In a case that has shocked communities across California and beyond, two parents have been handed severe sentences for what prosecutors described as "monstrous acts of cruelty" against their own children.
Horrific Details Emerge from Lancaster Home
Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., aged 39, and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, aged 49, were sentenced this week to six years in prison followed by two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. Their convictions stem from the brutal November 2020 murders of their 12-year-old son, Maurice, and 13-year-old daughter, Maliaka, inside their family home in Lancaster, California.
"Unimaginable Horror" for Surviving Children
Prosecutors revealed particularly disturbing details about the aftermath of the killings. According to court documents and statements from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the parents forced their two younger sons, aged just eight and nine years old, to view their siblings' decapitated bodies.
"This was a monstrous act of cruelty that shattered an entire family," declared Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. "Two innocent children were brutally murdered, and their young brothers were left to live through unimaginable horror."
The district attorney's office further stated that after being forced to view the bodies, the younger children were confined to their bedrooms without food for several days, adding another layer of trauma to an already horrific situation.
Investigation and Arrest Timeline
The crimes came to light in December 2020 when Taylor, who worked as a personal trainer in Santa Monica, failed to log into scheduled Zoom sessions with clients. His unusual absence raised concerns that prompted clients to contact authorities.
When deputies arrived at the Lancaster residence, they made the grisly discovery of the children's bodies in separate bedrooms. Investigators noted what they described as "some type of sharp trauma" consistent with injuries from "either a stabbing or slicing device."
Taylor was arrested and charged with murder and child abuse just four days after the initial discovery. Brothwell, however, managed to evade authorities until September 2021, when she was arrested at her home in Tucson, Arizona, one day after an arrest warrant had been issued.
Legal Proceedings and Additional Convictions
In November 2025, after extensive legal proceedings, both parents were found guilty of two felony counts of first-degree murder for the killings of their children. Additionally, they were convicted on two counts of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death.
The sentencing this week brings a measure of legal closure to a case that has drawn national attention due to its particularly brutal nature and the violation of parental trust.
Protection for Surviving Siblings
The court has taken significant measures to protect the two surviving children, who have been placed under a comprehensive 10-year protective order. This legal safeguard aims to provide them with stability and security as they continue to recover from the profound trauma they endured.
The case serves as a grim reminder of the extreme instances of domestic violence that occasionally surface, even within family settings that might appear ordinary from the outside. Community support services in Lancaster and surrounding areas have reportedly mobilized to offer assistance to those affected by the case's revelations.
