Heath (1:35)

Nice.

Drew Ski (1:36)

My side of the tree is slipping.

Daphne (1:37)

Kimber the holidays are better.

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Heath (2:13)

What is going on? True crime fans, I'm your host he.

Daphne (2:16)

And I'm your host Daphne and you're.

Heath (2:18)

Listening to Going West.

Daphne (2:20)

Hello everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in. Today we have a devastating case that has quickly unraveled over the last month. Actually one that we have Gotten many emails and tags on. So thank you to everybody who sent it in to us. We have seen every live update of this case, but it wasn't until it really exploded, really, on Thanksgiving last week that there was enough information to even fully cover it because suddenly we have a ton of horrific and absolutely shocking answers.

Heath (2:51)

Yeah, this, this case is really similar to the Anna Kepner case that we covered last week where the headlines are just like the tip of the iceberg and the family tree runs deep with troubles.

Daphne (3:02)

Yeah, to say the least. So we have all the latest information for you guys. So without further ado.

Heath (3:09)

All right, guys, this is episode 560 of Going West. So let's get into.

Daphne (3:46)

More details tonight as the search continues.

Narrator/Advertiser (3:48)

In Wexford county for 22 year old.

Daphne (3:50)

Rebecca K. Park, who was just days.

Heath (3:53)

Away from giving birth.

Narrator/Advertiser (3:54)

Deputies tell us she was last seen.

Daphne (3:56)

A week ago getting into a dark colored vehicle outside a relative's home in Boone Township. I haven't heard from her since.

Heath (4:04)

Just keep telling myself every, every minute that she's gonna be fine. Her and little man are gonna be safe. Okay. Having problems sleeping. Cause for the last two years, every night she's doing that was laying in bed next to the bizarre disappearance of.

Daphne (4:22)

A pregnant Michigan woman taking another gruesome turn. Her body turns up in northern Michigan.

Heath (4:27)

But the status of her baby is unknown.

Daphne (4:31)

Case we had two individuals that created a plan, charged with murder and seven other felonies each. They were denied bond. But the big question tonight is why did this all happen? So we do want to talk too about the two other people that were charged.

Daphne (4:48)

This is frankly evil personified.

Daphne (5:14)

Homicide. Deaths among pregnant women are more prevalent than deaths from hypertensive disorders, hemorrhages, sepsis and other medical conditions, with murder over the past few years being the leading cause of maternal death in the United States, mostly linking to domestic violence. And today's story is no different. There is a deep web of disturbing facts associated with this case and the arrests that have been made thus far, connecting to some of the people closest to the victim. Rebecca K. Park, who often went by Becca, was born on August 19, 2003, to her mother, Courtney Fox, now named Courtney Bartholomew. But she was adopted at 1 years old by a woman named Stephanie park, alongside her younger sister Kimberly and her older brother, and raised in Lake City, Michigan. Lake City is a small city of under a thousand residents located in rural northern Michigan along Lake Misaukee. Though Rebecca also lived in Cadillac and Manton, which are other small rural cities neighboring each other. Very near to Lake City. Sadly, at this point, quite little has been made public about Rebecca's personal life, but for some reason I was able to find at least four Instagram accounts and two TikToks for her that have all been used for many years with the same photos and videos. So I was trying to pull some personal stuff from her own socials, but there wasn't very much there and they all had very similar bios that said something along the lines of mom of three mobile photographer, Michigan, USA married she her 22 and she only turned 22 in August of this year, 2025. So as far as the mom of three bit goes, she was referring to her unborn baby who she became pregnant with around January or February of 2025, and her two sons who were born in 2022 and 2023. So currently aged 2 and 3. So that's most of what we know about Rebecca herself. Like there's not an obituary for her. There's not a ton of family members or friends coming forward talking about the type of person that she was. Really just her adoptive mom Stephanie said something and this is what she told 9 and 10 news of northern Michigan. Quote, she had some mental illnesses and some troubles. She was a loving person, but she had her problems. She deserves to be remembered as the sweet girl that she was when she was younger. Her adoptive mom Stephanie also explained that before Rebecca went missing, she herself, Stephanie was caring for Rebecca's two children, along with Rebecca's sister Kimberly's one year old daughter. She said she knew she was not able to take care of the boys, so she wanted them to be raised like she was raised in the home she was raised in with the same loving parents. They were brought up in a middle class family in a very nice situation. They have grandparents, they have siblings, they have aunts and uncles and cousins and nieces and nephews.

Heath (8:27)

So like Daphne said, all of Rebecca's social media bios stated that she was married, including her Facebook page which states that she married Richard Lee Fowler on July 24, 2025. And her Facebook name is Rebecca K. Fowler. But every source out there lists Richard, who by the way is 43 years old and would have been 42 when they allegedly got married as her fiance. According to her close friend, her and Richie were talking about getting married and they were trying to figure out how to get that goal achieved along with buying their own house. So it's likely that Rebecca claimed that they were married maybe to show her commitment. But we're gonna call Richard her fiance. We also know that they've been together for over two years, meaning that they got together when Rebecca was only 19 or 20 years old and Richard was 40 or 41. And this really does not shock us in the slightest because Richard, who grew up in Manton, Michigan like Rebecca did, had a very disturbing criminal record.

