city in central Texas that sits midway between Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. She was a winter baby, born on January 18, 2017, Martin Luther King Day in the U.S. Her birth wasn’t planned and her death, presumed to be on Friday, October 19, 2018, was untimely. However, the actions that followed Hazana’s passing were indeed premeditated.

Hazana didn’t make it to her second birthday. She didn’t get to experience Halloween that year even though her mother already bought her a costume. Instead, on October 31, 2018, officials recovered Hazana’s remains from a Texas lake where her discarded body laid submerged for nearly 10 days.

Hazana Anderson. Photo credit: Café Mom, from KCEN News; YouTube

Tiaundra Kae Christon, 21, called 9-1-1 on the morning of Sunday, October 28, 2010, to report her only child missing. The scene was a sinister one masked by the backdrop of a bright, sunny and warm Texas day. Hazana’s mother was distraught when she spoke with dispatchers.

Through exasperated breaths and hysterical pleas, Tiaundra told the dispatcher that she and Hazana went for a walk in Gabbard Park around 8 am; a public park in College Station, Texas, and nearby Tiaundra and Hazana’s home. The two of them settled at an playground in the park.

Around 9 am, Tiaundra ran back to her car to retrieve a bottle of milk for Hazana. Her car was parked some 1,800 feet away (0.3 miles) and it was out of view of the playground. Hazana sat in her stroller, alone and unrestrained. The stroller was also about 120 feet from a pond.

When Tiaunda returned, Hazana wasn’t there. She called 9-1-1 to report her missing at 9:21 am.

At least 163 officials, including higher-ups from the Houston law enforcement scene, met with volunteers and worried friends and family to scour the park for Hazana. Divers, canines and drones aided in the search. Still, there was no sign of the 2-year-old. Police grew suspicious.

Where was baby Hazana?


An image of Gabbard Park in Houston, where Hazana Anderson was reported missing . Photo credit: Foursquare.com

Police Interrogate Tiaundra on Hazana’s Whereabouts

Tiaundra thought her account was foolproof, but police poked holes in her story.

One of their curiosities speculated on the timespan that Hazana purportedly disappeared. Police spoke with several fisherman at the park that morning and none of them reported hearing or seeing a small child, or noticing any suspicious activity.

Tiaunda’s behavior as a mother was another curiosity. Why would a mother leave her toddler unattended in a public park and run a quarter-mile to her car? At the very least, her actions demonstrated poor parenting.

A doll that resembles Hazana.

The last time Tiaundra saw her daughter, Hazana wore a green jacket, cream-colored pants and a purple beanie. So, it was ironic when investigators found a life-sized baby doll wearing a similar outfit in a dumpster across the street from Tiaundra’s parked car. The doll was located inside of a large black handbag.

The stroller that Tiaundra Christon said her daughter, Hazanna Anderson, was seated in when she disappeared on October 28, 2018, from Gibbard Park in Houston. Photo credit: Café Mom, from KCEN News; YouTube.

Tiaundra claimed to have no knowledge of the doll or its clothing. However, at this point, police had enough evidence to arrest Tiaundra on charges of filing a false police report and endangering/abandoning a child. She was booked to Brazos County Jail in Bryan, Texas.

Hazana’s missing person’s case officially became a criminal investigation.


Tiaundra Prioritizes A New Relationship Over Hazana

As standard procedure, police collected Tiaundra’s phone as evidence. From her phone records, they learned Tiaundra communicated frequently via texts and calls with Kenny D’Shawn Hewett, a 32-year-old man from Houston. She identified the man as her boyfriend.

Kenny, who was 11 years older than Tiaundra, had a lengthy criminal past that included violent behavior.

Kenny and Tiaundra dated for a few months, but loved ones already noticed changes in Tiaundra. Prior to having Hazana with ex-boyfriend Tobodrick Anderson, Tiaundra was in school for radiology. When she had Hazana, she paused her studies to dedicate herself to her daughter—for a time. After she met Kenny, Tiaundra lost all interest in her family life and baby girl.

