The children’s father, Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., now 35, was arrested in December 2020 and charged with two counts of murder involving his 12-year- old son Maurice Jr. and 13-year-old daughter Maliaka, along with two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death involving his two other sons, who were 8 and 9 at the time.
The children’s mother, Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, now 45, was arrested last September at her home in Tucson, Arizona, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She is also facing the same counts as Taylor.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the two older children were decapitated and that the two younger boys were shown their slain siblings and forced to stay in their bedrooms for several days without food. The victims were stabbed Nov. 29, 2020, and their bodies were still inside the family’s home in the 45000 block of Century Circle when authorities arrived five days later, according to Deputy Eric Ortiz of the LASD.
Taylor worked at a physical therapy center in Santa Monica, but had been conducting training sessions via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of his clients contacted authorities when they could not reach him for scheduled appointments in the week leading up to the discovery of the children’s bodies. Criminal proceedings were temporarily suspended for Taylor after a doubt was declared in December 2020 about his mental competency, but were subsequently reinstated last year.
Taylor and Brothwell each remain jailed in lieu of $4.2 million bail and are due back in a Lancaster courtroom Feb. 15.
Without naming Taylor, District Attorney George Gascón noted in December 2020 that a defendant charged in a “horrific case in Lancaster” could face “more than a half a century” behind bars if he’s convicted. The murder charges against Taylor do not include special circumstance allegations that could have made him eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Taylor faces a potential state prison sentence of 57 years and four months to life if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office. It was not immediately clear whether Brothwell could face the same potential life prison sentence if she is convicted as charged.
Gascón said he has heard the “hue and cry” about how the filing decision may “somehow provide less safety for our community in the case.”
“What would be the utility to take somebody that is probably going to spend the rest of his life in prison to continue to add years and waste taxpayers’ money on additional litigation?” Gascón asked soon after being sworn in to office.
Previous related stories:
Mother arrested, charged in deaths of children who were decapitated in Lancaster
Doubt about competency declared in Lancaster decapitation case
Father charged in decapitation of son, daughter in Lancaster
Two people dead in Lancaster; investigation underway
–
Mike says
George gasgon will eventually drop the charges on these sick sick animals
Tim Scott says
This comment is more nonsensical than usual even for you Mike.
Rick says
Thanks Tim, we would have never known. smh
Tim Scott says
Keep shaking, maybe a thought will rattle itself loose.
Heather says
No word on today’s court appearance? O guess I’ll have to go from now on and see for myself.
There is no way this case should go without reporting.
Belinda says
I cannot judge because the good Lord say’s that only he can judge, but if I was able to judge I would say the gas or injection chamber is not good enough, they need to feel the same pain that these children felt when their lives were taken…..
hank says
they deserve to die
Tim Scott says
I would give extremely good odds that they will. Would you be interested in betting that they won’t?
Ron says
Omg this is bad those two don’t deserve any type of court hearing or any of that wasted tax payer money they are both guilty and now that it’s a fact they need to be put to death where they stand what is the point of keeping them alive another second longer. The legal system is a total joke and needs to rebuilt.
Tim Scott says
Oh. Ron has found them guilty. Guess that’s it then.
Funny how our system was founded on this idea of fair trials and such when we could have just said “let Ron decide.”
FWB says
I can wait for the trial Tim,,
Tim Scott says
Yeah me too, but apparently Ron doesn’t see how the system is supposed to work and would rather live in “the kingdom of Ron.”
FWB says
The bet is when will they die… I say just a cut a body part off a month and see what happens.
Heather says
They won’t. The DA has not asked for the death penalty or life in prison without a chance for parol. 57 years tops. Which means eligible for parol and early parol for good behavior – if found guilty.
Tim Scott says
Heather I am willing to bet any amount you want that these people will in fact die.
Given their ages and the likely sentences I would make a reasonable bet that they will both die in prison if they are convicted.
Plead says
Lancaster and Palmdale are embarrassing.