The parents of a pregnant woman, who vanished just weeks before her due date, are accused of removing her fetus and abandoning it in the woods of Michigan.
Rebecca Park, aged 22, was found deceased in the Manistee National Forest on November 25, just weeks after she disappeared on November 3 while being 38 weeks pregnant.
When her body was discovered, it was evident she was no longer pregnant, and the baby was unaccounted for. Authorities later confirmed the baby’s death but did not share detailed information.
Park’s biological mother, 40-year-old Courtney, and her stepfather, 47-year-old Bradley Bartholomew, have been charged with her murder.
According to Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey, the couple—who did not raise Rebecca—took her from their home, forced her into a car, and led her into the woods. There, they allegedly stabbed her and removed the baby from her womb, actions that resulted in both their deaths.
“This is, frankly, evil,” stated Carey during the arraignment on Tuesday.
On the same day Park’s remains were found, her much older fiancé, Richard Lee Farrar, aged 43, was arrested for allegedly distributing methamphetamine. He entered a not guilty plea on December 2.
Further complicating matters, Rebecca’s sister, 21-year-old Kimberly Park, was taken into custody a day later on various charges including tampering with evidence and lying to police during a violent crime investigation.
During her arraignment, detectives claimed Kimberly fabricated a story to the police about her stepfather hitting Rebecca in the head, which led to her seizure. This was revealed in a felony complaint obtained by a local newspaper.
When Park was first reported missing, it was indicated she had been picked up by a vehicle with tinted windows while at her mother’s house.
Additionally, she reportedly received around $2,000 from her family’s inheritance the same day, and her cell phone was later found along the roadside near her mother’s residence.
Farrar mentioned that he, alongside Courtney Bartholomew and Kimberly Park, were “calling the hospital” to check on Rebecca and her baby’s well-being.
Rebecca was due to give birth on November 18, and it was noted that she had grown taller the day before she went missing.
During the arraignment, Stacey Davis, the estranged sister of Bradley Bartholomew, mentioned that her brother and Courtney had previously attempted to conceive but faced challenges.
“I’m here for Rebecca and her baby. Not for my brother,” Davis emphasized.
Courtney Bartholomew, Rebecca’s biological mother, had not raised Rebecca or her siblings, who were adopted and grew up with Stephanie Park and her spouse.
“Rebecca should be remembered for being the kind girl she was,” Stephanie Park remarked.
Both Courtney and Bradley Bartholomew were denied bail. Reports indicate that Courtney’s attorney encountered difficulties in seeking lower bail terms and home confinement.
They face similar charges, including first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, torture in confinement, conspiracy to commit torture, assault on a pregnant woman resulting in miscarriage or stillbirth, conspiracy for such assault, false imprisonment, and corpse removal.