Kenny Hewett. Photograph from Galveston County Court Records.

Tiaundra became distant. When she was physically with Kenny, she was difficult to get ahold of. Tiaundra often ignored phone calls from her parents, regardless of whether it concerned Hazana. It didn’t help that Kenny kept himself away from Tiaundra’s family. When he picked up the 21-year-old, he waited in his car. He never went out of his way to greet or get to know her parents.

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, Tiaundra took Hazana with her to visit Kenny 1.5 hours away in Houston. The three of them planned to stay at a Houston Downtowner Inn & Suites from Oct. 18-20, 2018. Although Tiaundra’s mother lived in Houston and invited them to stay with her, Kenny and Tiaundra denied her request. They wanted to be alone. On the following day, they would be.

On Friday, October 19, 2018, Kenny took Hazana with him to a taco restaurant to pick up food while Tiaundra stayed behind in the hotel. During this 30-minute outing, Hazana refused to eat and it made Kenny angry—very angry. When the two of them returned to the hotel, Hazana was crying and noticeably uncomfortable. Then, the night became especially grim.

Kenny told Tiaundra that she didn’t do a good job “disciplining” her child. He took his belt and used it to beat Hazana on her arms, legs and face, leaving behind welts. He handed Tiaundra the belt and demanded she do the same. Tiaundra used the belt to hit her 2-year-old daughter, but Kenny didn’t think it was hard enough, so he continued. Then, Kenny and Tiaundra placed Hazana in the bathtub, where Kenny waterboarded the child. As she struggled to breathe, Hazana threw up bits of food and defecated in the tub.

After the beating, Hazana started to drift in and out of consciousness. Kenny suggested she take Tylenol and a laxative. When Hazana became cold to the touch, Tiaundra put her back in the bath tub, hoping it would warm her. It didn’t. Tiaundra’s watched her daughter’s eyes roll to the back of her head.

Hazana’s condition deteriorates.

While Hazana was in the bath tub, Tiaundra noticed one detail she didn’t want to believe: her daughter’s anus was gaping. She later told investigators that Hazana’s “butt hole was so huge” and questioned again and again how it happened. Sexual abuse allegations were never confirmed nor denied.

Hazana Anderson.
Photo from YouTube, credit Mamas Uncut.

After the bath, Hazana’s skin still felt cold to the touch. Instead of wrapping the toddler in blankets—or bringing her to the hospital—Tiaundra and Kenny used a hair dryer to warm her. They left the hair dryer on all night and kept it pointed in Hazana’s direction. The hair dryer did nothing but burn Hazana’s skin, thereby worsening her condition.

Noticing little to no improvement, Tiaundra tucked her daughter in to bed, hoping that somehow, some way, she would recover. Hazana’s shallow breathing grew softer and slower. Still, neither adult called 9-1-1.

When Tiaundra and Kenny woke the next morning, Hazana was dead. The medical examiner was never able to determine a cause of death, which played an adverse role in the case.

Tiaundra uses a a toy doll to impersonate Hazana.

Tiaundra and Kenny didn’t want to take responsibility for Hazana’s death. Instead, they concocted a disgraceful plan to conceal her body.

Hazana Anderson. Photo from Facebook.
Hazana Anderson.
Photo from Facebook.

With her daughter now dead, Tiaundra wrapped her body in a plastic bag. She kept that plastic bag on the passenger-side floorboard of her car for three days. She tossed clothing and other items overtop the bag to hide the body from view.

Three days later, her and Kenny purchased chicken feet to add to the bag. Then, they tied it shut with a rope, attached it to a heavy rock and dumped the body in Moses Lake near Texas City.

Why the chicken feet, you ask? Tiaundra and Kenny used it as bait for fish and other water critters. They purposely wanted to attract sea life to Hazana’s body to eliminate potential evidence.

And that’s how Tiaundra bid farewell to her daughter; her only child here on this earth. She tossed her dead body in the water with a bunch of raw chicken feet.

