Shivangi Sinha
Taylor Parker had several relationships in her past and was already the mother of two children when she met Wade Griffin. The woman who was later convicted of the murder of 35-week-pregnant Reagan Hancock and her unborn daughter had her first child when she was just 17 years old. The father of that child was a young man named Donald Whiteside, who was living in a trailer during the time of their relationship. Following Taylor’s arrest, investigators took a closer look at her past, including her early relationship with Donald, in an effort to better understand her background and character. Netflix’s ‘Maternal Instinct’ focuses primarily on the later years of her life with Wade Griffin and the crime that ultimately shocked the nation.
Donald Whiteside Lived With Taylor Parker in a Trailer
Donald Whiteside Jr. was just 19 years old and living in a trailer on his family’s property when Taylor Parker came to live with him. At the time, Taylor was a 17-year-old high school dropout, and the two were in a relationship while she stayed with him for a brief period. Soon afterward, around 2010, Taylor gave birth to their daughter, Emersyn. It was a difficult period in Taylor’s life, as she largely raised her daughter on her own after Donald was no longer involved. According to reports, Taylor assumed the primary responsibilities of parenthood, and the two largely went their separate ways.
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Donald Whiteside Never Saw His Daughter After She Was Born
In September 2022, Jennifer Whiteside, Donald Whiteside’s sister, was called to testify for the prosecution. She testified that her brother had never met his daughter and had no contact with Taylor after their brief relationship. Jennifer spoke about the period when Taylor had stayed with their family, which helped prosecutors establish a timeline of her movements and early life. Taylor later married Tommy Wacasey, who took Emersyn to his own daughter and helped raise her.
According to the testimonies, Taylor didn’t involve Donald in her life after their relationship ended and raised their daughter independently. Throughout the legal proceedings, Donald remained a largely unseen figure and never appeared publicly or gave media interviews. His relationship with Taylor was mainly referenced as the beginning of her independent adult life, and little else is publicly known about him.
