Rebecca Park, a 22-year-old woman who was 38 weeks pregnant, was murdered by her mother Cortney Bartholomew, 40, and stepfather Bradly Bartholomew, 47, who allegedly lured her to their Wexford County home on November 3, 2025, forced her into the woods of Manistee National Forest, stabbed her, and cut out her unborn baby, killing both.​
Incident and Discovery
Park was reported missing on November 4 after last being seen entering a vehicle outside a relative’s home near Cadillac; her body, without the baby, was found on November 25 along a hiking trail in Boon Township, about 35 miles south of Traverse City, with an autopsy confirming her identity. Prosecutors described the act as premeditated torture, with the couple researching and planning to remove the infant, then abandoning her remains; the baby’s body has not been recovered.​
Arrests and Charges
Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew were arrested on December 1 and arraigned December 2 on charges including open murder, torture, assault of a pregnant person causing miscarriage/stillbirth, unlawful imprisonment, and removal of a dead body. Earlier, Park’s fiancé Richard Falor, 43, was arrested on methamphetamine delivery charges ($1 million bond), and her sister Kimberly Park, 21, faced evidence tampering, false reporting, and lying to police ($750,000 bond); both were deemed community threats and flight risks. Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey called the crime “evil personified,” with Attorney General Dana Nessel vowing justice.