Daphne (9:33)

Very break it down for us.

Heath (9:35)

Yes, I'm going to tell you guys all about that. So In January of 2003, when Richard was 20 years old, he was charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree with a person between 13 and 15 years old, which means that he had sexual penetration with someone of that age, and he was charged for it. Almost three years later, in November of 2005, 23 year old Richard was charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, again, this time of an incapacitated victim. Well, then 10 years passed without any other known offenses, perhaps because he was maybe incarcerated. But across 2015, then 33 year old Richard was charged for accosting a child for immoral purposes, which is a sex crime. Also criminal sexual conduct, second degree assault, which usually involves non consensual sexual contact with a victim who is underage, incapacitated or has a physical or mental disability. And once again, just like back in 2003, but now, at the age of 33, criminal sexual conduct in the third degree with a person between 13 and 15 years old. So he is a disgusting fucking pedophile. And this is the person that Rebecca park was married to or, you know, engaged to. So at this point we can only wonder how they met and how this relationship even flourished. Also, who the father of Rebecca's other two children were, etc. But we do know that Richard has kids with at least one other woman as well. And this year, in 2025, when Rebecca went missing, she was living in a trailer with Richard on his father's property in the rural Manton, Michigan area. And at some point before 2025, after being raised by Stephanie Park, Rebecca got in contact with her biological mom, Courtney, again developing this kind of new relationship. And the same goes for her sister Kimberly. Now, Courtney, who is currently 40 years old. So, yes, younger than Rebecca's fiance, married a man named Brad Bartholomew in 2021, and he's about seven years older than her. So he would in a way, become Rebecca's stepdad. Now a bit more on Courtney. She lives nearby in Boone, Michigan with her other young children and her snakes and her dogs and her husband Brad. And she works as a caregiver. Her Facebook job description reads, I make it so older People can stay in their homes till death. Wow. Alright. She also worked as a night audit at the Spark Hotel in Traverse City, Michigan as well.

Daphne (12:18)

So now that we have a bit of backstory into some of today's players, 22 year old Rebecca park, who was 38 or 39 weeks pregnant with her third son, was last seen by her friend on Sunday, November 2, 2025. For reference, her due date was November 18. And her friend Amber Babcock told Up North Live news that on November 2nd, quote, we were dropping off the truck and she was screaming, I'm in labor, I'm in labor. She had helped me move all weekend long and it ended up sending her into labor, going to Cadillac Hospital. Her last phone call was her mom, Courtney. She said, don't let her get into a vehicle, I'm on my way. And from then on, she got into a van with Kimmy, her sister and Kourtney and left. I haven't heard from her since. But according to Rebecca's fiance, 43 year old Richard Fowler, they did go to the hospital that day, that Sunday and learned that Rebecca was 1cm dilated. And for those who don't know, your cerVix will be 10cm dilated when you're ready to give birth. So hers was at the very bottom of the scale. Like that's like when you first begin going into labor.

Heath (13:32)

Is 1cm starting to happen at that point?

Daphne (13:34)

Yeah, but it also doesn't mean that she was gonna give birth that day. It could have been hours or days or a few weeks away. Basically it just meant labor was happening and approaching, which she was already planning for anyway. Richard said that he last saw Rebecca around 11:30pm on Monday, November 3rd. So one day after this hospital visit, explaining that she got into a dark colored sedan willingly outside her mother's very rural house on South 21st and a half road in Boone Township, which again is very close to where Rebecca lived. He said she told her mom, hold on, I got somebody to pick me up. This is just something I've gotta do. I'm sorry. And this is the information that was flooding all articles in the early days of the search for her, making many people wonder if she had gone off on her own accord. And this was almost the image that her own fiance was painting as well. But he did seem concerned, citing that they were, quote, always in contact and that they slept next to each other every night. When Rebecca didn't return home that night, Richard and Kimberly reported her missing the following morning. Though some reports claim it Was only Kimberly who did so. And Richard told the press, quote, me, her mom and sister, we've all been calling the hospitals. I just want to know that she's safe, that our son is safe. This vehicle that Rebecca allegedly got into had tinted windows. And Richard, Rebecca's bio mom, Courtney, nor her sister Kimberly saw who was driving and none of them knew where she was going or why. So pretty suspicious on its head that at least three people were there to see this. She's so close to her due date and Rebecca just went off with an unknown person and no one happened to ask questions or see who was driving. Just a little weird, isn't it?

Heath (15:34)

Yeah, it kind of feels like maybe that's not exactly what happened.

Daphne (15:38)

Yeah. Well, that next day when she was reported missing, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, the Wexford County Sheriff's office released a bulletin with Rebecca's driver's license photo that read, quote, missing person, the Wexford County Sheriff's Office is requesting your help. Have you seen this person? Rebecca K. Park, 5'2, approximate 140 pounds. Rebecca is approximately 38 weeks pregnant. She was last seen in the Cadillac Boone Township area. If you have any information, please call Wexford Central dispatch.

