A preliminary hearing into the alleged killing of a pregnant Michigan woman has taken a dramatic turn after her fiancé testified that he previously had a sexual relationship with her mother.
Richard Falor, who was engaged to 22-year-old Rebecca Park and is the father of her unborn child, told the court that his relationship with Cortney Bartholomew began months before he started dating Park.
Bartholomew, 41, and her husband, Bradley Bartholomew, 48, are facing serious charges over Park’s death. Prosecutors allege the couple were involved in a plot that resulted in Park’s murder while she was heavily pregnant.
Relationship Allegedly Ended Before Park Began Dating Falor
Falor testified that he was involved with Cortney from around April 2023 until September of that year.
He said the relationship ended before he began dating Park in October 2023.
According to his testimony, Cortney had also spoken about wanting another child during their relationship, despite telling him that she was physically unable to have one.
The testimony emerged as prosecutors presented evidence in an attempt to establish the circumstances surrounding Park’s disappearance and death.
Park Disappeared During the Final Weeks of Pregnancy
Park was approximately 38 weeks pregnant when she disappeared on November 3, 2025.
Her body was discovered several weeks later in the Manistee National Forest. Authorities said the unborn baby was not found with her remains.
According to Falor’s testimony, Park’s water broke shortly before she disappeared. A friend drove the couple toward a hospital, but Park was later discharged without giving birth.
The testimony provides part of the timeline prosecutors are examining as they seek to establish what happened between Park’s hospital visit and her disappearance.
Prosecutors Allege Park Was Lured to Her Mother’s Home
Prosecutors have alleged that Park was persuaded to go to the Bartholomews’ home under the pretext of receiving money from an inheritance.
Court documents cited by authorities say the couple allegedly brought Park into their home before forcibly placing her in a vehicle and taking her to a wooded area.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has said the prosecution alleges Park was tortured and killed as part of an attempt to remove her unborn child.
Text Messages Become Part of the Evidence
Prosecutors also presented numerous text messages exchanged between Falor and Cortney after Park disappeared.
More than 90 messages were reportedly examined during the proceedings.
In the exchanges, Cortney allegedly told Falor that she had given Park $2,000 from an inheritance. Falor testified that Park never returned home and that he did not see the money.
The messages form part of the evidence prosecutors are using to reconstruct the events surrounding Park’s disappearance.
Couple Face Multiple Serious Charges
Cortney and Bradley Bartholomew have both been charged in connection with Park’s death.
The charges include first-degree murder, felony murder, torture, conspiracy to commit torture, assault on a pregnant individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth, conspiracy charges, unlawful imprisonment and removal of a dead body.
The preliminary examination is being held to determine whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence for the case to proceed toward trial.
The allegations remain unproven unless established in court.
Investigators Say Park’s Body Was Found Weeks Later
Park’s disappearance triggered a search that continued for several weeks before her remains were located in the Manistee National Forest on November 25, 2025.
Authorities subsequently arrested Cortney and Bradley Bartholomew and brought multiple charges against them. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has said prosecutors are pursuing the case alongside the Wexford County Prosecutor’s Office.
Preliminary Hearing Continues as Prosecutors Present Evidence
Falor’s testimony is one of the developments in a case that has generated intense attention because of the relationship between the accused and the victim.
The court is continuing to examine testimony and other evidence surrounding Park’s disappearance and death. The preliminary examination is scheduled to continue, with the proceedings focused on whether the evidence supports moving the charges toward trial.
