MICHIGAN, United States — A Michigan couple stands accused of perpetrating a crime described by prosecutors as ‘evil personified,’ following the murder of the wife’s biological daughter and the surgical removal of the victim’s nearly full-term baby.
Cortney Bartholomew, 40, and her husband Brad Bartholomew, 47, face multiple felony charges including murder and torture in connection with the death of 22-year-old Rebecca Park. The victim, who was adopted and raised by another family, had been missing for three weeks before her body was discovered in a wooded area.
According to prosecuting attorney Johanna Carey, the horrific crime unfolded when Brad Bartholomew transported Rebecca to the couple’s residence before forcing her into another vehicle and taking her to a remote forest location. Court documents reveal that the defendants then stabbed the pregnant woman, forced her to lie on the ground, and performed a crude cesarean section to remove the infant. Both mother and child succumbed to their injuries.
The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office has not yet disclosed a potential motive for the brutal attack. The biological relationship between Cortney Bartholomew and the victim adds a complex dimension to the case, as Park had been adopted and raised separately from her biological mother.
Both defendants have been denied bond following their arraignment via video conference from jail. The case has sent shockwaves through the local community and raised questions about the circumstances that could lead to such violence within a biological family relationship. Law enforcement continues to investigate whether additional factors, including possible mental health issues or previous conflicts, might have contributed to the tragic outcome.