by Lancaster, CA — A High Desert couple has been convicted of killing two of their children and severely abusing two others in what prosecutors describe as one of the most disturbing child abuse cases investigated in Los Angeles County in recent years. The verdict, reached Tuesday, concludes nearly four years of legal proceedings following the 2020 killings inside a Lancaster home.
Parents Found Guilty of Double Murder and Child Abuse
According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., 39, and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, 48, were each convicted of two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and two counts of felony child abuse. The special-circumstances enhancement applies because the murders involved multiple victims.
Prosecutors said the couple fatally stabbed two of their children, 13-year-old Maliaka and 12-year-old Maurice Jr., inside their home on Nov. 29, 2020, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Authorities allege the killings were carried out using a sharp object described as a “stabbing or slicing device” by investigators.
The two surviving children, then 8 and 9 years old, were forced to view the bodies and were later confined to a bedroom and deprived of food for several days.
Grim Discovery After Reports of Gas Leak and Odor
Emergency crews were dispatched to the home on Century Circle after neighbors reported a strong smell and the possibility of a gas leak. When Los Angeles County Fire Department responders entered the residence, they discovered the deceased children in separate bedrooms with significant sharp-force injuries.
A neighbor later told KTLA that he had heard screams and smelled an unusual odor in the days before the discovery.
“It’s been going through my head,” the resident said at the time. “Is there something I could have done? Should I maybe have reported it earlier?”
The comments reflected the shock and guilt felt by some in the neighborhood, who said they had no idea of the abuse happening inside the home.
Arrests Spanned Two States
Taylor Sr., a former personal trainer, was arrested on Dec. 4, 2020, after Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris told the Los Angeles Times that the victims had been severely mutilated. Taylor was charged with murder and child abuse just days later.
Brothwell was arrested nearly a year later on Sept. 28, 2021, at her residence in Tucson, Arizona, the day after authorities issued a warrant for her arrest.
Parris, speaking to the Times shortly after the killings, speculated that mounting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the tragedy. He suggested the family may have been under extreme pressure in the months leading up to the violence.
District Attorney Calls Case “Monstrous”
In a statement released after the conviction, DA Hochman condemned the acts committed by the parents.
“Two innocent children were brutally murdered, and their young brothers were left to live through unimaginable horror,” Hochman said. “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.”
Hochman noted that the case exemplifies the need for robust child-protection systems and highlighted the courage of the surviving children, who have since received long-term support services.
Maximum Penalty Awaits Sentencing
Taylor and Brothwell now face a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole, along with an additional six-year, four-month consecutive sentence for the child abuse charges. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2026, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The case continues to raise questions about warning signs, mental health pressures, and how families in crisis can be better supported before tragedies occur. Officials say they hope the verdict brings some measure of justice to the surviving children and the wider Lancaster community affected by the events of 2020.
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