A Los Angeles County jury has returned guilty verdicts against a Lancaster couple accused of brutally killing two of their teenage children and subjecting their younger sons to days of torment inside the family home.
The details below are disturbing.
On Thursday, jurors convicted Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., 39, and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, 48, of two felony counts of first-degree murder. The jury also affirmed special circumstance allegations against the defendants for committing multiple murders in the same case, along with two felony counts of child abuse under conditions likely to result in great bodily injury or death.
Evidence presented during the trial detailed the events of November 29, 2020, inside the family’s residence. Prosecutors established that the couple fatally stabbed and decapitated their 13-year-old daughter, Maliaka, and their 12-year-old son, Maurice.
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Following the killings, the defendants turned their attention to their two surviving sons, who were ages 8 and 9 at the time. According to court documents, the younger boys were forced to view the bodies of their deceased siblings. They were subsequently confined to their bedrooms for several days without food while the remains were still in the home.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman addressed the verdict following the trial.
“This was a monstrous act of cruelty that shattered an entire family,” Hochman said. “Two innocent children were brutally murdered, and their young brothers were left to live through unimaginable horror. The jury’s verdict delivers justice for these victims and sends a powerful message: Those who commit such evil acts will be held fully accountable.”
The District Attorney credited Deputy District Attorneys Alexander Lara and Kirsten Brown regarding the prosecution, citing their work alongside the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in piecing together the crime scene evidence.
Taylor and Brothwell now face a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional consecutive sentence of six years and four months.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026, in Department A18 of the Antelope Valley Courthouse.
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