A Michigan couple accused of killing a pregnant woman and cutting her unborn baby from her womb will undergo mental competency evaluations before their murder case moves forward in court.
Attorneys for Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew requested the exams during a court appearance Friday in Wexford County’s 84th District Court. The hearing had been scheduled as a preliminary examination in the case involving the death of 22-year-old Rebecca Park, who was Cortney Bartholomew’s biological daughter.
Park disappeared on Nov. 3 while she was 38 weeks pregnant, sparking an extensive search effort that drew national attention. Her body was discovered on Nov. 25 in the Manistee National Forest, more than two miles from the Bartholomews’ home. Authorities said her unborn child had been removed from her body and was later determined to be dead.
The judge approved the request for competency exams, which will determine whether the defendants understand the charges against them and can assist in their own defense.
Defense attorneys also asked the court to allow an independent autopsy of Park’s body. The judge granted the request and ordered a temporary hold on returning the body to the family until the additional examination is completed.
Lawyers for the couple also argued that evidence provided by prosecutors is disorganized and may be incomplete. Similar concerns about case evidence were raised during earlier hearings.
Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew remain in jail as the case continues. They face multiple charges including first-degree murder, felony murder, torture, unlawful imprisonment, assault with intent to cause a miscarriage or stillbirth, and removing a body without permission from a medical examiner. If convicted, they could face mandatory life sentences.
Another person, Rebecca Park’s sister Kimberly Park, has also been charged in connection with the case, including allegations of evidence tampering and making a false report.
The next court hearing is scheduled for mid-May.