Insets from left: Cortney Bartholomew, Brad Bartholomew (Wexford County Sheriff's Office) and Rebecca Park (Missaukee County Sheriff's Office via WPBN).
The mother and stepfather of a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Michigan have been arrested in connection with her death after they allegedly forced her into the woods, where they stabbed her and cut out her baby, killing both.
Rebecca Park, who was roughly 38 weeks pregnant, was reported missing on Nov. 3 from her Northern Michigan home. Authorities found her body — but no baby — on Nov. 25 along a hiking trail in the Manistee National Forest in Boon Township – a tiny municipality located roughly 35 miles due south of Traverse City.
On Monday, Park's 47-year-old stepfather, Bradly Bartholomew, and 40-year-old mother, Cortney Bartholomew, were arrested for murder, torture and assault of a pregnant person causing a miscarriage or stillbirth, among other charges. Though authorities had previously arrested Park's fiance and sister on drug and tampering charges, cops had been mum on what exactly happened to Park and her baby.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
During a bond hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors unveiled the horrifying facts of Park's demise.
"This is a case of premeditated torture and murder," said Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey, according to a courtroom report from MLive. "These two individuals created a plan, conducted research. Mr. Bartholomew brought Rebecca to their home, forced her into another vehicle and took her into the woods where they stabbed her, forced her to lie on the ground while they cut her baby out, ultimately caused her death and the death of the baby."
Added Carey: "This is frankly evil personified."
Cops still have not recovered the baby's body.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Rebecca Park was last seen alive getting into a vehicle by her mother outside of her home near Cadillac on Nov. 3 after she had just received $2,000 in an inheritance.
After cops found Park's body, her fiance, Richard Falor, 43, was arrested on multiple drug charges. Then, during the early morning hours of Nov. 26, the missing woman's sister, Kimberly Park, 21, was arrested on charges related to her sister's disappearance.
Falor stands accused of two counts of delivering methamphetamine. Kimberly Park is charged with 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.
During an arraignment, 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 quickly shut down broadcast 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."
While the motive remains unclear, family members have been devastated by the pregnant woman's death and want justice.
"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."
Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report
