A California couple has been found guilty of the horrific murder of their two children, as well as subjecting their younger children to the gruesome aftermath. The tragic event unfolded when the couple brutally stabbed and decapitated their 13-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, then forced their younger kids to witness the horrifying scene, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, aged 48, and Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., aged 39, were convicted of murdering their children, Maliaka, 13, and Maurice, 12. The shocking crime took place in their Lancaster home on November 29, 2020.
“This was a monstrous act of cruelty that shattered an entire family,” stated Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman in a press release. “Two innocent children were brutally murdered, leaving their young brothers to endure an unimaginable horror.”
The children’s bodies were discovered by firefighters five days after the crime, during a response to a suspected gas leak, as reported by FOX11 Los Angeles. At the time, Brothwell, Taylor, and the couple’s two other sons, aged 8 and 9, were also present in the home.
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Natalie Sumiko Brothwell was convicted of two felony counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, along with two felony counts of child abuse. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office provided this information.
According to prosecutors, after committing the murders, Brothwell and Taylor forced their younger sons to view the decapitated bodies of their siblings. The boys were then confined to their bedrooms without food for several days, adding to their trauma.
Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., 39, was convicted of two felony counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and two felony counts of child abuse on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (Youtube/ Law&Crime Network)
Prosecutors have not shared an update on the status of the two surviving siblings.
Brothwell and Taylor were each convicted of two felony counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and two felony counts of child abuse.
The two are facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with a consecutive sentence of six years and four months. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 13.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman called the murders of the two children “a monstrous act of cruelty.” (Mario Tama/Getty Images, File)
“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 said.