Tiaundra attempts to cover up Hazana’s death.

On October 20, 2018, Tiaundra returned to College Station without Hazana. To avoid questions, she dressed a life-sized doll like Hazana and walked around with the toy in a stroller.

Tiaundra went to a friend’s house, who saw the doll in the backseat and assumed it was Hazana sleeping. She told her mother, who kept asking to see her granddaughter, that Hazana was napping. Other excuses followed. She sent her friends and family old photographs of Hazana and claimed they were current. Surveillance footage from a local Wax-Mart even captured Tiaundra pushing a stroller that contained a motionless “child.”

Tiaundra Christon. Photo credit: Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.

Tiaundra and Kenny’s Sentencing

Police arrested Tiaundra on October 29, 2019 and Kenny on October 31.

On November 8, 2019, Kenny pled guilty to tampering with a human corpse. He received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He will most likely serve most of this sentence due to his prior record.

Tiaundra entered a plea of not guilty to tampering with a human corpse.

Tiaundra’s trial began on December 8, 2019. Three days later, a jury found her guilty after only 40 minutes of deliberation. Tiaundra received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Unfortunately, she may only serve three years of her sentence, or 15%, before she is eligible for parole due to state criminal laws.

Hazana’s cause of death is undetermined. Neither Kenny nor Tiaundra were charged with her murder.


My Two Cents Corner

I wonder how much Tiaundra will regret so desperately wanting to be with a man that it cost her her daughter’s life. I say “a man” and not Kenny, because considering her age, recent behavior and decision to be with a person like Kenny, I think her choices were about being with someone in general; the feeling of being wanted and needed, and it being intoxicating like a drug. It wasn’t about love.

Tiaundra had a beautiful daughter. She lived with her grandmother. She had family members willing to help her. The father of her child loved his daughter and wanted to be present in her life. He even preferred having Hazana most of the time. She was in the midst of pursuing a degree in radiology. She had opportunities at her fingertips.

Tiaundra handed over her blessings for a man and it landed her a jail sentence and the permanent label of being a mother who killed her child. I don’t think it’s an excuse, but I personally believe that Tiaundra was naïve.

Kenny had a criminal record that included felony charges. He was also 11 years older than Tiaundra, which is a red flag—no, not for every age gap relationship, but for this one. The age gap placed Kenny in a position to manipulate Tiaundra, which is what I believe happened. I won’t speak too much on Kenny’s behavior in this case, because it is absolutely disgusting in every way. A grown man should never treat a child, especially a precious little girl.

Why didn’t Kenny date a woman closer to him in age? Because he couldn’t. Women his age have more life experience and are thus less willing (or unwilling) to deal with drama. A young, naïve woman may not know better. It probably fed Tiaundra’s ego to date an older “bad boy” and it definitely fed Kenny’s ego to date a younger woman. I’m sure Tiaundra wasn’t his first.

I don’t believe this was the first time Tiaundra saw Kenny express anger violently. I also don’t believe it’s the first time he was violent towards Hazana. In the sources I read, Tiaundra never expressed that it was the first time Kenny behaved that way or that she was shocked at his actions. However, I do think—and this is only my opinion—they were both irritated at the responsibility of caring for a toddler, especially for days in a row. I think Tiaundra was also probably in denial about how toxic the relationship was, also because of naïveté. I think she was also so desperate to please him that she was willing to do anything—clearly.

Again, these are only my speculations. Regardless, it’s an incredible shame that a precious child was taken from this world at the hands of selfish, inept adults.

What do you think about this case?


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In Part I, we left off with Taylor Rene Parker, 29, receiving the death penalty in November 2022. Taylor was charged with the murder of Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock, and for kidnapping her unborn fetus. The crimes occurred on Sunday, October 9, 2020, the same day of Taylor’s scheduled induction. She was nearly 10 months pregnant.

Well, that appointment was a big problem for Taylor, because she wasn’t pregnant and never was.

A photo of Wade Griffin and Taylor Parker taken during a “maternity” photoshoot Taylor arranged in August of 2022.

