Rebecca Park, a 22-year-old woman who was nearly full term in her pregnancy, went missing on November 3, with her body found in the Manistee National Forest on November 25. Disturbingly, authorities have reported that the fetus was not found with her remains. The investigation has taken a grim turn, implicating several family members in what has been described as a shocking and brutal crime.
Her biological mother, Cortney Bartholomew, 40, has been charged with murder and the gruesome act of cutting the unborn child from Rebecca’s womb. Court documents reveal a tangled web of relationships within the family, as both Cortney and Rebecca’s sister, Kimberly Park, 21, were romantically involved with Richard Falor, 43, the father of Rebecca’s unborn child.
In the aftermath of Rebecca’s disappearance, all four individuals—Cortney, her husband Bradly Bartholomew, Kimberly, and Falor—were arrested and charged with various felonies. Kimberly Park faces charges of tampering with evidence, lying to a police officer, and filing a false report. Following a reduction of her bail from $750,000 to $5,000, she is currently under house arrest.
Investigators allege that Kimberly made pivotal claims about the circumstances surrounding Rebecca’s demise. On November 24, shortly before Rebecca’s body was found, she purportedly admitted to a detective that she had been in a relationship with Falor. In a later interview, she suggested that Rebecca had died following an altercation with Cortney and Bradly, who allegedly called a friend to dispose of her body after striking her in the head.
Kimberly’s statements led to charges against her, with prosecutors taking swift action after she confessed to providing false information to protect Falor. She later recounted conversations with Falor wherein he made incriminating remarks about Rebecca’s death and the botched attempt to cut the baby from her.
Cortney, when questioned, claimed she had an affair with Falor after Rebecca’s relationship ended. She described intentions to leave her husband for Falor, but supposedly changed her mind, which reignited the relationship between Rebecca and Falor. In a troubling narrative, Cortney also claimed that Falor raped her, resulting in a miscarriage.
Additionally, investigators uncovered that Cortney had sent Rebecca a text on the day she went missing, showing an $18,000 inheritance check. Following Rebecca’s death, she reportedly texted about giving birth to a son whom she claimed had been hospitalized before later stating the child had died.
Cortney and Bradly’s arrest was influenced by mobile phone data corroborating their location near where Rebecca’s body was located. During a court hearing, Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey described the crime as “evil personified” and outlined a premeditated plan by the Bartholomews to commit the heinous acts.
Both Cortney and Bradly face multiple charges, including first-degree murder, felony murder, and conspiracy to commit assault on an individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth, each of which could result in a life sentence. Public defenders for Kimberly and Falor have not yet responded to requests for comment as this complex and tragic case continues to unfold.
