Hidden True Crime - A Fake NICU Baby and a Forest Grave | Affidavit Nightmare Reveals Timeline in the Rebecca Park Case

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

In this episode, we break down the newly released 18-page probable cause affidavit in the murder of 38-weeks-pregnant Rebecca Park—a document filled with conflicting stories, shifting blame, and shocking admissions from Rebecca’s biological mother, Cortney Bartholomew, and stepfather, Bradly Bartholomew. Sponsor: Aura Frames: Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/HIDDEN Code HIDDEN Backstory Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mother-brutally-kills-pregnant-daughter-then-steals/id1521619380?i=1000739631261 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/76Auqb4gEfjBTJHGBQJOFs?si=ddcceeff2c4e4ce0 Affidavits https://midmichigannow.com/resources/pdf/d8402c6e-c8e0-49fd-92a0-6dfe21080e24-CORTNEYBARTHOLOMEWPCAFFIDAVIT.pdf https://mynews4.com/resources/pdf/5765d274-c7ce-4023-8309-54e9b6cda2c0-PARKPCAFFIDAVIT.pdf About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. Investing involves risk to principle regardless of the strategy used. Task performance does not guarantee future results. The probable cause affidavit in the Rebecca Park case has been released, detailing why her own biological mother, Bartholomew and stepfather, Bradley Bartholomew, have been charged with her murder as well as her unborn son's murder. The affidavit goes through their interviews showing the conflicting stories,

the attempts to distance themselves and shift blame, and eventually leads to a clear picture of what likely happened, likely. Both Courtney and Bradley tried to place the responsibility on other people and even each other, before investigators were able to piece together the events surrounding Rebecca's murder. We'll go through it all in this episode. But what happened to Rebecca didn't begin the night she vanished. While the newly released probable cause affidavit lays out the interviews, the contradictions, and the blame shifting that ultimately led to murder charges, this case has roots, deep roots, and we've uncovered that in a full case history you can find a couple of episodes back.

The affidavit that we're about to go over is 18 pages long, and I've laid it out a bit to make it easier to follow because this story is a complicated one with family dynamics, past accusations, complicated relationships, and hidden resentments that investigators had to untangle before charging Rebecca's own biological mother with the crime. My name is Lauren Matthias, and this is hidden true crime. On November 4th, 2025, at just before 1245 p.m., Wexford County Central Dispatch received a call from Kimberly Sue Park reporting her sister, Rebecca Kay Park, 38 weeks pregnant and missing. She had last been seen the night before November 3rd in Boone Township. Rebecca had been living with her boyfriend Richard Lee Fowler in Cedar Creek Township, Courtney, Rebecca's mother told deputies that she last saw her daughter on the evening of November 3rd. They had gone out to get ice cream. And Rebecca mentioned she needed tidepods.

So Courtney returned home to get them. When she came back, Rebecca said she was waiting for a friend to come pick her up. And a black sedan with tinted windows pulled up and Rebecca got into the front passenger seat. Courtney couldn't identify the driver or the number of people in the car. Later that night, Rebecca's fiancé, Richard Fowler, or Rich called Courtney, asking where she was. but she said she didn't know, only that Rebecca had left with a friend. The following morning, Courtney received a screenshot from Kimberly, Rebecca's sister, showing the location of Rebecca's phone.

While Courtney drove to a spot just off her road near a two-track, it's a narrow unpaved dirt or gravel path, less than 200 yards from her house, and there she found Rebecca's phone lying on the ground. She initially thought Rebecca might have dropped it while stepping off the road to use the bathroom. She ultimately took the phone to Rich. That same day, Rebecca was officially entered as a missing person in the Law Enforcement Information Network. And on November 5th, Detective Lieutenant Chris Piskor met with Kimberly, who played a voicemail from Courtney. And in it, she relates to posted information from a woman named Oriah Clark.

Aria claimed two people in the car had visited a place called the Revival Center asking for Narcan. She also said that Rebecca had, quote, got what she fucking deserved, end quote, and reference an older man she may have left with. Kimberly identified the only older man Rebecca had contact with a Stephen Billet who drove a black sedan like the one Courtney described. However, contacting billet showed no indication. He had recent contact with Rebecca.