Heath (16:17)

So that day, dozens of volunteers got together near Courtney's house, searching shoulder to shoulder through thick woods near Boone and Cadillac, looking for just any sign of Rebecca. But investigators were a bit weary to join after learning that on the day she went missing, 22 year old Rebecca reportedly received around $2,000 from a family inheritance. Though it's unclear if this money was actually real or if it was actually given to Rebecca. But if so, police felt that it could have given her the ability to run away if she chose to. So with this information, the department released this statement. Rebecca, the sheriff's office and people close to you are concerned about your well being Based on statements made by people close to you. It is possible that you're scared or hiding for reasons only known by you.

Daphne (17:09)

And that's just interesting because they're essentially saying people close to you are hinting that you went off on your own accord. The family is the one talking about this inheritance that we have no proof even was given to her. And it doesn't seem like that even is true at this point in the story. So interesting narrative being painted, but then.

Heath (17:32)

Found that very same day was Rebecca's cell phone discarded along an unpaved two track road near her mother's house. Now, I want to mention that it's not clear in reports if the volunteers made this discovery or her family. But it actually appears that the claims of her phone being found all came from her fiance and her mom Courtney, on top of her phone being found. The rumor mill started to churn with darker allegations involving her family when a close family member of Rebecca's spoke to Michigan news source. So according to this anonymous person, 22 year old Rebecca's 43 year old Richard Fowler had previously dated Courtney, Rebecca's biological mother, who again is currently 40 years old. So because of this, this family member shared their belief that Rebecca may have been murdered and that they were both involved. Now, as police investigated these claims, they did also put boots on the ground by conducting various searches with K9 teams, a drone and also deputies actively on foot. And Courtney began to publicly spin the same story as Richard, again Rebecca's fiance, during an in person video interview with 9 and 10 News on November 11th. So a week into Rebecca's disappearance, Courtney said this like, mom, hold up.

Courtney Bartholomew (18:58)

I got somebody coming. I'm like, what do you mean you got somebody coming? And she's like, I got somebody coming to get me. She got out of the car, turned around, opened the door back up. She's like, mom, I'll be back.

Courtney Bartholomew (19:12)

And she got in the car. They crept up by my truck real slow and by the time they got to the front of my truck, they took off.

Heath (19:23)

Now in the very same interview, Rebecca's sister Kimberly said this.

Courtney Bartholomew (19:29)

We talk at least two to three times a day, if not more.

Daphne (19:32)

Kimberly says she doesn't know what to think. She says Becca has disappeared before, but she usually kept in contact with someone.

Courtney Bartholomew (19:39)

I honestly try not to think about what happened. I mean, she's disappeared before, but someone always knew where she was and it was usually me. Hiding her out bugs me every day. I'm losing sleep.

Heath (19:53)

So at this point, Richard and Courtney are saying the exact same thing. That Rebecca got into this dark colored sedan willingly and just went off on her own. And Kimberly is saying that she has run away before. So all of them are kind of hinting that this could be voluntary, but they're also, you know, worried at this point. But then a few days later, they started to turn on each other.

Narrator/Advertiser (20:29)

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Daphne (20:58)

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Heath (22:08)

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. I'm sure a lot of you guys feel the pressure of the holidays. Like balancing family expectations, lots of travel and just trying to make everything perfect. And in the middle of all of that stuff, it's easy to forget to take care of yourself.

Daphne (22:23)

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Yeah, I mean, they have over 30,000 therapists and they have served more than 5 million people. So this December, start a new tradition by taking care of you.

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Daphne (23:13)

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Daphne (24:02)

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Heath (24:25)

Bring a little taste of Italy to your next wine night. Check out rivadellarosawine.com to find a bottle near you.

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Drew Ski (24:40)

This thing weighs a ton.

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Daphne (24:43)

Santa, did you get my letter?

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He's talking to you britches.

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Nice.

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Daphne (26:59)

Before that break, Heath explained that the family was complying in interviews and matching their stories for the most part. But during the beginning of week two into Rebecca's disappearance, they began to turn on each other. Something that has been very prevalent in this case since the start is the presence of volunteer searchers, like in many cases. But a lot of these people have taken a tick tock and tried to go more of like the. The justice warrior route, I'll say, and kind of heckle Courtney and the rest of the family, which I typically really don't agree with, especially when there's no answers in the case. But like you said as well, Heath, the rumor mill was really churning and people thought they knew what happened.

Heath (27:41)

Of course. And people get extremely invested in cases like this that are happening now when it seems like there is some sort of situation that's being covered up.

Daphne (27:52)

Yeah. So a lot of people are like kind of literally coming out of the woodwork and they're live streaming outside the house. And they're also like a lot of more true crime content creators were live streaming or like psychics were live streaming on TikTok. And Courtney and Kimberly actually have been a part of many of these. Almost like an interview with other people on them as well, just trying to defend themselves as people accuse them of being involved, which I really have never seen before. For many searchers would stand outside of Courtney's home at all hours of the day yelling at her that they weren't gonna stop or leave until Rebecca was found. And I think her behavior in these videos is really interesting. She is being very defensive, a little bit aggressive. But to be fair, her lawn is covered in strangers and people yelling at her. And I think that a lot of these people that thought that they were helping her were actually potentially doing harm to the investigation by questioning her and demanding Answers and going onto her property and potentially messing up a crime scene. But also, to be fair, the searchers are credited to finding something major in this case, as we will get into. But, yeah, it was clear that all these locals believed that Courtney and Brad, Bartholomew and even Kimberly and Richard could have been involved.

