The mother of a 22-year-old pregnant woman is due in court in May after prosecutors allege she lured her daughter to a home, killed her and removed the unborn child. Authorities say cell phone data and a probable cause affidavit indicate 40-year-old Cortney Bartholomew admitted to cutting the fetus from Rebecca Park while Rebecca was still alive. The newborn did not survive; prosecutors and defendants offer conflicting motives, including alleged revenge and an attempt to obtain a baby. Both Cortney and her husband Bradly face multiple charges and have pleaded not guilty.
Mother Accused Of Killing Pregnant Daughter And Removing Fetus — Hearings Set For May
Rebecca Park (left) and Cortney Bartholomew. (right)Credit: Wexford County Sheriff's Office ; Missaukee County Sheriffs Office
A Michigan woman is scheduled to appear in court next month after prosecutors say she killed her pregnant daughter and removed the unborn child from the victim's body. Court records and a probable cause affidavit allege that 40-year-old Cortney Bartholomew lured 22-year-old Rebecca Park to her home in early November and that Rebecca, who was 38 weeks pregnant, was later found dead.
Allegations And Investigation
According to the probable cause affidavit, Rebecca was last seen on the night of Nov. 3. Prosecutors say Cortney texted Rebecca a photo of an $18,000 check she claimed was part of an inheritance to persuade her to visit. Rebecca's body was discovered on Nov. 25 a few miles from Cortney's residence, three days after Rebecca's expected delivery date. Investigators reported that Rebecca's abdomen had been cut open and that no baby or fetal remains were located at the scene.
Rebecca ParkCredit: Rebecca Kay Falor/Facebook
Authorities say cell phone location data placed Cortney at the scene the night Rebecca disappeared. After being confronted with that evidence, Cortney allegedly admitted to cutting the fetus from Rebecca while Rebecca was still alive, the affidavit states. She told investigators she believed the unborn child's father was her husband, 47-year-old Bradly Bartholomew, who is not related to Rebecca.
The affidavit alleges that Bradly forced Rebecca into a car and stabbed her multiple times, then held a knife to her throat while Cortney removed the fetus. Investigators say the newborn did not survive and was disposed of in a dumpster. Rebecca reportedly died shortly after the injury and was later concealed down an embankment.
Conflicting Accounts And Motive Claims
The affidavit contains conflicting accounts. Prosecutors say Bradly may have acted in retaliation after Rebecca's boyfriend reported him for a parole violation; court records show Bradly received a 180-day sentence for an unspecified violation. Bradly, however, reportedly told investigators his wife planned the attack because the couple could not adopt while he remains on the sex-offender registry and she wanted a child.
Bradly BartholomewCredit: Missaukee County Sheriffs Office
Charges And Court Dates
Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew are each charged with counts that include first-degree murder, felony murder, torture, conspiracy to commit torture, assault on a pregnant individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth, and conspiracy to commit that assault. Each of those six charges carries a potential life sentence. They also face charges of unlawful imprisonment and removal of a dead body. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Cortney Bartholomew is scheduled for a competency hearing on May 5 at Wexford County 84th District Court to determine if she is fit to stand trial, and a preliminary hearing is set for May 22. The investigation remains active and the allegations in the affidavit are graphic and contested by the defendants.
Note: The details above reflect allegations from the probable cause affidavit and court records. The accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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