Kimberly also showed the detective Rebecca's cell phone. The last call had been made to Courtney, her biological mother, and there were no records from Monday, November 3rd, suggesting messages may have been deleted. Kimberly noted that Rebecca often deleted her phone history herself as second voicemail from Courtney linked Rebecca's disappearance to someone else named Randy and suggested looking into Stephen Billet, but Kimberly admitted she did not fully trust Courtney's information. So then, on November 6th, Detective Piscore obtained a search warrant for Rebecca's phone, which was sent to the Michigan Computer Crimes Unit for forensic examination,

A coordinated search of the areas where Rebecca had been seen and where her phone was found was conducted on November 8th involving 36 people from all county's search and rescue and Christian Aid Ministries search and rescue, but no new evidence was recovered. On November 15, 2025, Candace Freeman, Courtney Bartholomew's sister contacted authorities with unusual information. She explained that since late October, Courtney had been texting her, claiming she had recently given birth to a baby boy who she named Ashton Lee Bartholomew at 28 weeks gestation. Courtney said the baby was in the NICU in Grand Rapids and requested baby supplies. On November 3rd, Courtney texted that the baby had backslid but was still hoping to come home. However, later that day, she claimed, quote, my son passed away. When Candace asked how it happened, Courtney said the baby wasn't getting air and that she had witnessed him die. That same day, November 4th, Courtney began talking to Candice about Rebecca being missing.

Investigators began gathering phone records from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon focusing on tower dumps in area searches related to November 3rd, the night Rebecca was last seen. Around this time, Detective Piskler reached out to Courtney to schedule another interview, which she initially resisted. but eventually agreed to. The recorded interview on November 11th covered Courtney's background and her relationships with Rebecca and Richard Fowler, Rebecca's fiancé. Courtney disclosed a complicated history. After Rebecca and Rich broke up, she had begun a relationship with him while still married to Bradley and planned on filing for divorce. However, Courtney said that she became pregnant and was uncertain whether Bradley or Rich was the father and decided to pause the divorce. She made allegations that Rich had attempted to shoot Bradley, but resumed his relationship with Rebecca

after Courtney shut him down. And after that, Courtney claimed that Rich caused her to miscarry her baby. She claimed she reported the assault at the time, but that Rich was never charged. And because of these events, Courtney said she had been worried about Rebecca's safety believing Rich could be abusive and encouraged her to leave him. Courtney then walked investigators to the days leading up to Rebecca's disappearance. On November 1st, Kimberly and Rebecca visited her home and Courtney handed them envelopes that she claimed contained money. However, they both later said the envelopes were empty. Later that day, Courtney delivered some forgotten baby items to Rebecca and Rich's home. On November 2nd, plans to go to Dairy Queen

fell through when Rebecca visited the hospital thinking she was in labor. She was only one centimeter dilated and discharged. Courtney and Bradley drove Rebecca and Rich Home, where they had a brief argument about money, Courtney offered to take Rebecca home, but Rebecca suggested meeting the next day instead. So on November 3rd, the day Rebecca disappeared, Courtney picked her up from Riches. Rebecca looked stressed and said that Rich was pressuring her for money to fix his truck. Courtney handed Rebecca $2,000. There's that $2,000, and they discussed having a baby shower, which Rebecca refused due to fear of attracting attention from children's protected services. And during their time together, Courtney went inside briefly and noticed that Rebecca deleted something from her phone.

Courtney offered to drive Rebecca home, but Rebecca said someone was coming to pick her up. Courtney described a car with dark tinted windows, no license, like possibly a Chevy, and later admitted she had provided some different descriptions about the vehicle on social media. She said she didn't follow the car because she thought it would upset Rebecca and push her away. while later Courtney reached out to Kimberly for Rich's phone number. After failing to reach him, she sent a text to inform him that Rebecca had left with someone. Courtney confirmed that Rebecca had been actively texting throughout the afternoon. The next morning, Kimberly provided GPS coordinates for Rebecca's phone, which led Courtney and Bradley to the phone's location.

Bradley found the phone first and handed it to Courtney. During the interview, Courtney addressed a photo she had sent Rebecca of a check for $18,000. she admitted sending the photo but insisted she never gave Rebecca the actual check or made a similar check for Kimberly. When confronted with phone records showing no activity from the recovered phone, Courtney claimed Rebecca might have had other devices. She also named some other individuals that she believed could be involved, but these were based on rumors.

