Rebecca Park Murder: Mother Allegedly Tortured Pregnant Daughter to Cut Out Baby While Keeping Her Alive

Authorities have formally charged a mother and stepfather with the murder of 22-year-old Rebecca Park, who was pregnant at the time and found dead on November 23. Prosecutors claim that Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew kidnapped Park, took her to a remote wooded area, and subjected her to torture before removing her unborn child while she was still alive.

Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey described the crime in court as "evil personified" and requested that the couple be held without bail. According to prosecutors, Rebecca Park was alive when the alleged assault on her unborn child occurred. The shocking details were revealed during the initial court appearance on December 2 for Cortney Bartholomew, 40, and Bradly Bartholomew, 47.

The arrest has concluded nearly a month of uncertainty regarding Parks disappearance, which began after she left her mothers home shortly before midnight on November 3. Prosecutors outlined that the Bartholomews allegedly forced Park into a vehicle, drove her into the woods, stabbed her, made her lie down, and then extracted her baby, ultimately causing both deaths.

Carey described the case as premeditated torture and murder, stating that the Bartholomews allegedly planned and researched their actions in advance. Both face charges including first-degree murder, felony murder, torture, conspiracy to commit torture, assault on a pregnant person causing miscarriage or stillbirth, and conspiracy to commit that assault. Each charge carries a potential life sentence. Additional charges include unlawful imprisonment and removing a dead body.

Search teams located a body matching Parks description on November 25 in the Manistee National Forest, confirming through autopsy that it was her. The baby she was due to deliver three days earlier was no longer in her womb. On the day the body was found, authorities arrested Parks fianc Richard Falor, 43, and her sister Kimberly Park, 21. Falor was arraigned on methamphetamine charges with a $1 million bail, while Kimberly faced charges of evidence tampering, lying to police, and filing a false report, with bail set at $750,000. There is no evidence connecting Falor or Kimberly to the murder.

All four individualsCortney and Bradly Bartholomew, Richard Falor, and Kimberly Parkare currently in Wexford County Jail, with public defenders yet to respond or enter pleas on their behalf.

On the day her daughter was due, Cortney posted a video on Facebook claiming to provide an alibi, featuring her 14-year-old son stating she was home the entire night. Cortney also accused Kimberly of involvement in private messages and a podcast interview, both before and after Rebeccas body was discovered.

Author: Lucas Grant