Heath (29:15)

Yes. And those searchers made sure that they knew it.

Daphne (29:18)

Oh, they really did. But instead of hiding away and being the innocent people that they claimed to be, Courtney and Brad would come out and yell back at the hecklers and even cower to what they were saying. And this cowering led to Courtney saying something that seemed to only potentially implicate her and the rest of her group further. By Monday, November 24, Kimberly had spoken out about her belief that Courtney, her own biological mom, was involved in whatever happened to her sister Rebecca. So then Courtney turned around and to the searchers, put the blame on Kimberly.

Heath (29:58)

Yeah, now they're just pointing fingers at each other.

Daphne (30:00)

Yeah. Which obviously isn't a good look because it feels like they're like, shit, we're gonna get caught. I need you to go down for it. Which is why it's making them look. Both of them look even more guilty with everything they're saying, Especially because none of it's really making sense, as I'm going to tell you.

Heath (30:14)

I mean, as. As all you guys can see, it really does appear like these two people are very much idiots, and they really do not know how to handle this situation that's unfolding right in front of them.

Daphne (30:26)

Yeah. Which we usually would not say about family, but you guys will see why he is absolutely correct. Yeah, I just want to say that. But also, we want to play a small clip of the video so you guys can hear, but we're not going to play the whole thing. This is by TikTok user Northern Nicholas. Because Courtney's dog is barking the whole time, and her voice is kind of far away because she's across the street. But I think it'll kind of give you the vibes and understanding of what the crowd sounded like versus what Courtney sounded like. So here is a clip of the video that we're talking about.

Heath (31:02)

We want answers. Why are you. Why are you not. Why are you stopping people from looking for.

Heath (31:11)

You know, Just speak your mind. Just speak your mind right now.

Commercial Voice 2 (31:14)

We'll be quiet.

Courtney Bartholomew (31:15)

Give me a minute.

Daphne (31:16)

All right, I will.

Courtney Bartholomew (31:20)

And my husband tonight, we're taking down for life.

Daphne (31:26)

You were supposed to have already gone.

Heath (31:28)

You were supposed to let her talk.

Daphne (31:30)

Let her talk. Let her. Her talk. Are you lying?

Store Employee (31:34)

Kimberly?

Courtney Bartholomew (31:37)

Is implicating me of hitting my daughter and hiding the body. We know that she's implicating my husband of murder.

Daphne (31:50)

We want to know who is.

Courtney Bartholomew (31:52)

Before.

Courtney Bartholomew (31:54)

My daughter went missing, Kimberly asked about the trails behind my house.

Daphne (32:00)

The black car. It was Kimberly in the car.

Heath (32:06)

How do you know that? How do you know it was her in the car?

Daphne (32:14)

We're also gonna post that clip in the video form on our social so you guys can see. It's really hard to explain how I feel about this video, but when I said before that she's kind of cowering to them because it's almost like this is a game or like a play that she's like, well, I'll tell you something that I know. And it's like, why are you saying anything?

Heath (32:31)

Yeah. Literally nobody advised you to just shut your mouth and stay? Like, usually in cases like this, you know, investigators or whoever will just say, like, don't go out there. Don't deal with the hecklers. Stay inside your home. You don't have to answer anybody.

Daphne (32:46)

This makes me think of Brian laundrie's parents. Remember when they were under fire for being a part of his or the COVID up of Gabby petito's murder?

Heath (32:56)

Yeah. They just stayed inside their home.

Daphne (32:57)

Yeah. They just didn't say anything.

Heath (32:59)

Yeah. They didn't talk to anybody.

Daphne (33:00)

But she's literally on her own curb like every night talking to these people. And it's like, do you like this attention? Are you scared? Like what is happening?

Heath (33:09)

I think part of it is that she's just kind of a loudmouth. She. She can't let people talk to her face without her having to say something back.

Daphne (33:18)

Yeah. And even before she was shouting in that clip that we just played, she says, she comes out and she says, hold on, hold on. Like, give me a minute, give me a minute. And everyone's like, oh, yeah, sorry, sir, we'll give you a minute.

Heath (33:31)

Take it.

Daphne (33:31)

Take a breath, whatever. And she's like, I don't have my inhaler. Like I'm out of breath. I need to collect my thoughts before I drop this bomb on you about Kimberly. And it's like, again, go home. Go inside. And then frickin Brad is next to her holding their big ass dog. Like, just like literally like his legs are around the dog and you're. It's like, what?

Heath (33:51)

It's. I mean, it's just pure trash. I'm gonna say it. I'm gonna say it. I don't really care. It's just pure trash. That's what it is. And by the way, I come from Junction City, Oregon, a very small, rural country town, so I. I knows my people when I see them.