Courtney strongly denied harming Rebecca herself saying, quote, why the fuck would I do that, end quote. Investigators also asked about a pickup truck on her property that neighbors noticed had been moved. Courtney said the truck had no seats and was only moved to access her porch. She also randomly added that both Kimberly and Rebecca did not like Bradley. On November 11, 2025, Detective Piscor conducted a recorded interview with Bradley Bartholomew, Courtney's husband. Bradley admitted that he and Rebecca did not get along, citing his criminal history, as a source of tension. and described her relationship with Courtney as Rocky. He claimed he was not at the house on Monday, November 3rd, the day Rebecca was last with Courtney.

Instead, he said he had been alone in a location in the woods near a local fish hatchery without his phone, which he said Courtney had been using. Investigators asked about the pickup truck at the Bartholomew home, and Bradley insisted the truck had not been moved in years. He said that the missing seats had been removed so that they could clean it for Courtney's son Bentley to use when he turned 16. Bradley said he first learned Rebecca was missing Monday night or Tuesday morning and denied being at the residence when she was there. On November 4th, he said Courtney texted him the GPS coordinates for Rebecca's phone, which he refused to retrieve a loan because he, quote, didn't want to be accused of anything, end quote. When Courtney returned, they went together and Bradley physically found the phone. on a nearby to track and handed it to her,

claiming he had no idea how it ended up there. On November 24, Courtney returned for another recorded interview with Detective Piscor discussing topics like TikTok Lives and another cell phone that had been dropped off at Clare City Police Department. Courtney confirmed that the phone had come from Kimberly. She also admitted to having personal property belonging to Kimberly in her vehicle, but refused to return it to investigators. That same day, Bradley was interviewed again by Michigan.

Michigan State police detective Tim Helen. He claimed he was trying to protect Kimberly, alleging she had taken Rebecca down a two track behind the house and stated, quote, I believe she's dead, end quote. Bradley also recalled a dinner on November 1st with Courtney, Rebecca, and Kimberly, during which Kimberly privately told him she needed to get Rebecca, quote, out of the picture. So on November 25, 2025, Wexford County Dispatch received a 911 call from a woman named Courtney Letterman, who reported finding a body covered in leaves that appeared to have been gutted. The body was located roughly 2.5 miles west of Courtney's residence along Forest Service Road, 9784. Deputy Jacob Copponan responded and confirmed. The deceased was Rebecca,

identifying her by a tattoo above her left eye. abdomen appear to have been cut open. Meanwhile, state trooper Cody Campbell secured the Bartholomew residence while the crime lab prepared a search warrant. And during this time, Courtney and Bradley were overheard discussing a burned seat cover from the Ford F-150, which had been allegedly discarded due to a spill. Search warrants were executed for Bradley and Courtney's cell phones. Bradley's records placed him near the Bartholomew home on November 3rd, consistent with the reported recovery of Rebecca's phone and the location where her body was ultimately found. Courtney's records also aligned with her account of picking up Rebecca from Richard Fowler's

house and bringing her to her house. Calls between Bradley and Courtney that day, including a two-minute, a 57-second and a 54-second call were all made near Courtney's home prior to Rebecca's arrival. Both devices remained in the area after Rebecca's phone had arrived, corroborating the couple's presence at the location. An autopsy was conducted on Rebecca Park at Western Michigan University by Dr. Christine James with Deputy Alexis Howard in attendance. The examination revealed multiple sharp force injuries across Rebecca's body, multiple. Six wounds on her back, two wounds on her right upper arm. arm. One wound on the left trapezius area, two wounds to the neck, and at least two wounds to the face. Additionally, the right side of the face had a laceration and an irregular cheek wound.

The neck wounds were superficial, not penetrating muscle or damaging any major blood vessels. Most of the torso wounds were confined to soft tissue. Two wounds to the back were more severe. One on the left side entered the plural space but missed the lung. One on the right side entered the right plural space, penetrated the upper lobe of the right lung, and caused a large pneumothorax. Importantly, all major blood vessels remained intact. The autopsy also revealed incised wounds to the abdomen. The placenta was hanging from an open abdominal wound, with the umbilical cord still attached,

but the fetus was absent. The abdominal incision extended through both the colon and small intestine. Dr. James noted that Rebecca's stomach contained copious amounts of a blue-green chalky residue. Examination of the brain showed no sub-scapular or sub-galeal hemorrhages and no school fractures were identified. A posterior neck dissection revealed no soft tissue hemorrhage. On Sunday, November 30th, 2025, investigators obtained a second search warrant for the residents of Bradley and Courtney Bartholomew. Additional warrants were issued to seize two vehicles, a red 2007 Ford Escape, Fordor SUV registered to Courtney, and a white 1992 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Both vehicles were towed to the Wexford County Sheriff's Office for processing.

