If there is one person you should be able to trust, it ought to be your mother. Nonetheless, for Rebecca Park, a 22-year-old woman, being in the presence of her biological mother reportedly turned into a tragic mistake.
Reports suggest that the last sighting of Rebecca, who was on the brink of giving birth, was when she entered a dark-colored vehicle parked outside her mother’s residence. Subsequently, she vanished without a trace.
At 38 weeks pregnant, this raised immediate concerns for her family and authorities, prompting an urgent search effort. The discovery of Rebecca’s abandoned mobile phone near her departure location intensified the worries.
According to arrest documents, Rebecca allegedly heard chilling words like “Your baby is going to die” while a knife was held against her throat. Her 40-year-old mother, Cortney Bartholomew, along with her stepfather, Bradly Bartholomew, 47, purportedly took Rebecca to a secluded area in northern Michigan. The duo is accused of tricking her into their home before carrying out heinous acts against her.
Bradly, a registered sex offender, reportedly threatened Rebecca with a knife as Cortney allegedly performed a gruesome act of cutting the unborn child from her daughter’s womb. Subsequently, Bradly allegedly stabbed Rebecca multiple times, with authorities suggesting the assault occurred either inside a pickup truck or in close proximity on a trail in Mainstee National Forest.
Authorities claim that the brutal attack was a premeditated act of vengeance. Cortney had been involved in an extramarital affair with Rebecca’s fiancé, Richard Lee Falor, 43, who faces drug charges that may lead to a life sentence due to his criminal history.
Cortney reportedly stated to law enforcement that Richard had attempted to incriminate her husband, Bradly, and that Bradly harbored intentions of harming Richard. Allegedly, Cortney brutally removed her daughter’s child from her womb in an attempt to “save him so she could take him to Rich.”
Tragically, Rebecca did not survive the attack on November 3, suffering multiple stab wounds and other injuries. Her body was discovered weeks later, initially without the baby, yet the severe abdominal wounds revealed the horrifying fate she endured.
Bradly is accused of further harming Rebecca by slashing her throat and using a cord from a snowplow to drag her body to a bank. After relocating her a short distance and covering her with leaves, he disposed of her remains.
Cortney allegedly confessed to authorities about the fate of her grandson, claiming that her husband placed the baby in a bag, then in a small cooler, before discarding it in a dumpster.
When Rebecca’s remains were found on November 25, her sister Kimberley Park, 21, and Richard were arrested. Kimberley faced charges related to lying to law enforcement, evidence tampering, and making false reports.
Reports suggest that Kimberley was also romantically involved with Richard while Cortney was in a relationship with him. Cortney purportedly considered leaving Bradly for her daughter’s partner but ultimately hesitated. Initially denying involvement, Cortney and Bradly allegedly turned against each other during police interrogations regarding Rebecca and her unborn child’s tragic deaths.