Rebecca Park, who was 38 weeks pregnant, disappeared after leaving her mother’s home on Nov. 3 and was found dead in Manistee National Forest on Nov. 25. An autopsy showed she was no longer pregnant and her infant has not been recovered. Probable cause affidavits allege her mother, Cortney Bartholomew, confessed to removing the fetus and that Cortney and stepfather Bradly Bartholomew planned and carried out the attack. Both are charged with murder and related offenses and are being held without bail as the investigation continues.
What Happened to Rebecca Park? New Details in the Alleged Murder of a Pregnant Woman
Wexford County Sheriff's Office ; Missaukee County Sheriffs OfficeRebecca Kay Park ; Cortney Bartholomew.
Several disturbing details have emerged in the case of Rebecca Park, a woman who was 38 weeks pregnant when she disappeared from her mother's home on Nov. 3. Her body was found in Manistee National Forest on Nov. 25, and an autopsy determined she was no longer pregnant; the infant has not been recovered.
Rebecca Kay Falor/FacebookRebecca Park.
Timeline And Discovery
Park was last seen shortly before midnight on Nov. 3 after leaving her mother’s home in Boon Township. Her phone was later found near that residence. After weeks of searching, investigators located a body matching Park’s description on Nov. 25. Her expected due date had been Nov. 18.
Wexford County Sheriff's Office (2)Kimberly Park ; Richard Lee Falor.
Arrests And Charges
On Nov. 26, Park’s sister, Kimberly Park, and her fiancé, Richard Falor, were arrested and briefly jailed; they later faced separate charges and were released on reduced bail. On Dec. 1, Park’s mother, Cortney Bartholomew, and stepfather, Bradly Bartholomew, were arrested and arraigned on a slate of serious charges, including first-degree murder, felony murder, torture, assault on a pregnant individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth, conspiracy counts, unlawful imprisonment and removal of a dead body. Both are being held without bail.
Missaukee County Sheriffs OfficeCortney Bartholomew.
Allegations From Probable Cause Affidavits
Probable cause affidavits reviewed by PEOPLE and presented by prosecutors allege that Cortney and Bradly brought Rebecca to their home, forced her into another vehicle, transported her into the woods, and stabbed and restrained her. The filings state that Cortney then made an incision and removed the fetus, using a scalpel, and that the baby later died. Cortney is reported to have told investigators she intended to "save" the infant and give the child to Rebecca’s fiancé.
Missaukee County Sheriffs Office (2)Cortney Bartholomew ; Bradly Bartholomew.
"This is, frankly, evil personified," Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey told the court, calling the case "premeditated torture and murder."
Alleged Motive And Context
According to the affidavits, Bradly told investigators that Cortney planned the operation because the couple could not adopt: Bradly is a registered sex offender who previously served a 180-day sentence related to registry conditions. The filings also say Cortney and Kimberly had relationships or involvement with the same man as Rebecca’s fiancé, complicating the personal context of the investigation.
Evidence And Ongoing Investigation
Investigators say the infant was placed in a cooler, then a trash bag, and discarded in a dumpster; the baby has not been recovered. Court filings say Rebecca’s body was left in the woods and covered with leaves. Local law enforcement agencies, including the Wexford County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan State Police, are coordinating the investigation to locate any additional evidence and to determine the infant’s condition and potential whereabouts.
All allegations described here come from probable cause affidavits and statements by prosecutors; the defendants have been charged but not convicted, and details are subject to change as the legal process continues.
