NEED TO KNOW
- The body of a dead woman found in Manistee National Forest on Nov. 25 is that of Rebecca Park, the pregnant woman who went missing earlier this month
- Officials are continuing search efforts after an autopsy found that Park was no longer pregnant with the baby she was due to deliver three days before her body was found
- On Sunday night, Park’s mother and stepfather were booked into custody at the Wexford County Jail, where Park’s sister and fiancé are also being held after being arrested last week
Authorities in Michigan confirmed that the body of a woman found dead in Manistee National Forest last week is that of Rebecca Park.
The discovery of Park’s body came after a weeks-long search to locate the missing mother-to-be, who was last seen shortly before midnight on Nov. 3, at her mother’s home in Boon Township, about 100 miles north of Grand Rapids.
Search efforts are still ongoing, however, with the Wexford County Sheriff Trent Taylor revealing in a statement that Park’s autopsy also revealed that she was no longer pregnant.
Park had been 38 weeks pregnant when she went missing, and her body was discovered three days after she was due to give birth.
“The Wexford County Sheriff’s Office, along with multiple law enforcement agencies, is working diligently to determine the condition and potential whereabouts of the baby,” Sheriff Taylor said.
“Because this is an active and ongoing investigation, the information that can be released is extremely limited at this time.”
The WCSO also confirmed that two individuals linked to the case had been arrested late Sunday night, which is when Park’s mother and stepfather were taken into custody.
Cortney Bartholomew, 40, was arrested and booked into the Wexford County Jail at 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, and her fiancé Bradly Bartholomew, 47, was booked into custody on Dec. 1, at 12:42 a.m., according to jail records obtained by PEOPLE.
A court appearance for the pair initially scheduled for Monday is now set to take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and there is still no information regarding what charges the two are facing at this time.
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Deputies would not say, however, if the couple were the two individuals the agency had arrested in connection with Park’s death.
There is also no word on whether or not the recent arrest of Park’s fiancé and sister are in any way related to her death.
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Kimberly Park, 21, and Richard Falor, 43, are also being held at the Wexford County Jail ever since their arrests last week just hours after the discovery of Park’s body.
Kimberly was arrested and booked into custody at the Wexford County Jail in the early morning hours of Nov. 26.
She appeared in court later that same day and was arraigned on charges of tampering with evidence, lying to a police officer and filing a false report, according to records obtained by PEOPLE.
Her bail is currently set at $750,000.
Falor was taken into custody at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 25 and arraigned the following day on two counts of delivering methamphetamine, records show.
His bail is set at $1 million.
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The WCSO is not releasing any further details at this time, but did say that their search efforts for Park’s baby are being assisted by the Michigan State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Park’s cause of death is still unknown.
“We understand the public’s desire for details and their demand for justice for Rebecca and her baby. We ask for your patience and understanding as we continue to seek answers for this tragic situation,” Sheriff Taylor said.
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