Inset left to right: Richard Falor, Kimberly Park and Rebecca Park (Wexford County Sheriff's Office). Background: A currently closed trailhead at Manistee National Forest in Baldwin, Mich. (Google Maps).
The fiance and sister of a missing Michigan woman are behind bars after searchers recovered a body resembling the missing woman.
Rebecca Park, 22, was last seen alive by her mother outside of her home near Cadillac, on Nov. 3, according to law enforcement in the Wolverine State. That day, she had just received $2,000 in inheritance, was getting into a vehicle, and was 38 or 39 weeks pregnant.
On Nov. 25, a body was found by searchers along a hiking trail in the Manistee National Forest in Boon Township – a tiny municipality located roughly 35 miles due south of Traverse City.
"The young lady that was found resembles Rebecca Park, the young lady who went missing on November fourth, and we are actively investigating that," Wexford County Sheriff Trent Taylor said after the discovery, in comments reported by Detroit-based Fox affiliate WJBK. "It's a tragic time in our county, and hopefully this brings some closure to this awful incident."
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Later that same day, at around 9 p.m., Park's fiance, Richard Falor, 43, was arrested on multiple charges. Then, hours after that, during the early morning hours on Nov. 26, the missing woman's sister, Kimberly Park, 21, was also arrested on multiple charges.
Falor stands accused of two counts of delivering methamphetamine. Kimberly Park stands accused of one count each of tampering with evidence in a criminal case, lying to a police officer during a violent crime investigation, and filing a false report of a felony.
As of this writing, there is no formal indication the charges are related to the disappearance of the older Park sister.
And, while an autopsy will be performed on the human remains to confirm the identity, family confirmed the body found in the forest belonged to the missing woman, according to WJBK.
During an arraignment on Wednesday, the sister's bond was set at $750,000, while the fiance's bond was set at $1 million. Both defendants were deemed threats to the community and flight risks, according to a courtroom report by Kalamazoo-based CBS affiliate WWMT.
But then, citing national media attention, 84th District Court Judge Corey Wiggins shut down broadcasts of the proceedings, according to Traverse City-based NBC affiliate WPBN and Cheboygan-based ABC affiliate WTOM, which collectively broadcast as "UpNorthLive."
"Kimberly Park, ladies and gentlemen, people in the court, media, and those on livestream," the judge said, according to a courtroom report by WJBK. "The court has an ethical duty to ensure that the defendants in these cases can have a fair trial. The court is well aware of the publicity this case has received across the country. In order to protect the defendants' interests in this case, the court is going to take the court off of livestream."
Law enforcement are keeping mum about the state of the deceased woman's child – or even if a child was recovered along with the body. Rebecca Park's due date was Nov. 18, according to People Magazine.
"I'm heartbroken, crushed," Rebecca Park's adoptive mother told WWMT after the cascade of recent events. "I have to remain strong. I have three children, little bitties that do not understand any of it. We have been, as a family, preparing for this outcome. Not quite as gruesome as this outcome. But preparing for this outcome."