Daphne (34:07)

God. So Courtney again, standing next to Brad and their dog. I just want to recap what she said. Quote, kimberly is implicating me of hitting my daughter and hiding the body. She's implicating my husband of murder. Before my daughter was missing, Kimberly was asking about the trails behind my house. The black car. It was Kimberly in the car. So again, before, Courtney said she didn't see who was in the car, and now that Kimberly's turning on her, she's.

Heath (34:37)

Saying, Kimberly was in the car. Yeah, it was you. I saw you in that car.

Daphne (34:40)

Yeah. And then Courtney added screaming across the street to the search party. Quote, the night before all this went down, Kimberly sat in my house and told me she was the one in the black car. And I don't know what she means by the night before all this went down, because then that wouldn't. Wouldn't have happened yet. So I don't know. Anyway, she was the one that picked her sister up. Doesn't make any sense. But then Courtney says that Kimberly put her on a bus and sent her to Tennessee. That is all I know. But she asked about the trails. Again. She keeps talking about these trails behind her house. And then she suggests that instead of the searchers that she's talking to, look wherever they were planning on going the next day, which is a place called Ellen's Corners. This group was going to meet at Ellen's Corners and search for Rebecca. Courtney is saying, don't go there. She said, quote, it's right here behind my house, I'm sure. So then somebody then said, you're saying she's behind the house, you know, because it sounds like Courtney is saying that she's sure Rebecca is behind her house.

Heath (35:52)

Yeah, that's exactly what it sounds like.

Daphne (35:54)

And again, this is on Northern Nicholas's account in the same video. Um, and then Courtney said, no, you go down this road and you go down there. So again, she's still kind of saying that she thinks Rebecca is behind her house. So, while also saying that Rebecca was put on a bus to Tennessee, she's telling people where to look.

Heath (36:16)

I just don't think she knows what to say at this point. It's like she's get.

Daphne (36:20)

But that's it. That's the. The point she's getting. She's. She's making. She's implicating herself because she's saying, yeah, this happened, but actually do this.

Heath (36:28)

She's actually just confusing herself. She's getting her stories confused. She's like, oh, yeah, Rebecca is in Tennessee. But also, wink, wink, could be behind the house. It's like, okay, which one is it? Well, earlier that day, which appears to be either Sunday, November 23, or Monday, November 24, both Courtney and Brad were interviewed again by police, and they were given polygraph tests. And then on Tuesday, November 25, three weeks after her disappearance, a huge discovery was made as the search for Rebecca continued into its 21st day. Three days after Rebecca's due date, around 2pm A search party found her deceased body while combing Manistee National Park. Now, Manistee national park includes over 500,000 acres of lush woodland, Lake Huron, lots of camping and hiking, and the entrance is located nearly an hour away from where Rebecca's mother, Courtney lived. But this national park technically surrounded her house. Basically, it just kind of backed into her yard. And just like she had told searchers to do the day or so before the body was found, they searched those very woods. And that is where Rebecca was. Not in Tennessee, not off on her own accord, but laying deceased in the woods behind her biological mother's home, which is such a.

Daphne (38:01)

An eerie part of Northern Nicholas's video that he took outside Courtney's house, because he asked her multiple times, you're saying she's behind your house? Like, that's what you're saying. And Courtney would say, no, like Kimberly. I'm just saying Kimberly was looking off in those trails and asking about the trails, and he kept saying that. I'm like, that's so weird. Because that's where she was found. And none of them knew it at that point, other than, of course, it seems Courtney.

Heath (38:28)

It's possible that Nicholas kind of felt that she was slipping up at that point. So he was really digging in.

Daphne (38:35)

Yeah.

Heath (38:36)

Well, reports claim that this area in Boone Township, Michigan, had already been searched, potentially even more than once. So whether that exact spot just hadn't been looked at or her body had been moved, police have not shared with the public. So in the woods, these citizen searchers, as they're described, came across a body that originally was only described as looking like Rebecca and horrifically, without her baby son. Now, when this came out, we were all kind of left to guess whether this meant, you know, since this was about a week after her due date, that she was able to healthily deliver the baby before something happened to her. But it's clear to us now that that is not what happened. As we will get into. So that same evening, during a press conference, the Wexford Sheriff's Department declined to offer information on whether or not they believed Rebecca's body had been moved or if she was killed, where she was found. And as the autopsy was only just going underway, they also couldn't say how long her body had been there. It seems as though in the three weeks that police investigated this case, they had a decent idea of what happened. Because within days of finding Rebecca's body, four arrests were made. As we've seen in other cases, sometimes police will arrest a person of interest on something else so that they can hold them on a legitimate crime and then build a case against them. And it's possible that that is the case here because the day after Rebecca's body was found on Wednesday, November 26, 43 year old Richard Fowler and 21 year old Kimberly Park. So Rebecca's fiance and her sister were already in jail.