It’s hard to imagine what might provoke a 29-year-old, twice-divorced woman and mother of two to fabricate a third pregnancy with a man she barely knew. But in February 2020, Taylor did just that and told Wade she was pregnant—for the second time. The first pregnancy announcement was only weeks after Taylor and Wade started dating—and that was a lie, too.

What’s more, is Taylor didn’t have custody of the two children she already had. By many accounts, she was especially neglectful towards her son, her youngest child. So, why a third?

As we’d come to find out, Taylor wasn’t after the prospect of another baby or experiencing motherhood for a third time. She only wanted Wade. A master manipulator, Taylor created fake scenarios to present herself as a totally different person. She wanted Wade to find her utterly irresistible, so he would never leave her.

And she was willing to do anything to keep him around, including murder.

Bottled Blonde Meets Country Boy

On Thursday, July 25, 2019, a typical humid summer’s day in East Texas, Taylor met Wade Griffin, 27, at a rodeo. The Annual Naples Rodeo & Watermelon Festival, held at the Naples Rodeo Club, is a big to-do in Texarkana. Then in its 81st year, the event features barrel racing, steer wrestling and team roping, along with a king and queen crowning and mounds of fresh and delicious watermelon.

The rodeo was held three weeks after Taylor divorced her second husband, Hunter Parker. She was officially single and ready to mingle. And that’s when she ran into Wade, a tall, burly, red-haired country boy.

Wade worked hard and long hours. Never married and without children, he had a reputation for being a hard worker and an all-around good guy. Wade was a roofing supervisor, and he also bought and sold wild hogs to a meat-processing plant. He lived in a modest cabin in Simms, a small town in Bowie County that’s home to some 1,400 residents. He enjoyed a simple, quiet life.

Wade had no idea what he signed up for when he met Taylor.

Where Control Meets Psychopathy.

Every relationship is different…obviously.

Some people are slow to warm up to each another, while others jump headfirst into intense, can’t-live-without-you romances seemingly overnight. Over the course of our lives, some of us will experience both kinds of relationships—from the perspective of others as well as our own. Taylor has a tendency to rush, but Wade didn’t reciprocate fast enough for her liking. So, she manipulated everything about their relationship from the start, without giving it a fair chance to grow.

Less than a month into dating, Taylor decided she wanted to live with Wade. She decided, because he wasn’t allowed much input at all. Instead of them of making a shared decision, Taylor fabricated a completely outlandish story to manipulate Wade into inviting her to stay. She gave him no choice. And what do you know—it worked.

It was the first of many lies she told and continues to tell.

Making Her Mother The Villain.

Taylor Parker and Wade Griffin. Photo from Facebook.

Theatrically, which is typical of Taylor’s behavior, she told Wade she feared for her life. She explained that her mother, Shona Prior, hired a hitman to murder her. Shona wanted to access a bank account in Taylor’s name—that had $6 million in it.

Having Taylor killed was the fastest way for Shona to get ahold of the money, she said.

Here’s the story Taylor told Wade:

Taylor explained that her family owned a significant amount of oil-producing land throughout Texas. Her family leased their land to companies and collected weekly royalty checks from theses oil and gas leases. The money accrued from the royalty checks made-up her family’s multi-million-dollar fortune.

Recently, Taylor’s grandparents transferred $6 million to her bank account. Taylor’s grandparents wanted her to maintain a property known as Nolan Place, which they could no longer maintain themselves. The large sum of money was exclusively to upkeep Nolan Place.

Distraught over not having access to the account, Shona hired a hitman to murder Taylor. Just in time, Texas police caught up with the hired hitman and a shootout ensued between him and the Mexican Mafia. Shona was arrested and jailed, where she committed suicide while awaiting trial. The crimes weren’t covered by local media because it was “under wraps,” Taylor said.

None of this was true.

There was no family fortune. There is no oil-producing land, leases or royalty checks. Shona did not hire a hitman to murder her daughter. Taylor’s mother was completely oblivious to all the slanderous lies her daughter said about her.