The search warrants were executed and both Bradley and Courtney were taken into custody. They were transported to the Wexford County Sheriff's Office for further questioning. And then on Sunday, November 30th, 2025, Detective Piscor and Detective Dan Hackman conducted another recorded interview with Bradley. From the beginning, Bradley was informed that Rebecca's death had been classified as a homicide and that he needed to be truthful. He was read his Miranda rights and agreed to speak. Bradley recounted his knowledge of the events leading up to Rebecca's disappearance.

He said, Courtney had picked up Rebecca, returned home, briefly to grab tidepods and plan to go for ice cream. He admitted that during his first interview, he had lied about being at the house because of his sex offender status and concerns about being around Bentley, who is a minor. Detectives explained that potential registry violations were minor, minor compared to homicide. But Bradley said he hadn't realized this was a homicide investigation at the time. Bradley described Courtney backing out of the driveway and the Ford escape in returning saying he had no idea where Rebecca was. He said Courtney later left in the white Ford F-150 with Rich Fowler returned about 15 minutes later and told him there had been a disagreement in

the truck that resulted in blood on the dashboard. Courtney asked him to clean it, which he did, but he reported seeing no blood on the floor or seats. He also said Courtney asked him to remove seat covers when they became stained with white paint, but he wasn't sure what happened to them afterward. Bradley also admitted that Courtney had cryptically referenced doing, quote, something horrible with rich, but it refused to explain once Rebecca's disappearance became known. He said he began to, quote, put two and two together. He reported that Courtney had previously threatened him, saying she would make his life hell if he spoke about anything and reminded investigators that she had once tried to stab him with scissors, though that case had been dismissed. Bradley addressed the alleged baby in the NICU stating Courtney claims. claimed she was adopting a baby, but he didn't believe it could happen given his status as a six.

He said Courtney left alone and the white four driving north returned about 15 minutes later and texted him for help, explaining she had gotten into a fight with Rich. Bradley confirmed he never actually observed Rich or saw injuries on Courtney that day. He also noted that Courtney was very active on TikTok and frequently communicating with Kimberly, but he couldn't hear the content of her text messages. We confronted with phone records from Team Mobile and Verizon, Bradley admitted he had Courtney's phone on November 3, 2025. Investigators pointed out that call records showed both his and Courtney's phones active while

Rebecca was at the house. He minimized this, describing the calls as, quote, simple calls checking on her comings and goings, end quote. He also said he hadn't driven the white forward since parking it and it only had enough gas to reach the station. Bradley was reminded that if blood from Rebecca was found in the truck, it would be a serious problem. He admitted he suspected Courtney might have been lying about events, especially regarding

her story about being with Rich. He confirmed there were no $18,000 checks and said he didn't know why Courtney had sent photos of them. He denied that Kimberly had ever actually told him she needed to, quote, get Rebecca out of the picture when asking about the two tracks behind the house on November 1st, And Bradley began to open up during his interviews, expressing frustration over the online accusations that he and Courtney were responsible for Rebecca's disappearance. He admitted that he believed Courtney and Rich could have harmed Rebecca and acknowledged that

Courtney, driven by her obsession with having another child, was capable of attacking Rebecca and taking her baby. And let me just pause there. Isn't that fascinating? So we now know Courtney was obsessed with having another baby and willing to take her biolocatting. daughters to kill her biological daughter to raise that baby i mean this motive is is getting wild it's upsetting taking her own daughter's baby let's keep going bradley also recalled rebecca getting a text warning her not to give birth to the baby in the hospital but he couldn't remember exactly who

said that he explained that he hadn't come forward sooner because courtnery courtney had threatened him warning him not to get involved for fear that either of them would be incriminated. Bradley consistently suggested that Courtney had more involvement than she admitted and indicated that evidence might be found in the White Ford F-150. He described blood in the truck and said he had removed a seat covering about a week and a half after Rebecca went missing. Bradley reiterated that he thought Courtney was jealous of Rebecca and wanted another child and speculated that Rich may have wanted to rekindle a relationship with her.