Daphne (40:21)

Yeah. Cause around 7:30pm on the night Rebecca's body was found, Richard was arrested on two counts of delivery and manufacturing of controlled substance methamphetamine. And then habitual offender, fourth offense. Notice since he has numerous sexual assault charges on his record, as we know, so his bond was set for $1 million. The following morning, very early, like 1:30am Wednesday, Kimberly was arrested for tampering with evidence, lying to a peace officer and a false report of a felony. And she is being held on a $750,000 bond. So let's break this down in regards to Rebecca's case. It has not been officially confirmed that the charges for either Richard nor Kimberly are connected to Rebecca, you know, specifically Kimberly, since her charges would make more sense. But it's believed at least then that Kimberly's are, and like Heath said, that maybe they arrested Richard for the controlled substance charge and because they want to build a case against him for murder or conspiracy to commit murder or accessory or whatever.

Heath (41:35)

Of course.

Daphne (41:36)

So if Kimberly's charges are related, let's break them down. The tampering with evidence charge means of course that she's accused of altering, hiding, destroying or otherwise interfering with physical evidence that may be relevant to a criminal investigation. Lying to a peace officer means she's accused of providing false statements on purpose to law enforcement while they were investigating a violent crime. And filing a false police report of a felony could relate to the fact that she was the one to report Rebecca missing. Perhaps she then knew that she misrepresented what actually occurred or that she purposefully misled law enforcement with this report. Now, the reason why their bonds are so high is because other than Richard being a serial offender, they are both being considered a flight risk and a threat to the community if released. Whether either of them are responsible or their accessories or complicit in a cover up regarding Rebecca's death remains to be seen. But while Richard and Kimberly were booked into the Wexford County Jail, the holiday came and went. And on Saturday, November 29 came confirmation that the body found in Manistee national forest was indeed 22 year old Rebecca park without her baby. And the next day, Sunday, November 30, two more shocking arrests were made that have definitively been linked to Rebecca's murder. On Monday, December 1, 2025, news dropped that 40 year old Courtney Bartholomew and 47 year old Brad Bartholomew, Rebecca's biological mother and stepfather were arrested for eight felonies each. Let's go through them. Count 1 1st degree murder Count 2 felony murder Count 3 torture Count 4 conspiracy to commit torture Count 5 assault on a pregnant individual causing miscarriage stillbirth Count 6 conspiracy to commit assault on a pregnant individual causing miscarriage stillbirth count 7 unlawful imprisonment which is the intentional restriction of another person's freedom of movement without consent and Count eight Removal of a dead body. This slew of charges were announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel who added, Rebecca had everything to live for and our hearts are with her loved ones as they endure this unthinkable loss. We are committed to working alongside the Wexford County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to ensure justice is pursued in this tragic case without delay.

Heath (44:40)

So here is what law enforcement has released that they believe, based on their interviews and investigation, happened to 22 year old Rebecca park on Monday, November 3, 2025, the day that she's reported to have last been seen. Rebecca's own mom, not the woman who raised her, but the woman who gave birth to her and her mom's husband lured Rebecca to their house with the intention of taking Rebecca's baby there, where we know her fiance Richard Fowler and her sister Kimberly park were as well. Courtney and Brad, perhaps alone or perhaps with help, tortured Rebecca, holding her down as they attempted to cut her almost full term baby out of her stomach while she was still alive. Considering Rebecca's body was found without her baby, it seems that they were somewhat successful in this horrific act. Though there is no proof her baby made it out alive because Rebecca's baby has still not been found and police believe both Rebecca and her baby died that very night. After the arrests of Courtney and Brad, Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey stated this case involves a truly horrific homicide in which a young woman and her unborn child endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of the defendants. The brutality and disregard for human life displayed here is deeply troubling. While these remain allegations until proven in court, the evidence reflects an extraordinary level of callousness and violence. We look forward to presenting the full facts in court. So while arguing for no bond at the Bartholomew's arraignment, Johanna Carey added, this is a case of premeditated torture and murder. These two individuals created a plan, conducted research. Ms. Bartholomew brought Rebecca to their home. They forced her into another vehicle and took her into the woods where they stabbed her, forced her to lie on the ground while they cut her baby out, and ultimately caused her death and the death of the baby. They then left Rebecca in those woods. This is, frankly, evil personified right now. It's anybody's guess why they would do this if they thought that they could steal her baby this way, or if they wanted to kill her and stop her from having the baby altogether. But why?

Daphne (47:10)

Well, based on what Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey said, it seems like, you know, obviously law enforcement knows a lot to be able to claim that they did research, that they created a plan, and also to have even been able to secure these arrests at all. So we can only imagine the truth will be revealed in court soon, hopefully. But already this has taken such a horrifically dark turn from what many of us originally believed may have happened to Rebecca. Like, I know a lot of people were hoping that she maybe got out of a bad situation and that she was alive and had the baby safely. Heath and I just privately talked so much about this case over the course of November as very little news was being released. It was like, oh, but she got into a car willingly, so maybe she did go off somewhere. And we're just constantly googling this case to see what else is coming out. Turns out that was a fucking lie.

Heath (48:07)

Yeah, I mean, it's really crazy. Just the turn that this case took, the fact that I think some people probably did see it coming, but there was a lot of other people that really did not know what happened to Rebecca.

