In a disturbing case that has gripped Michigan, the mother and stepfather of a pregnant woman who was tragically found dead in a national forest have been charged with a litany of serious offenses, including murder and torture. The charges were formally announced on Tuesday, as the community grapples with the harrowing details of the crime.
According to prosecutors, Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew are accused of orchestrating a horrific plan that led to the death of 22-year-old Rebecca Park and her unborn child. As reported by the Detroit Free Press, the couple allegedly forced Park into a secluded area near their home, where they brutally cut the baby from her womb, leaving both mother and child lifeless at the scene. Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey described the actions as “evil personified,” a sentiment that echoes the community’s shock.
Rebecca Park, who was on the verge of giving birth at 38 weeks pregnant, was last seen on November 3. She reportedly entered a dark-colored sedan, which was the last time she was seen alive. Her cell phone was discovered discarded on a nearby road shortly after, adding to the mystery of her disappearance. The following day, Cortney Bartholomew reported her daughter missing, and the search tragically concluded on November 25, when Park’s body was found in the Manistee National Forest.
During the couple’s court appearance, Prosecutor Carey revealed that the Bartholomews meticulously planned Park’s murder, a chilling detail that underscores the premeditated nature of the crime. While the infant’s whereabouts remain unclear, authorities have confirmed that the baby was not present when Park’s body was recovered.
The charges against the Bartholomews are extensive and severe, including first-degree murder, felony murder, and torture. They also face accusations of conspiracy to commit torture and assaulting a pregnant woman with the intention of causing miscarriage or stillbirth. Additionally, they are charged with unlawful imprisonment and the illegal transportation of a deceased body, according to the Free Press.
Both were charged with first degree murder, felony murder, torture in a place of confinement, conspiracy to commit torture, assault of a pregnant woman with the intention of causing miscarriage or stillbirth, conspiracy to commit that assault, unlawful imprisonment, and moving a dead body, the Free Press said.
The judge denied bond for both.
The courtroom in Cadillac was packed with supporters of Rebecca Park, including Stacey Davis, Bradly Barthlomew’s sister.
“I’m here for Rebecca and her baby,” she told the Free Press. “I’m not here for my brother.”
After Park’s body was found, her fiance, Richard Falor, and sister, Kimberly Park, were arrested. Falor faces drug charges, while Park was charged with tampering with evidence, lying to a peace officer, and false report of a felony. According to the complaint filed in Park’s arrest, she told authorities that the Bartholomews struck her sister “in the head causing a seizure and then took her body away.”