He also noted that Courtney kept scapals at her bedside to Lance Cellulitis. He confirmed various movements over November 3rd and 4th, including returning Rebecca's phone to Rich. For the end of the interview, Bradley became emotional over the possible outcome of the investigation. On the same date, November 30th, Courtney was interviewed again, read her Miranda rights and agreed to speak. She recounted previous events, including the dinner at her house on November 1st with Rebecca, Kimberly and Bentley, explaining that Bradley had stayed hidden in the truck because the girls didn't like him. She described her trips to Rich Fowler's house to drop off

forgotten baby items and confirmed her previous accounts of events, including picking up Rebecca and her conversations with her about plans and the $2,000. During the interview, Courtney asked if she could receive immunity for speaking. Investigators clarified that only the prosecutor could grant it and he'd want to know what information she had. That's when she made a shocking claim. She said she could tell investigators exactly where the knife and the baby were and offered to give them everything.

During the November 30th interview, Courtney was confronted by investigators about what they described as her, quote, guilty knowledge. She initially expressed fear for herself, her child, Hunter home and again asked for immunity and witness protection, but detectives explained neither could be granted. When pressed about the baby status, Courtney admitted he was dead, revealing that he had been placed in a blue cooler inside a GFL trash can and driven around by Bradley. She said this was an act of retaliation for Bradley spending time in jail after Richard turned him in for a parole violation. Courtney then began to recount the events leading to Rebecca's death.

She described being positioned to enable the attack, pulling into her driveway and speaking with Rebecca inside the house while Bradley positioned the white truck outside. She initially believed Bradley wouldn't harm her daughter. Later that evening, Bradley returned to the house and initially claimed he had taken Rebecca home, but eventually admitted he had taken her elsewhere. Courtney contacted Rich while under Bradley's watch and said that Rebelly, Rebecca had left with another man. She confirmed that the story about the black car was fabricated.

When she asked Bradley about Rebecca's phone location, he played dumb. But then led her to the phone exactly where Kimberly's coordinates had indicated. They took the phone to Rich's house with Bradley warning her not to say a word. Kimberly later retrieved it and called Courtney to take it to law enforcement. Courtney also detailed the presence of razor knives, which she, kept for medical purposes and noted that one was missing. She said that when she confronted Bradley about the knife, he initially said nothing, but later confirmed using it after Rebecca's body was found. She recounted repeatedly asking Bradley where Rebecca was, with him giving only cryptic responses

like, you'll find out soon enough. Courtney also described his controlling behavior over Kimberly's belongings, including a bag containing her wallet, refusing to let anyone else access it. Finally, Courtney detailed interactions following the discovery of Rebecca's body on November 25th. Bradley returned from using the truck and denied harming her daughter. However, on November 26th, when confronted again, he admitted responsibility stating bluntly that he was the reason Rebecca was gone and that Courtney's life had been turned upside down, forcing her to remain silent. This marked a significant turning point in the investigation as both Courtney and Bradley began to reveal their direct involvement in Rebecca's death. Courtney then revealed further details about the events

surrounding Rebecca's death and the fate of her newborn. She stated that Bradley admitted to her that his actions were part of a revenge plot against Richard saying, quote, rich fucked with the wrong motherfucker, end quote, and claimed to have slit Rebecca's throat. Regarding the baby, Courtney explained that Bradley placed him in a trash bag inside a blue cooler and drove him around before disposing of him in a GFL trash container. She said he told her the baby wasn't breathing when removed. Courtney claimed she was never present when the body was moved or dumped, and she didn't know how many trips Bradley made.

She also disclosed that Bradley had thrown her hunting knife in a dumpster about a week after the incident and that he burned the truck seat covers and cleaned the dash. Courtney clarified that Kimberly and Richard were not actually involved and that prior stories about a black car or Kimberly's participation have been fabricated by Bradley. Later that day, detectives interviewed Bradley again, confronting him with Courtney's statements, placing responsibility on him. Bradley confirmed that a blue cooler matching Courtney's description had been missing for about two and a half weeks. Importantly, he made a crucial admission.

He acknowledged that Courtney had stabbed Rebecca with a hunting knife and had cut the baby out of of her, which occurred on the trails behind the house. Bradley said that he had witnessed the extraction and that the knife had been discarded at Cadillac shores. Bradley further stated that Rebecca had been covered in leaves by Courtney after her death and that a scalpel from the bedroom had been used. When asked if the baby was alive during the removal, he confirmed it was not. he emphasized that only he and Courtney were present during these events. According to Bradley, Rebecca voluntarily got into the white Ford truck with him driving and Courtney in the passenger seat. They switched vehicles when Courtney claimed she had blown out a tire on the escape and drove onto a trail in the woods off public roads with a stabbing occurred.

