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Amy Robach
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Kal Penn
Hey audiobook lovers. I'm Kalpen.
Ed Helms
I'm Ed Helms.
Kal Penn
Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.
Ed Helms
Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests. To discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks.
Kal Penn
From audible, listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app.
Amy Robach
Today a GLP1 helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.
TJ Holmes
Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.
Amy Robach
There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after after.
TJ Holmes
Yeah, help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.
Amy Robach
To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.
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TJ Holmes
Why?
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A heartwarming new comedy from James L. Brooks.
Kal Penn
I'm a different person.
TJ Holmes
I have never in my life felt.
Kal Penn
This way about any other woman.
Amy Robach
Jesus, I wasn't counting your mother.
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It's a perfect holiday comedy about an imperfect family. You can use us Scream Ella Starring Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kamel Nanjiani, IA Debery. With Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson.
Amy Robach
You should do that every afternoon.
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Ella McKay RadioPG 13 get tickets now.
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TJ Holmes
Hey there folks. It is Wednesday, December 3rd, and it is an unthinkable crime. A 22 year old woman, eight months pregnant, dead, her baby cut out. And as we speak, four of her own family members are in jail. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. The crime itself is just unimaginable. But some of the details now about family that dynamics, who's in jail and why. The this is just a mess of a tragedy.
Amy Robach
And this is a story that folks in Michigan have been following intently for the past month. This woman, she was 22 years old, 38 weeks pregnant. Her name Rebecca park. And she went missing in early November. 21 days, police were searching for her, her family was searching for her. The community, hundreds of folks volunteers trying to find this young woman. And unfortunately her father, her adopted father found her on day 21 with her baby cut out of her womb. That is unimaginable.
TJ Holmes
So this is now the headlines because her family members have been charged in this crime. Her family members and there were a lot of places I was reading and everything said biological mother. Her biological mother, which is true. Her biological mother and her stepfather are now in jail, are being charged with first degree murder and another charge for the murder of the unborn child. But the child was cut out. And the big question right now, ropes I thought it was they just assumed or they knew the child was dead, but that's not what they're saying.
Amy Robach
Well, they've said, they've said that the child is dead. However, they don't know where the baby's body is. This was a viable fetus. She was actually found after her due date. So she went missing, I believe it was November 3rd. She was due on November 19th according to her fiance. And she was found on November 25th. So it's just so incredibly sad. This, this was a, an infant that could have absolutely survived outside of the womb. So it's unclear why police are saying the baby is dead if they don't know where the baby's body is.
TJ Holmes
And the questions, I don't know if it's been answered. Did the baby survive that horror and if so, what happened to the baby after that. It's just this is a mess, a mess of a story. And should point out some of the dynamics here though why everyone said biological mother because that is a relevant part of the story.
Amy Robach
Yes, the two people arrested, Courtney Bartholomew, 40 years old that is Rebecca's biological mother. And Brad Bartholomew, 47, is her stepfather. But she was adopted along with her sister and an older brother by the park family when she was just one year old. So she has rekindled or at least re established a relationship with her biological mom in recent years, but was raised by another family. And they certainly have been speaking out throughout all of this. But the only way we can perhaps read the tea leaves as to what police believe happened to the child inside of her. If you look at the counts, have you looked at the charges? There are many, many charges against the biological mom and the stepdad. So they each are facing a count of first degree murder, premeditated account of felony murder, a count of torture, a count of conspiracy to commit torture, an assault on a pregnant individual, intentionally causing miscarriage, slash, stillbirth. One count of conspiracy to commit assault on a pregnant individual, intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth. And there were some other charges, including removing dead body without a medical examiner's position permission. So they clearly believe the infant is dead based on those charges. We just don't know why or how they know that.
TJ Holmes
No, I, I never gave the possibility. Right. I never. When I first saw this story, I just assumed the baby immediately died. The idea that I didn't know that there was any question at all, I guess I thought about the idea that the baby survived.
Amy Robach
Yeah.
TJ Holmes
And I didn't consider that initially.
