Some crimes are so horrifying they seem impossible to believe.
This is one of them.
What Happened
Rebecca Park, 22, was eight months pregnant when she disappeared on the night of November 3, 2025, in northern Michigan.
She was last seen getting into a vehicle near her home in Cadillac — just hours after receiving $2,000 from an inheritance.
She never came home.
For weeks, her family searched. Then on November 25, searchers found her body hidden under leaves near a hiking trail in Manistee National Forest — roughly 2.5 miles from the home of her own parents.
What Investigators Say Happened in Those Woods
According to court documents, Rebecca’s parents — Cortney Bartholomew, 40, and Bradly Bartholomew, 47 — lured their daughter into the forest and stabbed her multiple times in the back.
As Rebecca sat on the forest floor, bleeding, her own mother looked down at her and said:
“Your baby is gonna die.”
With her husband holding a knife to Rebecca’s throat, Cortney allegedly cut open her daughter’s stomach and removed the baby boy herself. The infant was not breathing.
Rebecca was then stabbed more than a dozen times in total. Bradly Bartholomew allegedly slit her throat.
The baby’s body was later placed in a cooler and discarded in a nearby dumpster.
Authorities have not yet recovered the baby’s remains.
The Motive
Investigators say Cortney Bartholomew wanted another baby to raise.
Bradly Bartholomew allegedly told police his wife carried out the act because she wanted a child of her own.
A prosecutor offered another possible motive — that Bradly acted because Rebecca’s boyfriend had previously reported him to police for failing to register as a sex offender.
Charges and Latest Update
The Bartholomews were arrested on December 1 and face charges including murder, torture, conspiracy to commit torture, and assault on a pregnant person.
Rebecca’s sister, Kimberly Park, was also charged — with evidence tampering, lying to police, and filing a false report.
This week, a judge dropped all charges against Kimberly Park. Prosecutors have not explained why, but say they can refile at any time.
The case against the parents remains open and active.
“This Is Evil Personified”
At a bond hearing, Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey described the crime in plain terms.
“These two individuals created a plan, conducted research,” she said. “This is frankly evil personified.”
Rebecca Park had dreams, a fiance, and a baby boy almost ready to enter the world.
She deserved to come home that night.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or threats, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Available 24/7, free and confidential.