Holding On By A Thread.

When Wade’s mother, Connie Griffin, learned Taylor didn’t have custody of her own kids, it rubbed her the wrong way. She and many others wondered, why? What happened?

What happened, is that Taylor is pathological. She lies and lies, and then creates more lies to backtrack out of lies. She uses these lies to emotionally enrapture the people around her and garner control over them. As they say, there’s nothing like a mother’s intuition, and Connie was spot-on about there being something “off” about Taylor.

Not long after Taylor lied about her and Wade’s first pregnancy, she lied again and claimed to suffer a miscarriage. Taylor felt the “experience” brought them closer together.

Because of Wade’s busy schedule, he wasn’t home too much. When he was home, he expressed little interest in Taylor’s drama, personal and family-related. He didn’t know her for long, so he trusted her that Shona, Taylor’s mom, was “crazy.” Whenever something went wrong, Taylor seemed to connect it back to Shona. Besides, why would Taylor lie about something so ridiculous?

In the beginning of their relationship, Taylor was a decent houseguest. She made herself constantly available to Wade, after all. While he worked, Taylor cared for his property and livestock. He looked forward to steamy, home-cooked meals that she prepared every night for dinner. He thought she was one of the best cooks around.

Taylor Parker. Photo credit: Tyler Paper.

A Crisis Waiting To Happen.

Try as she might, Wade wasn’t in love with Taylor. While she was head-over-heels, Wade was hardly invested. He told his mother he cared for Taylor, but he didn’t love her.

Connie wasn’t happy to see her son settling, but he cruised along. Taylor fed Wade promise after promise of land, lucrative business opportunities, a family estate, after all. Eventually, the news came of “another” pregnancy. Wade stuck around to eventually find himself “stuck” with Taylor.

As time wore on, Taylor felt the space growing between her and Wade. It rattled her nerves. Taylor’s constant drama turned Wade off from the relationship and from Taylor in general. He wanted to disengage.

Taylor complained to Wade about their lack of intimacy. Despite her pleading, he still hardly reciprocated . So, you can imagine Wade was less than enthused when Taylor turned up pregnant “again” in late February 2020.

A Fake Pregnancy And No Intent To Come Clean

Taylor told friends, family, Facebook followers and Wade that their baby was due September 28, 2020. As the date drew closer, she announced they were having a girl they’d name Clancy Gail.

Physically, Taylor progressed in her pregnancy as well—which was yet another lie.

Taylor wore maternity clothes and regularly posted detailed updates about her pregnancy on Facebook. In these posts and to whoever asked, she shared sonogram photos of her growing baby; fake images she purchased from fakeababy.com. She customized the baby’s gender and gestational period, as well as the clinic and physician’s name.

A photo of the Moon Bump Silicone Fake Pregnancy Belly – 20 to 25 Week Stage Baby Bump sold on fakeababy.com, and an example of the fake pregnancy belly worn by Taylor Parker.

To dissuade growing suspicions, Taylor ordered a silicon pregnancy belly from that same website. She wore it during her and Wade’s maternity photoshoot in August of 2020, and also for her gender reveal party and baby shower.

Conveniently, because Taylor was “pregnant” during the pandemic, she met with her doctors alone while Wade waited outside. No one accompanied her due to coronavirus safety precautions. Privacy laws, like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), also kept everyone, including Wade, from accessing her medical information. He called the OBGYN for updates with no such luck.

Obviously Taylor’s OBGYN doctor knew she was faking a pregnancy, and office staff assumed she would claim a miscarriage. Her family did, too. Taylor was ballsy enough to invite her doctor to her “gender reveal” party, despite her knowing the truth. The OBGYN office eventually discontinued their patient-provider relationship with her.

Taylor’s due date came and went, and all eyes were on her to explain herself or turn up with a baby. She was unwilling to sacrifice her pride, worried she could lose Wade. Taylor was determined to preserve her relationship; it was more important to her than anything else.

An Ex-Husband’s Ominous Warning.