Bradley described that Courtney stabbed Rebecca in the chest, but said he jumped out to avoid witnessing the full act. and told Courtney that it was wrong. He said that Rebecca was later tricked to go behind the truck to have the baby surgically removed. The baby wasn't breathing at first, and Courtney attempted CPR with Bradley assisting for about 15 minutes once they returned home. Bradley recounted that Courtney then placed the baby in a garbage bag, which was later secured in a soft-sided cooler for disposal in a GFL residential trash container. He confirmed cleaning the truck's dash and sea covers while Courtney burned the covers herself. He did not clean the floor. He denied placing Rebecca's phone on the two-track, but acknowledged finding it there. Bradley maintained

he did not stab Rebecca and never returned to the site where her body was found. He said that Courtney had covered Rebecca with leaves, but not branches and expressed his belief that she had planned the attack, even though she never explicitly told him of any plan. Bradley also said that he did not see Courtney place the towel or the hunting knife in the truck. Using a Wexford County map, he showed investigators the route he had taken on November 3, 2025, and agreed he could lead officers to the relevant locations. He noted that the baby remained in the cooler on the back porch overnight and that Courtney later placed the cooler and baby into a residential trash can on November 5th in anticipation of trash collection. Bradley observed Courtney placed the knife into the

glove box of the Ford Escape, likely leaving blood inside from the attack on Rebecca. During a later interview, Courtney stated that she believed Bradley intended to pin the crime on her. She recounted the events of November 3rd, explaining that Bradley pulled Rebecca from the escape while she rode in the passenger seat of the White Ford F-150. Bradley carried the knife and drove Rebecca to a remote location where he stabbed her four or five times in the back. Courtney said that she did not exit the truck initially because she didn't have her crutches or wheelchair. Courtney told Rebecca that if you don't lay back, your baby is going to die. And that's in quotes, if you don't lay back, your baby is going to die. Noticing the

scalpel in the truck, Courtney hurriedly made an incision along Rebecca's belly as instructed by Bradley to cut downward, which he said would be easier. At this time, Rebecca was still conscious, speaking to Courtney and asking if Bradley was almost done. Courtney responded that he was nearly finished and Rebecca urged her to save the baby. After he was cut from the womb, Courtney used dental floss to tie off the umbilical cord. She noted that the baby wasn't breathing and Bradley later slit Rebecca's throat, then used a cord from the snowplow on the truck to drive. drag her body down a small bank and cover it with leaves.

Courtney confirmed that this sequence was part of a revenge plot, motivated by Bradley's anger at Richard. She explained that while she initially reassured Rebecca during the truck ride that everything would be okay, she ultimately assisted only to save the baby who was later placed in the blue cooler and GFL trash container. She said the scalpel from the truck was used for the extraction while the hunting knife was used by Bradley to kill Rebecca.

Courtney also described that blood likely remained in the truck and confirmed that she did not know the full number of times. Bradley went to the body's final location. Courtney clarified that a towel was already in the truck but she did not know how the scalpel got there. She emphasized that the baby was already deceased when she removed him and that her actions were an attempt to save him under Bradley's direction. She stated that she would have reported the incident to the sheriff's office if she had been able to safely deliver the baby to Rich,

but Bradley's control over her prevented her from coming forward sooner. She acknowledged that on the Monday after the incident, when she and Bradley were separated, she could have spoken up, but she didn't. Courtney said that Rebecca never returned to the truck after being stabbed. Regarding blood inside the vehicle, she explained that it came from the umbilical cord during the baby's removal, not from any stabbing she committed. She maintained that she was solely responsible for trying to save her grandson and could not bring herself to save her daughter.

When asked about the incisions that she made to remove the baby, she admitted that Rebecca likely could not have survived. Courtney revealed that about one to two months prior, Bradley had researched the procedure for removing a baby indicating premeditation. She reported that Bradley disposed of certain items in a dumpster, including Kimberly's debit card and a razor knife, while she watched from the Ford escape.

Bradley's intent was to plant evidence to frame Kimberly after she had posted on social media accusing Courtney and Bradley. He used a plastic bag from a backpack to avoid leaving fingerprints, and these items were likely placed the day before Rebecca's body was discovered. Courtney noted that Bradley left in the escape for about 20 minutes during this process. Courtney also recounted a conversation from about a month prior when Bradley researched C-sections on his phone and claimed that he intended to cut the baby out of Rebecca in front of Rich. At the time, Courtney had dismissed the discussion and didn't think he was serious.

