A mother and stepfather in Michigan have been charged with the brutal murder of their pregnant daughter, in a case the prosecuting attorney described as "evil personified".
The Gruesome Discovery and Charges
Rebecca Park, a 22-year-old who was 39 weeks pregnant, was found dead on 25 November in the Huron Manistee National Forest, near her mother's home in Boon Township. She had been reported missing three weeks earlier. Authorities confirmed her unborn baby was "not present" at the scene.
On Tuesday, Park's biological mother, Cortney Bartholomew, 40, and stepfather, Brad Bartholomew, 47, were arrested and charged with her murder. The Michigan Department of Attorney General stated the couple face multiple charges, including first-degree murder, torture, and assault of a pregnant individual resulting in death.
Prosecutor Johanna Carey outlined the alleged plan, stating the couple are accused of luring their daughter into their home, forcing her into a vehicle, and driving her to a wooded park several miles away. It is there they allegedly tortured Park with the intent of removing her unborn infant.
"The couple forced Park to lie on the ground while they cut the baby from her, resulting in the deaths of both mother and child," Carey said, according to reports. The baby's whereabouts remain unknown, and the search is ongoing.
Court Appearances and Additional Arrests
Judge Corey Wiggins arraigned both Cortney and Brad Bartholomew on eight counts each. Brad Bartholomew was additionally charged as a habitual offender - fourth-offense notice, which could mean a life sentence if the primary offence carries five years or more. Both are being held without bail at Wexford County Jail and are barred from contacting each other.
In a shocking twist, just hours after Park's body was discovered, her half-sister, Kimberly, and her fiancé, Richard Lee Falor, were also arrested. Kimberly faces charges of tampering with evidence, lying to police, and filing a false felony report. Richard Lee Falor, a convicted sex offender, was charged with two counts of delivering methamphetamine and could also face life in prison.
A Web of Deception and a Family's Search
When Park was first reported missing in early November, her mother, Cortney, claimed to be the last person to see her alive after they ran errands together. Cortney told authorities a black car with heavily tinted windows picked Park up from her home, and she could not see the driver.
However, Park's mobile phone was later found on a path near her mother's property. Park's biological father has revealed he was part of the search party that tragically found his daughter's body in the area where the phone was located.
Park's fiancé, Richard Lee Falor, told media they were "inseparable" and that she always kept in contact. He revealed that the day before she vanished, they had gone to the hospital fearing early labour, where they learned she was one centimetre dilated.
According to a felony complaint, Kimberly alleged that Cortney ordered Brad to hit Park in the head, causing a seizure, before they took her body away. Kimberly was granted a $750,000 cash bond, while Falor's bail was set at $1 million cash.
During the emotionally charged arraignment, which was attended by family and community members, Prosecutor Carey stated: "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."
She added, "The brutality and disregard for human life displayed here are deeply troubling. While these remain allegations until proven in court, the evidence reflects an extraordinary level of callousness and violence."