Amy Robach
Yeah. I mean, that would, that would be such a hopeful part of the story. And I believe that if investigators thought was any shot or any chance at that, they would be letting the public know. Please be on the lookout for a. A baby who just showed up in your life or whatever. But they have not said that. In fact, they've said quite the opposite. But they did say there is an intense search underway right now to try and find the remains of this baby. But what happened? So Rebecca was last seen on November 3, and she was last seen with her biological mother. So when police went to Courtney Bartholomew after Rebecca was reported missing, Courtney claims, sure, yeah, I was running errands with my daughter earlier. But then she suddenly said she had to go somewhere. And she apologized that she had to leave so abruptly. And she described her daughter getting into a black vehicle with an unknown driver. And so in the days that followed and the weeks that followed, police spent a lot of time of time looking for who this driver might be, where it might be, who may have picked her up. Of course, all of that was a false story. She was found pretty close to her biological Mother's home in the woods.
TJ Holmes
This is a big deal and a big time story. You have a woman eight months pregnant going missing. I say it doesn't happen, but the times it happens, then there's usually something afoot and oftentimes it's what somebody very, very close to that woman. Almost always.
Amy Robach
Do you know that the.
Everytown for Gun Safety Announcer
I remember.
Amy Robach
Oh yeah, this is, this is such a scary statistic. But the leading cause of death for a pregnant woman is homicide. And those murders almost always take place at the hands of someone who purports to love that woman or that child.
TJ Holmes
Just to give. If you hadn't heard of this story, folks, this was a big, big deal. When you have an eight month pregnant woman, the concern for this woman, and to think this whole time her mama is the one lying to authorities and is responsible for it the whole time.
Amy Robach
Yes, there's an added urgency, possibly, I should say, possibly she's not accused of. But there is an added urgency when there's another life at stake and certainly when you're pregnant, you're supremely vulnerable to so many sorts of complications. So yes, her due date happened and it, it came and went while she was still missing. So of course the urgency was there. This area, by the way, in northern Michigan, just to give you a perspective, it's called Wexford county, but it's about 100 miles north of Grand Rapids. This is a rural community and certainly it galvanized, I mean the whole community. Everyone was looking for Rebecca Park, a 22 year old young woman. And so this was just such a tragic ending and the ending that no one wanted. The search lasted for three weeks. But her adoptive mother, Stephanie park, they had been quiet for some time. They were letting police do the work, but she did eventually speak out once they found Rebecca and they found her remains. And she said, I never suspected my daughter of running away with a baby because a lot of people, that was one of the operating theories that maybe she just took off and left. And she said so we had been preparing ourselves for this outcome. I don't know how you do that, but that is what she said. And she recognized, she said that Rebecca had some troubles. She was actually raising Rebecca's other two children. She has a three year old and a two year old who Rebecca's mom was taking care of. But she said she deserves to be remembered as the sweet girl that she was when she was younger. And so she said that she was deeply loved by her parents and by her siblings. And I just can't imagine the tragedy of losing a child, losing a grandchild and then come to find out that police are saying her biological mother and stepfather are the ones who took both of those lives from the world.
TJ Holmes
Why is any motive. They haven't seen anything.
Amy Robach
There's no motive. Police have not offered a motive. They have been quiet as far as a lot of these details. They we they've been tight lipped is what a lot of the local reporters are describing it as because they say they are working on their investigation and this story is incredibly complicated because yes, it was shocking to hear that her mother and stepfather were being arraigned yesterday in court in Michigan. But perhaps it's even more shocking to hear that her fiance and her sister are also behind bars and they're all being housed right now, mother, stepfather, fiance and sister in the same facility.
TJ Holmes
Nice big old family reunion down the mess hall. Yeah. And the other two, though, this is, he said complicated. Her sister and her fiance are also behind bars. Now they are not charged in her death right now, Rose. But it's awfully peculiar when they got picked up. That doesn't it could make sense of that.
Amy Robach
It makes zero sense. But when we come back, we will tell you what Rebecca's fiance is being charged with, what her sister is being charged with and how some people are connecting those dots.
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Ella McKay coming to theaters December 12th.
Amy Robach
Your father's here.
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Why A heartwarming new comedy from James L. Brooks.
Kal Penn
I'm.
TJ Holmes
I've never in my life felt this.
Kal Penn
Way about any other woman.
Amy Robach
Jesus, I wasn't counting your mother.
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It's a perfect holiday comedy about an imperfect family. You can use a scream.
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Ella.
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Starring Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kamel Nanjiani, IA Debery. With Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson.
Amy Robach
You should do that every afternoon.
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Ella McKay. Rain to PG 13. Get tickets now.
Ed Helms
Hey, everyone, Ed Helms here.