Daphne (48:20)

Well, there's something that we haven't told you guys yet. So, obviously, as of right now, four of Rebecca's family members are behind bars, possibly all involved in the torture and murder of Rebecca and her baby. But similar to Richard Fowler, Brad Bartholomew is also a fourth time offender, having spent 11 years in prison from 2011 to 2022 for criminal sexual conduct. In the third degree of a person 13 to 15 years old, larceny, failure to report as a sex offender, and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Heath (49:02)

I mean, it's just insane that there are two pedophiles, two known pedophiles connected.

Daphne (49:09)

To this case, and he would have been in his early 30s when he committed those crimes. So still very disgusting. I mean, he only got out of prison three years ago in December of 2022, and he's already going back. So, yeah, this just means that when Brad and Kourtney got married in 2021, Brad was still in prison for sexual conduct with a child and possession of child abuse material, etc. So, yeah, like, you're saying Brad's a pedophile, Richard's a pedophile, both having that same charge of sexual conduct in the third degree. So sexual penetration of a person aged 13 to 15. It's just sick. This is a sick, sick circle of people. So now that we know all this, I want to address some posts on Courtney's Facebook page. Her last post before Rebecca went missing was on October 30th. It was a repost of a quote that said, if their actions don't match their words, believe their actions. And then I'd rather be an honest asshole than a fucking liar. So, not that those are relevant, but I just want to tell you, like, she was always reposting memes and shit. Like, yeah, like, 10 times a day.

Heath (50:22)

And you know those type of people. I mean, you see them probably all over. All over your Facebook.

Daphne (50:26)

They're all, you're one of them, and that's okay.

Heath (50:28)

Or maybe your relative is one of them, and it's usually just some random quote that just doesn't really mean anything.

Daphne (50:34)

Yeah, but that's what's kind of weird. She was. She was that person. She was posting constantly. Like, I was scrolling back so far, and I literally was scrolling for, like, 40 minutes. My phone was also going very slow, but I. And I only got to July, so I was like this.

Heath (50:50)

There's how many posts posting multiple times a day?

Daphne (50:53)

Yeah. So if she posted about Rebecca, she deleted it. Because between October 30 and November 21, there were no posts whatsoever. Three weeks went by with no Facebook reposts or memes or anything. And then on November 21, four days before Rebecca's body was found, she uploaded two screenshots of black Chevy Impalas. Like, screenshots of Google searches of Chevy Impalas with, like, tinted windows, one of which was a 2005 model. And she captioned it, quote, this car is like what my daughter Becca got into. If you know anyone that drives a car like this, message me. I read it like that because there was no punctuation. That's how it reads. And then the next evening, November 22, she posted quote, my alibi of where I was the night my daughter came up missing with this audio clip.

Narrator/Advertiser (51:49)

She gave me my meds at about 8:40. I don't remember a lot as I just said, but she, she was there when I went to bed and she was also there when I woke up that the next day. I know that she never goes out and about when I am sleeping just because she doesn't like to drive at night.

Daphne (52:12)

So she didn't say who is talking in this video. Obviously it's not her, but I've seen a lot of comments online of people saying that they think it's her 14 year old son. And this is like a report he made to police or something. He told a reporter, but I couldn't find this quote anywhere else other than her page. And it is a video, but it's like a black video. So it's almost like she just recorded an audio clip with a black screen.

Heath (52:37)

Yeah, right.

Daphne (52:38)

And she turned off the comments on that post.

Heath (52:41)

Yeah. It's kind of interesting here because it seems like she's trying to plant the seed of having this alibi. Like, look, I couldn't be guilty because this is what I was doing that night.

Daphne (52:51)

Well, this was also right at the time that she was given a polygraph test, right at the time that she was shouting at the, the searchers across the street in that video. That video would have been like that day or the day after this post was made. So she knows people are accusing her and she's like, I didn't do that. Here's what my son says.

Heath (53:11)

I guess I gotta hyper correct the situation. Well, her last Facebook post was the next day, November 23, one week before her arrest at around midnight. It said, protest, huh? Heather Marie came back and asked Brad to fuck. That's a dirty person right there.

Daphne (53:29)

Again, no punctuation.

Heath (53:31)

Yep, of course. And the reason why I wanted to read this one, other than the fact that it was, you know, her last post is just because I think it says a lot about Courtney and it could give insight into possible motives surrounding Rebecca's death.

Daphne (53:44)

Yeah, Heather Marie came back and asked Brad to fuck. That's a dirty person right there. And Brad is obviously her husband.

Heath (53:51)

Yeah. So we don't know who she's talking about. Or what? But this is what she was choosing to publicly discuss three weeks into the disappearance of her pregnant daughter. Now, of course, all speculation, but many are wondering if Brad was interested in Rebecca or if something possibly happened between them. I mean, and it's pretty clear that Courtney does support her husband despite him literally being a registered sex offender and pedophile. But weirdly, around the time that they got married, Courtney posted her old Facebook's final post, which was on June 14, 2021. And it reads, whoever know Chuck Titchenell and Brad Bartholomew, These assholes are running my name into the dirt for no reason. Because of Chuck. I got two years of probation. They I didn't even do. Plus, his daughter was drug into the shit. These assholes need to stop with their childish games and bullshit.