She also denied that she ever told her sister that she delivered a premature baby in the NICU and stated that she may have been thinking of a friend's baby she had considered giving up not Rebecca's. So, as we can see, both Rebecca and Courtney initially attempted to distance themselves. from the crime and mislead investigators. Bradley lied about being at the residence on the night of November 3rd, 2025, claiming he stayed away because of the sex of the registry status and the presence of Bentley when in reality he was present. He initially denied seeing Courtney stab Rebecca or remove the baby, minimized his knowledge of the vehicle cleanup and misrepresented the timeline when the baby and knife were disposed of. Courtney, on the other hand, attempted to place all the blame on Bradley repeatedly saw immunity or witness protection as a precondition for telling the truth

and initially denied having her phone or being involved in key moments of the crime. She provided false explanations for the blood in the truck suggested Rebecca had gotten back into the truck and initially claimed she had no role in cutting the baby from Rebecca. Both shifted blame to others, including Kimberly and Richard, the phone records and statements later confirmed that neither were directly involved. As investigators confronted them with phone records, vehicle locations, and inconsistencies in their stories, both began to admit parts of the truth. Bradley eventually acknowledged that he witnessed Courtney stab Rebecca and removed the baby describing the locations, vehicle movements, and timing in a way that aligned with forensic evidence. Courtney gradually admitted

that she had cut the baby out of Rebecca in a, quote, attempt to save him, end quote, and said that Bradley had held a knife to Rebecca to force compliance. They also, confirmed that the knife was discarded in a dumpster at Cadillac Shores, and the baby was placed in a blue soft-sighted cooler and deposited in a residential GFL trash container. I think that Courtney, telling her sister that she had given birth to a baby who was in the NICU indicates premeditation. She was setting up a scenario in which a baby appearing would make sense. It will also be interesting to find out what copious amounts of chalky blue substance found in Rebecca. a stomach turns out to be. Some have theorized that it could have been medication. She may have been

forced to eat a large amount of pills to initiate a miscarriage or to knock her out and make retrieving the baby easier. When we get toxicology results, I'm sure we will learn more about that detail. All of these details, admittedly, are very difficult, very difficult for me to read, to share with you. Additional details are going to continue to be difficult. We also have the probable cause affidavit for Rebecca's sister Kimberly's arrest and why police believe she interfered with the investigation. But worry, though, this is much shorter. Really quickly, it says there is probable cause to believe that Kimberly Sue Park committed the crimes of lying to police obstructing an investigation and making a false report of a felony. The investigation

began on Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, when Kimberly Park reported that her sister, Rebecca, had not been seen since the previous evening. Kimberly stated that Rebecca had last been with her biological mother, Courtney, Courtney's residence in Boone Township. At the time, Rebecca was living with her boyfriend, Richard Lee Fowler. Kimberly turned over the cell phone, Rebecca, have been using and continued communicating updates to Detective Chris Piskker through the search of her sister. On Saturday, November 22nd, 2020, Kimberly made statements during a social media live broadcast, claiming she had information that Courtney and Courtney's husband Brad were involved in Rebecca's disappearance.

That same day, Piskar interviewed Kimberly, and she claimed Courtney and Brad had struck Rebecca in the head causing a seizure and that when they could not revive her, Brad contacted a friend who came to pick up Rebecca's body and dispose of it. She said Brad mentioned something about a swamp. Two days later, on November 24th, it's a Monday, Kimberly told Detective Alicia Baxter that she had been in a romantic relationship with Rebecca's fiancé Richard and said that her relationship with him was complicated by his ongoing relationship with Rebecca. The next day, Tuesday, November 25th, the body of Rebecca was located approximately 2.5 miles west of the Bartholomew residents. After the discovery, Detective Jamie Voss, a detective Olivia Weststone,

conducted an interview with Kimberly at her home in Herring Township. And during this interview, Kimberly again discussed her relationship with Richard and stated that he told her that Rebecca had been taken care of and that she shouldn't worry. She also said that Richard told her to lie to Detective Piscoe by claiming Courtney and Brad had knocked Rebecca out and dumped her body.

Following these statements, Kimberly was arrested for lying to police and obstructing the investigation. She told Detective Voss she wanted to speak with Detective Fisker. At 8.26 p.m. on November 25th, Detective Fisker conducted an interview with Kimberly. She waived her Miranda rights and stated that on November 4th at Richard's home, Richard confessed to her that he had killed Rebecca, but withheld the details to protect her.