Kal Penn
And hi, I'm Kal Penn and we're the hosts of Ears, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.
Ed Helms
This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?
Amy Robach
You know what?
TJ Holmes
I can see you as Mr. Darcy.
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Ed Helms
Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett. Here, listen to earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Amy Robach
A GLP1 helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.
TJ Holmes
Yeah, the weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.
Amy Robach
There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after after.
TJ Holmes
Yeah, help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.
Amy Robach
To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.
Everytown for Gun Safety Announcer
Mothers, fathers, children, friends, Gun violence affects us all. Every day in America, 125 people are shot and killed. But behind every statistic is a story. A child who never made it to their next birthday. A parent who will never walk through the front door again. A survivor who carries invisible scars. At Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, we believe in a different future. One where our kids can learn without fear. Where we can enjoy the movies or a concert without looking for the nearest exit. Where common sense gun laws protect lives. We are a movement of nearly 11 million Americans, moms, students, veterans, survivors, standing together to end gun violence. We've helped pass life saving laws in states across the country. And we're just getting started. But we can't do it alone. When you give online this giving Tuesday through December 5th, your gift to the Everytown Action Fund will be matched for double the impact on our work to end gun violence. Go to everytown.org to make your match donation today.
Amy Robach
Continuing our conversation on a tragic and bizarre and truly unthinkable crime that has taken place in northern Michigan. The prosecutor in this case said this is frankly evil personified. A missing Michigan woman who was 38 weeks pregnant was found dead in the woods behind her own mother's home. Police have now charged her mother, this is her biological mother, and her stepfather with first degree murder, premeditated murder. There are a litany of charges, but they claim that her own mother and stepfather cut her infant out of her womb and they believe that baby is dead, but they have not found the remains of that child. And so this has taken a tragic twist that I don't think a lot of people saw coming. But what's even perhaps more bizarre is in the hours after police found, and I should say, her own father found her mutilated body in the woods, her own sister, her 21 year old sister and her 42 year old fiance were both arrested. So Kimberly park, that is Rebecca's 21 year old sister, was arrested and booked in the early morning hours following the discovery of her sister's body. And she's been charged with tampering with evidence, lying to a police officer and filing a false police report. We don't know specifically what those charges, what case they're connected to, but a lot of people are saying it can't just be a coincidence that her sister is being charged with these crimes hours after her sister's body was found.
TJ Holmes
I was just wondering if maybe they, in investigating this, they came upon something else in the house that implicated them in a different crime. I was thinking maybe that's possible or this is just the biggest winky dink ever.
Amy Robach
Well, add to it then a few hours later police arrested Richard Fowler, that is Rebecca's 43 year old fiance and the father of her child. He talked about, he talked to local reporters when his fiance was missing saying I just want to find my son, I want to find, find my fiance, I want to find my son alive. So he seemed to be concerned and helping police, but he was taken into custody later that evening and arraigned the following day on two counts of delivering methamphetamine. So look, if you followed enough crime stories and are a crime junkie like we are, you could possibly say they were just trying to get him behind bars. They think he may have had something to do with it. So they found something to arrest him on and got him behind bars. And all of these folks had really high bails. The mom and stepdad had no bond, no bail. I believe the sister's bail was set at $750,000. So all four of Rebecca Park's family members are now behind bars at the Wexford County Jail in a massive twist of events, after finding her in the state she was in. It's really a surreal story.
TJ Holmes
It's a tragedy. Obviously, this family is. I mean, as a family recover from something like this, people are going to be impacted for their entire lives, maybe generations, because of something like this. And it's awful, and it affects that community as well. But this is not just the death. This is not just a death. This is not just the death of a child, even. This is as bad as it can get.
Amy Robach
It really is. And we want to point out, too, that right now the Wexford County Sheriff's Office is asking for help. They're asking for information, they're asking for tips, because they're trying to find this baby. And the way they put it, as much as they have already charged the mom and the stepdad with being responsible for this infant's death, this is the quote I got from the Wexford County Sheriff's Office. They say that that office, along with multiple law enforcement agencies, are working diligently to determine the condition and potential whereabouts of the baby. And because this is an active and ongoing investigation, the information that can be released is extremely limited at this time.
TJ Holmes
Condition. Like you said, they believe the baby's dead, but what condition the body is in is maybe what they're referring to.
