Couple Who Decapitated 2 of Their Kids and Forced Siblings to View the Bodies Sentenced to Life By Gabrielle Rockson 11

A couple from Calif. have been sentenced to life for murdering and decapitating two of their children, then forcing their siblings to view the bodies.

On Monday, Feb. 2, Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr., 39, and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, 49, of Lancaster, Calif., were jailed for six years in prison, as well as two consecutive terms of life without the possibility of parole, according to CBS News, the Los Angeles Times and NBC4 Los Angeles.

In November, PEOPLE previously reported that the couple had been found guilty of two felony counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and two felony counts of child abuse.

The pair were found to have stabbed and decapitated their daughter, Maliaka, 13, and son Maurice Jr., 12, in their home in Lancaster on Nov. 29, 2020.

Taylor and Brothwell then forced their younger brothers, who were 8 and 9 at the time, to look at the deceased bodies of their siblings.

The boys were then kept in their bedrooms for “several days,” without food, according to a Nov. 18 release from Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

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Maliaka and Maurice Jr.’s bodies were only found after the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a gas leak at the home, per CBS News.

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A 10-year protective order for the surviving children was issued by the court on Monday, according to the outlet.

“This was a monstrous act of cruelty that shattered an entire family,”  Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in the release following the conviction in November. “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,” Hochman continued.

Brothwell claimed in court that she was innocent and “did not murder my children,” and instead tried to save them, per NBC4 Los Angeles.

Her mother also claimed her daughter’s innocence in a statement, adding that Taylor had “ruined so many lives.”

In response, the judge said there was no evidence of “genuine remorse” from the defendants and that there was “silence where accountability should be,” according to NBC4 Los Angeles.

PEOPLE has contacted the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for comment.