Protect her. She also said Richard told her during another conversation that something had gone wrong when he attempted to cut the baby out of Rebecca. and that a man named Austin Nowland had helped him. Kimberly admitted to that Richard had been encouraging her to mislead investigators, which she said was the reason she had given false information during her social media broadcast. She further said Richard was becoming increasingly anxious about the investigation closing in and that he had helped her construct the false accusations she reported to police on November 22nd.

Investigators noted that Kimberly seemed to know other unsubstantiated details about Rebecca, such as the possibility that Rebecca's body had been stored somewhere before being found. Based on Kimberly's statements, Detective Dan Hackman arrested Richard Fowler for the open murder of Rebecca. The following day, Wednesday, November 26th, Detective Voss and Detective Weston attempted to interview Richard, but he refused to speak without an attorney. Well, that same day, Detective Piscor interviewed Austin Nowland, who denied any involvement and provided cell phone records showing he was not in Wexford County on November 3rd or 4. he cooperated fully consenting two searches of his phone and later his black Chevrolet Malibu.

He did acknowledge that he had previously been in a romantic relationship with both Rebecca and Kimberly. Later on November 26th, Detective Piskar and Detective Hackman began a follow-up interview with Kimberly, confronting her with Nolan's verified alibi. And during this interview, Kimberly requested an attorney and questioning ceased. Clearly, Kimberly's various accounts do not align with Courtney's, or Bradley's confessions, nor do they match the physical evidence or digital data uncovered in the investigation. In the Rebecca Park Facebook discussions, many people believe Kimberly's lives were the result

of pressure and manipulation from both Courtney and Bradley, who she was genuinely afraid of. Others who know the family may have suggested that Kimberly may struggle with certain intellectual or developmental challenges, making her more susceptible to manipulation. And on top of that, there's the emotional complexity of her relationship with Courtney. She may not have wanted to believe Courtney could have been involved after years of estrangement and having been adopted. Kimberly, Rebecca, and Courtney had only recently begun rebuilding a fragile connection, fragile to say the least. It's possible that Kimberly desperate to hold onto that budding relationship with her biological mother couldn't bring herself to accept the possibility

that her mother might have played any role in her sister Rebecca's death. With the amount of deception coming from almost every person tied in this case, it's likely that the full truth may never be known. The confessions raise as many questions as they do answers. Did Courtney fabricate claims about Richard as a way to justify revenge, blaming him for causing a miscarriage, whether that miscarriage ever actually happened or not? Did she view this as payback for him killing her baby?

If she did lose a pregnancy, did that grief twist into a desperate fixation on having another baby, leading her to attempt to take her own daughters, child. Somewhere in the middle of all of these conflicting stories lies the truth. I also think it's possible that Courtney may have been trying to pressure Rebecca into selling her baby. That could explain why she sent Rebecca a photo of the fake $18,000 check. It's entirely plausible that she handed Rebecca the $2,000, cash to make the rest of the money seem legitimate, fully intending that they would kill her and take both the baby and the cash back afterward. Some observers still theorize that Rebecca's

body may have been held somewhere, possibly in the family shed or another location before her remains were eventually moved to the woods. The area where she was ultimately found was reportedly searched earlier, and Kimberly herself mentioned the possibility Rebecca had been stored stored or relocated at some point. And then there's a lingering question of motive. Did Bradley go along with Courtney's aligned plan out of fear? Or did he harbor resentment toward Richard because of past conflicts? There are so many tangled relationships,

shifting alliances and disturbing behaviors in this family, that piecing everything together feels nearly impossible. What is known without question is that Rebecca is gone, her baby is gone, whether the fatal acts were driven by jealousy, obsession, grief, control, or a toxic combination of all of it, the outcome is the same. Rebecca never got a chance to be the mother she wanted to be. She and her son deserve justice.

And despite all the twists and contradictions, every new piece of information brings us one step closer to understanding what really happened. Friends, relatives, and members of the community filled the 84th district. court on Tuesday, December 9th for the scheduled probable cause hearings involving Kimberly, Courtney, and Bradley. However, none of the hearings move forward. Attorneys for all three defendants asked for more time explaining that they had not yet reviewed the evidence the prosecution intended to present. Judge Corey J. Wiggins granted each request and set new dates. Kimberly's hearing was pushed to Tuesday, December 16th, while Courtney and Bradley are now set to return to court

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