Amy Robach
Well, we will certainly keep our eye on this developing story. And just, man, it makes me want to go hug my family and just be grateful for the love that is out there, because these are the kind of stories that really will chip away at your belief in. In where we are as a society. But. But certainly we will keep our eye on this story. And we thank you, as always, for listening to us, everyone. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
Kal Penn
Hey, audiobook lovers. I'm Kalpen.
Ed Helms
I'm Ed Helms.
Kal Penn
Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.
Ed Helms
Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from audible.
Kal Penn
Listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app.
Amy Robach
Today, a GLP1 helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes.
TJ Holmes
Yeah, the way came off. But facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in.
Amy Robach
There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and then the after. After.
TJ Holmes
Yeah. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow.
Amy Robach
To learn more, visit faceafterweightloss.com that's faceafterweightloss.com.
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TJ Holmes
All.
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TJ Holmes
Yeah.
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TJ Holmes
Yeah. We're not the only ones. A lot of folks at the end of the day back feels like it's shaped like a question mark.
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TJ Holmes
That sounds like, well, magic.
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TJ Holmes
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Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Date: December 3, 2025
Main Theme:
A harrowing coverage of the ongoing criminal case in Michigan, where a pregnant woman was found murdered, her baby cut out, and multiple family members—including her biological mother and stepfather—are under arrest. Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes break down the sequence of events, the shocking family dynamics, charges, and open questions surrounding this tragic and unsettling case.
Amy and T.J. dedicate this episode to the shocking and tragic homicide of Rebecca Park, a 22-year-old woman who was 38 weeks pregnant when she went missing. The episode explores the disturbing revelation that her own biological mother and stepfather are charged with her murder and the murder of her unborn child, whose body has yet to be located. They also discuss the related arrests of Rebecca’s sister and fiancé in a case marked by betrayals and devastating family tragedy.
"Her father, her adopted father, found her on day 21 with her baby cut out of her womb. That is unimaginable."
— Amy Robach (03:25)
"Her biological mother and her stepfather are now in jail, are being charged with first degree murder and another charge for the murder of the unborn child."
— TJ Holmes (04:06)
"There is an intense search underway right now to try and find the remains of this baby."
— Amy Robach (07:20)
"The leading cause of death for a pregnant woman is homicide. And those murders almost always take place at the hands of someone who purports to love that woman or that child."
— Amy Robach (08:57)
"All four of Rebecca Park's family members are now behind bars at the Wexford County Jail in a massive twist of events, after finding her in the state she was in."
— Amy Robach (19:06)
"The prosecutor in this case said this is frankly evil personified."
— Amy Robach (17:03)
| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-------------| | 02:47–03:25 | Case Introduction: Crime details and the family tragedy laid out by T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach. | | 05:35 | Detailed explanation of family relations, adoption, and charges. | | 08:56 | Discussion of homicide as leading cause of death for pregnant women; relationship violence awareness. | | 09:30 | Amy on the community’s search efforts and adoptive family’s perspective. | | 12:14–12:39 | Teaser for information about sister and fiancé’s arrest (useful framing for the case’s complexity). | | 17:03–20:20 | Second segment: Sister and fiancé’s charges, theories on police motives, community and family impact. | | 20:41–21:22 | Sheriff’s office seeking help from the public; ongoing investigation. |
Amy and T.J. present the story with respect and gravity, repeatedly describing the case as "unimaginable," "evil personified," and "as bad as it can get." They reflect on the vulnerability of pregnant women, the importance of community support, and the deep wounds inflicted on the family and society by such a crime. The tone is empathetic, somber, and focused on conveying both facts and emotional resonance, ending with a plea for gratitude and family connection.
"It makes me want to go hug my family and just be grateful for the love that is out there, because these are the kind of stories that really will chip away at your belief in... where we are as a society."
— Amy Robach (21:30)
| Name | Relation to Rebecca | Role/Charges | |-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Rebecca Park | Victim | 22, eight months pregnant, found murdered | | Courtney Bartholomew | Biological Mother | Charged with first-degree murder, torture, fetus death | | Brad Bartholomew | Stepfather | Same charges as Courtney | | Stephanie Park | Adoptive Mother | Raised Rebecca, cared for her other children | | Kimberly Park | Sister | Arrested for evidence tampering, lying to police | | Richard Fowler | Fiancé | Charged with methamphetamine delivery |
For continued updates, Amy and T.J. urge listeners to stay tuned as the investigation unfolds.