Daphne (54:49)

So that's really interesting because like you said, that was her last Facebook post on her old Facebook, and her name on that Facebook was Bartholomew Courtney. And that post that you just read, heath, was from June 14, 2021. And that summer is when she married Brad. So she is like saying, whoever know Chuck and Brad, these assholes are running my name. It's like, you mean your husband. And also, by the way, Chuck is her ex husband who she has a child with. So it's like, whoever know these people. And it's like your husband and you know them.

Heath (55:24)

You know them. You're the person that knows them, actually. Yeah, I don't know, she just seems very messy with, like, the types of things that she posts online. Like in the past few months, in the fall of 2025, Kourtney posted, quote, love it when your husband calls you fat after being on WeGovy and losing weight. But then she'll also post things like, I am a proud wife to a wonderful husband. So it seems like she's kind of back and forth here whenever, I guess whenever Brad's pissing her off, she. She tells the people, she tells the world. And when she's having a good day, she says, he's a great and wonderful husband. Now, there definitely is a lot of conversation surrounding her potential drug use, and we can't speak on this now, but In May of 2021, she reposted a graphic on her Facebook that said, ex drug addicts aren't lowlifes. And if you think so, then delete me. It's hard as hell getting clean, and I'm proud of everyone I know that's done it. I see your growth. Just know that.

Daphne (56:25)

Also, for anybody who has not gone to look at that video, that we posted or can't watch it. At least as of early 2021, Courtney has been missing her right leg below the knee. Like below her right knee was amputated. So she requires crutches to walk. So it kind of makes us wonder how much of the murder she was physically capable of committing on her own. And then again, makes us question exactly what happened and who was responsible for what and why.

Heath (56:54)

And that's possibly the reason why other people within the family were involved or, you know, allegedly involved.

Daphne (57:01)

Yeah. And just a little bit more on her Facebook post. I should have said this a minute ago, but I forgot about it. On August 7, 2025, she posted, quote, married four years today. And it's just another day like it's been every year. So this would mean that she and Brad married in August of 2021. So two months after she said, whoever know Brad Bartholomew. But either way, this does prove that he was still in prison for sexual conduct of a person 13 to 15, etc. When they got married. He would have been in prison for another year and change.

Heath (57:35)

Yep. So I don't know how exactly that happened. If they just, you know, coordinated with each other while he was in prison and that's how that marriage came to be.

Daphne (57:44)

Yeah. Did they know each other before? Did they meet while he was in prison? But like, it just says a lot about you if you are willingly marrying not only a convicted felon, but a convicted pedophile.

Heath (57:54)

Yep, I agree.

Daphne (57:55)

Well, interestingly, she has posted various true crime cases this year, like different links or posts about true crime cases, including sharing a post when Travis Decker's remains were found back in September. Which is really eerie since as many of you know, Travis Decker is accused of murdering his three young daughters. And then six weeks after she shared this post is when Rebecca park went missing. There are still so many questions surrounding what exactly happened, who was involved, if Richard really did previously have a relationship with Courtney, by the way, etc. But right now, law enforcement continues to work and try to get those answers. But the latest update in this case comes the day before this episode comes out. Just hours before, on the late afternoon of December 4, 2025, when news broke that on Wednesday, December 3, both Kimberly park and Richard Fowler posted bond and were released from the Wexford County Jail. As we said, their bond was as high as it was in hopes that they would wouldn't be able to post bonds since they're both considered a flight risk. But in newly released information as well, their bonds were reduced from $1 million and $750,000 to $5,000 each, which is obviously a major reduction. So they only had to post $500 each, so 10% to be released. Obviously, this doesn't mean the charges have been dropped and both will be due back in 84th District Court on Tuesday, December 9th for their probable cause hearings. They are both barred from speaking with each other, as well as to Kourtney and Brad, who remain behind bars without bond. And Kimberly must wear a GPS monitoring device on her ankle as she's under house arrest. As of the date this episode comes out, this is the latest information and sadly, Rebecca's baby's whereabouts remain unknown. If you have any information that could help this ongoing investigation, please call the tip line at 231-306-2072 or the Wexford County Sheriff's Department at 231779, 9216.

Daphne (60:36)

Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

Heath (60:41)

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. Hopefully in the next few weeks and months we will have more answers for you guys regarding regarding Rebecca Park's horrific murder and also her unborn boys horrific murder.

Daphne (60:56)

Remember to check out our socials for photos associated with this case and every other case we cover. We're on Instagram at Going west podcast and we're also on Facebook and on TikTok. Thank you guys so much again everybody who sends this in. Keith and I keep so up to date obviously with true crime news. And so it's really nice when, you know, we come across Rebecca's story when it hits the news and then we get a bunch of emails and it just proves to us that you guys want to hear these current cases. We just feel like these cases matter so much to discuss as they're breaking because it can help the investigation. More people can call into police. It can even maybe help clear up some false discourse in the cases. So thank you guys. Please continue to do that. Our email is going west podcastmail.com calm.

Heath (61:44)

And with that for everybody out there.

Daphne (61:46)

In the world, don't be a stranger.

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