The mother and stepfather of a pregnant Michigan woman found dead in the woods have been accused of stabbing their daughter to remove the baby from her womb.
Rebecca Park, 22, who was 39 weeks pregnant, was found dead on November 25 in Huron Manistee National Forest near her mother’s home in Boon Township, three weeks after she was reported missing, with her baby ‘not present’ at the scene.
On Tuesday, Park’s biological mother and stepfather, Cortney, 40, and Brad Bartholomew, 47, were arrested and charged with her murder and several other crimes, according to a Michigan Department of Attorney General press release.
The couple is accused of orchestrating a plan in which they brought their daughter into their home, ‘forced her’ into a vehicle and drove her to a wooded park several miles behind the residence, as reported by Detroit Free Press.
It was there that the couple allegedly ‘tortured’ Park with the intent of removing her unborn infant.
Prosecuting attorney Johanna Carey alleges the couple forced Park to lie on the ground while they ‘cut her baby out of her’, resulting in the deaths of both mother and child, according to the outlet.
They allegedly left her there, sparking a weeks-long search, while other details regarding the baby were not immediately released following Tuesday’s court appearance.
‘This is, frankly, evil personified,’ Carey said during the arraignment in Wexford County’s 84th District Court.
Judge Corey Wiggins charged both Cortney and Brad with eight counts, including first-degree murder, torture and assault of a pregnant individual resulting in death.
Brad was also charged as a habitual offender – fourth-offence notice – which could result in life behind bars if the primary offence carries a sentence of five years or more.
Both are being held without bail at Wexford County Jail and barred from any contact with one another.
Just hours after the gruesome discovery, Park’s half-sister, Kimberly, and Richard Lee Falor – previously identified by 9 & 10 News as Park’s fiancé – were arrested.
Kimberly was arraigned on three charges: 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.
Richard, a convicted sex offender, was charged with two counts of delivering methamphetamine and could face a life sentence if convicted.
When Park was reported missing early last month, her mother claimed she was the last person to see her daughter alive that evening, specifically after they ran errands together, according to 9 and 10 News.
Cortney told authorities that after their trip, Park was at her home on South 21 ½ Road when her daughter said someone was coming to pick her up.
‘She’s like, “Mom, hold up. I got somebody coming.” And I’m like, “What do you mean you got somebody coming?” And she’s like, “I got somebody coming to get me”,’ the mother said, as reported by the outlet.
The car, described by Cortney as black with heavily tinted windows, was so dark that she said she couldn’t see who was behind the wheel.
While her claims remain unproven, Park’s cellphone was later found on a two-track path near her mother’s home.
Kimberly told investigators that her sister, though missing before, normally kept in touch. Park’s own fiancé reiterated this, calling them ‘inseparable.’
‘Me and her have been together for a little over two years, and even when she’s not around me, she’s always in contact with me,’ Richard told the outlet.
He also revealed that the day before Park went missing, the couple went to the hospital, fearing she might be in early labour and learned that she was one centimetre dilated.
Cortney claimed that she and others were working alongside the Wexford County Sheriff’s Office to handle the large number of tips coming in.
But Park’s body was discovered towards the end of last month, with police stating that the search for her baby remains ongoing.
According to Park’s biological father, he was the one who found her body while with a search party in the area where her phone had been discovered, as reported by 9 & 10 News.
Park’s half-sister and alleged fiancé were the first family members taken into custody, with detectives saying Kimberly lied about the events that took place.
According to a felony complaint obtained by the Detroit Free Press, Kimberly alleged that Cortney ordered Brad to hit Park in the head, causing a seizure and prompting the couple to ‘take her body away.’
She was granted a $750,000 cash bond. Richard’s bail was set at $1 million cash, while he pleaded not guilty in court on Tuesday.
Both Cortney and Brad also appeared in front of a judge via video on Tuesday, with the courtroom filled with family, friends and community members seeking answers, according to WPBN.
‘This case involves a truly horrific homicide in which a young woman and her unborn child endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of the Defendants,’ attorney Carey said.
‘The brutality and disregard for human life displayed here are deeply troubling,’ she added.
‘While these remain allegations until proven in court, the evidence reflects an extraordinary level of callousness and violence. We look forward to presenting the full facts in court.’
