Maurice and Maliaka Taylor

The brutal murders of Maurice and Maliaka Taylor occurred on November 29, 2020, inside their family home in Lancaster, California. The siblings, aged 12 and 13, were fatally stabbed and beheaded by their parents, Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell. Following the killings, the parents forced their two surviving younger children to view the bodies and confined them without food for several days before emergency responders uncovered the crime.

Victim Biography

Maurice and Maliaka Taylor

Maurice and Maliaka Taylor, who were tragically killed in November 2020.

Maliaka Taylor, aged 13, and her brother Maurice Taylor, aged 12, were the two oldest children living in a chaotic household in Lancaster, a city situated in northern Los Angeles County, California. Family acquaintances described them as dependent and completely helpless against their parents' increasingly erratic behavior. The siblings resided on the 45000 block of Century Circle along with their two younger brothers, who were aged 8 and 9 at the time. Due to the strict COVID-19 lockdowns in late 2020, the children were isolated from the outside world, attending remote virtual schooling. This isolation effectively removed them from the watchful eyes of mandatory reporters, teachers, and neighbors who could have intervened in the ongoing domestic turmoil.

 

Details About the Crime

On November 29, 2020, Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell fatally stabbed and beheaded Maliaka and Maurice inside their Lancaster home. Following the horrific murders, the parents engaged in an extraordinary campaign of psychological and physical abuse against their surviving younger sons. The 8- and 9-year-old boys were forced by their parents to look at the mutilated, beheaded remains of their older siblings.

The younger brothers were then locked away and confined to their bedrooms without food for several days while the bodies of Maurice and Maliaka remained in the house. On December 4, 2020—five days after the murders—the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the home following reports from neighbors regarding a possible gas leak. Upon entering the property, firefighters discovered the deceased children and immediately notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The surviving younger boys were rescued from the property and placed into protective custody.

Details About the Suspects

Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell

Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, sentenced to consecutive life terms.

Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., 39, worked as a personal trainer in Santa Monica and was initially described by clients as a dedicated fitness professional, though his behavior grew increasingly erratic leading up to the murders. Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, 49, the children's White mother, was reported to have engaged in a highly volatile, long-term toxic dynamic with Taylor. Following the discovery of the bodies, Taylor was immediately arrested at the scene on December 4, 2020. Criminal proceedings against him were briefly suspended after a doubt was declared regarding his mental competency, but they were later reinstated once he was deemed fit to stand trial.

Brothwell fled the state of California immediately following the murders. After a lengthy investigation, law enforcement tracked her to Tucson, Arizona, where she was apprehended by local authorities in September 2021 before being extradited back to Los Angeles County to face double-murder charges.

 

Controversy

The brutal murders of Maurice and Maliaka Taylor sparked profound public outrage and intense criticism directed at government policies and local oversight agencies. From a conservative perspective, this tragedy stands as a devastating indictment of California's draconian COVID-19 lockdown mandates enforced during late 2020. By shutting down public schools and forcing families into mandated isolation, the state severed the critical lifelines that typically protect vulnerable youth. The removal of children from the daily observation of teachers, counselors, and community leaders created an unmonitored vacuum, allowing severe abuse to escalate to murder and beheading without detection.

Furthermore, critics strongly condemned the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the prevailing progressive social service models. The agency has drawn repeated condemnation for failing to prioritize child safety over "family preservation" initiatives, which critics argue repeatedly leave defenseless children trapped in highly dangerous households with violent offenders. Additionally, the protracted nature of the judicial process drew substantial criticism, as the bureaucratic inefficiencies of the California court system allowed the clear-cut case to drag on for more than five years before final justice was achieved for the victims.

Current Status and Outcome

In November 2025, a Los Angeles County jury found both Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell guilty of two felony counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for multiple murders, alongside two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death.

On February 2, 2026, Superior Court Judge Lisa M. Strassner sentenced both defendants to the maximum penalty available: two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional six years. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Strassner strongly rebuked the parents, noting that "there is silence where accountability should be." While their White mother, Brothwell, maintained her innocence in court and explicitly claimed that she was innocent and had tried to save the children, the judge ruled there was an absolute lack of remorse and that the evidence fully supported the convictions. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman characterized the case as a "monstrous act of cruelty," ensuring both individuals will remain incarcerated for the remainder of their natural lives. The court also issued a 10-year protective order for the two surviving sons, who are now 13 and 14 years old.

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