Taylor’s first husband, Tommy Wacasey, with whom she shares a son, learned Taylor was “pregnant.” He knew without communicating with Taylor, that it was a lie. He texted Wade to warn him about Taylor’s tendencies.

Her ex told Wade that area hospitals were on “high alert,” because of concern that Taylor might attempt to kidnap a newborn from a maternity ward.

He told him something else, but keep reading to find that out.

A Plan For Murder.

Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock with husband Homer Hancock and daughter Kynlee. Photo from Facebook.

On the day of Taylor’s scheduled delivery, she unfriended her mother from Facebook, as well as Homer Hancock, the husband of Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock. But it was three days before that, on September 14, 2020, that Taylor’s internet search history revealed her premeditated plan.

Scouting Her Victims.

On this Monday, Sept. 14, Taylor searched the web for local places that pregnant women frequent. Results turned up for maternity consignment stores and OBGYN clinics throughout East Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana. Taylor made appointments at these clinics and was seen both outside and inside. At some of the clinics, she sat outside for a time, observing pregnant women come and go.

Taylor wrote down the license plates of these women and later searched them in Google to locate their addresses. Less than 10 days before the murder of Reagan Hancock, she looked up teen pregnancy support groups in Texarkana and allegedly attended a meeting.

Fortunately for investigators, Taylor used her phone for all her research. These searches helped incriminate her.

Taylor’s phone revealed searches for information on midwifery certification and private adoptions. While deciding on a plan, it’s believed Taylor considered posing as a midwife to gain access to a newborn. She also searched for instructions on how to complete an out-of-hospital birth certificate, and watched YouTube videos on vaginal and C-section births. Some of the videos discussed performing C-section deliveries and delivery of the placenta.

On October 7, Taylor searched Reagan’s current and former addresses, and the address of Reagan’s OBGYN office. On the morning of October 9, she looked up information about giving birth vaginally at 35 weeks and also how to perform a physical exam of a 35-week infant.

And she kept going, despite all the evidence she left in her wake.

Arson And A Bomb Threat.

Remember, Taylor’s due date was scheduled for September 28, 2020, but she didn’t “give birth” on this day. She had to think fast to find an excuse to prolong her birth.

Taylor Parker. Photo credit: Texarkana Today.

So, she started a fire in Wade’s home.

The fire on October 5, 2020 caused pipe damage, which prevented the home from having running water or power. Fortunately, State Farm, Wade’s home insurance, hired a fire analyst to investigate the origins of the fire. The analyst determined the fire was not electrical, as originally believed, but it was intentionally set using a lighter. Investigators ultimately connected Taylor to the arson.

The following day, Taylor was scheduled to be induced again, but couldn’t because someone called in a bomb threat to Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, Texas, around 5 am. That “someone” was obviously Taylor, but the false alarm required hospital staff to evaluate more than 100 patients. She used a voice-changing app to disguise her voice by sounding masculine.

And If That Isn’t Enough…

What makes this case even crazier, is that Taylor couldn’t pregnant, even if she wanted to. Taylor worked at an OBGYN clinic in 2014, and not long after she gave birth to her son, she had her tubes tied. A subsequent and unrelated medical complication resulted in Taylor having a full hysterectomy in 2015—and other people were aware of this, like Taylor’s entire family.

In August of 2015, Taylor received care for pelvic pain and bleeding. The doctor found that Taylor suffered an ectopic pregnancy, and that she also had endometriosis. Because of the condition of her uterus, the doctor suggested a full hysterectomy for her safety and wellbeing. While Taylor was still under anesthesia, Shona allegedly gave the doctor permission to perform the hysterectomy. Taylor blamed her mother for years, but she voluntary underwent a surgery in 2014 to have her tubes tied.

This is the information her ex-husband, Tommy, relayed to Wade via text. Wade didn’t believe him.

Stay tuned for Part III, where we delve into Taylor’s financial frauds against Wade and the trouble she stirred with her own employers.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to read Part I of this case coverage, here.

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