The biological mother and stepfather of 22‑year-old Rebecca Park have been formally charged in her death — and the death of the baby she was carrying. On December 2, 2025, in a packed courtroom at the 84th District Court in Cadillac, Michigan, Cortney Bartholomew, age 40, and Bradly Bartholomew, age 47, appeared via video from jail. Prosecutors laid out a harrowing account: the couple allegedly lured Park to their home in Boon Township, drove her into the woods, stabbed her, forced her to lie down, and cut her baby from her womb — killing both mother and child.
The charges are severe: each faces eight counts including First‑Degree Murder, Felony Murder, Torture, Conspiracy to Commit Torture, Assault on a Pregnant Individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth, Conspiracy to Commit that Assault, Unlawful Imprisonment, and Removal of a Dead Body without permission. Six of those charges carry possible life sentences. Both defendants were denied bond and remanded to jail.
According to prosecutors, Park was about 38 weeks pregnant when she was last seen on November 3, 2025, leaving her mother’s home in Boon Township. The next day she was reported missing. After weeks of searching, a body matching her description was discovered on November 25 in the Manistee National Forest — but the baby was not found with her remains. Despite that, evidence presented in court led to the conclusion that both she and the unborn child had been killed.
During the arraignment, the prosecutor, Johanna Carey, did not hold back — calling the crime “evil personified.” She described how the couple forcibly transported Rebecca from their home, into another vehicle, then into the woods where the violence occurred. “They forced her … while they cut her baby from her womb, ultimately causing the death of both mother and child,” Carey said.
The courtroom was crowded — family members, friends, community supporters, and people who had volunteered in the search turned out in force. Outside, cars bore signs like “Justice for Rebecca and Baby Park” and “We are her voice.” The grief was palpable.
Authorities have not publicly identified a motive. Court officials said the case remains under active investigation, and they’re calling for anyone with information to come forward.
For now, the names of the two arrested will remain central to what many hope will bring justice for Rebecca — and for the child she was so close to welcoming.
The post Rebecca Park Found Dead — Her Mother and Stepfather Charged in Grisly Murder of Pregnant 22‑Year‑Old and Her Baby appeared first on Tripplenews.
