Criminal charges have been dropped against Kimberly Park, the sister of Rebecca Park, the 22-year-old pregnant woman murdered in Manistee at the end of last year. The news represents the latest in a case that’s drawn national attention and citizen sleuths, both in and out of Michigan.
As the Free Press previously reported, Kimberly Park had faced three separate charges against her: tampering with evidence in a criminal case, lying to a police officer during a criminal investigation and falsely reporting a felony.
Kimberly Park had been scheduled to appear in front of a judge on Friday, May 22, for a preliminary hearing in Wexford County’s 84th District Court. Instead, both prosecutors and the defense asked the judge to drop charges, reported UpNorthLive.
Charges have been dropped “without prejudice,” meaning prosecutors could refile charges against her later. In court, prosecutors said the reason for dismissing charges against Park was because the investigation was ongoing, according to UpNorthLive.
Why had Kimberly Park been charged?
Rebecca Park’s murder case was shocking both for its gruesome details and for the family members charged by the Wexford County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in her murder.
Kimberly Park was not charged in connection with her sister’s death — she was charged for allegedly falsely telling authorities that Rebecca Park’s biological mother, Cortney Bartholomew, had Bradly Bartholomew, her stepfather, hit Rebecca “in the head causing seizure and then took her body away,” according to the felony complaint filed in Cadillac’s district court.
Who is still being charged in Rebecca Park case?
While charges have been dropped against Kimberly Park, Cortney Bartholomew and her husband Bradly’s charges remain. The charges against the pair include eight crimes in the killing of Rebecca Park, including one count of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of felony murder in connection with Park’s death, torture in a place of confinement, conspiracy to commit torture, assault of a pregnant woman with the intention to cause miscarriage or stillbirth, and conspiracy to commit that assault and unlawful imprisonment.
Prosecutors allege that the couple lured Rebecca, who was 38 weeks pregnant at the time, to their home and then took her to the woods where they forced her to the ground and then stabbed her to death and cut her unborn baby out of her womb.
In late November 2025, weeks after Rebecca was initially reported missing, her body was eventually found in Manistee National Forest. While authorities have confirmed the baby’s death, his remains have still yet to be found.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Criminal charges dropped against Rebecca Park’s sister
Reporting by Beki San Martin, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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