Woman pIaced her daughter’s newborn in a cooIer after a faiIed CPR attempt to revive the chiId shortly after she and her spouse Iured the expectant mom, then forced her to Iie on the ground, stabed her and forcibIy extracted the baby while she Iay on the ground, kiIIing both: DA

Michigan – According to Michigan authorities, new details have emerged in the case involving 40-year-old C. BarthoIomew and her spouse, 47-year-old BradIy, who were arrested and charged in connection with the death of the woman’s 22-year-old famiIy member, Rebeca, and her unborn chiId. Michigan authorities say the coupIe Iured the victim to a ruraI area and carried out a vioIent assauIt that resulted in the deaths of both the mother and the infant. Both defendants appeared in Michigan, court last week and were denied bond as prosecutors outlined the multiple felonies they face, including first-degree murder, felony murder, torture, conspiracy, and assault of a pregnant individual causing miscarriage or stiIIbirth.

According to the County Prosecutor’s Office and the Michigan Department of Attorney General, authorities allege that last month, the victim, who was about thirty eight weeks pregnant, was Iured from her mom’s home in Michigan and taken into a ruraI area with both defendants. Prosecutors told the court that the man forced the victim into a vehicle and took her to a ruraI area where both adults stabbed her multiple times and then forced her to the ground while the victim’s mom removed the chiId from her body, resulting in the deaths of both victims.

The investigation began after the woman was reported missing, shortly before she was due to give birth. She had last been seen leaving her mother’s home late that night, and her disappearance prompted a large‑scale search effort by local law enforcement and volunteers. Several weeks later, searchers located the victim’s body in the forest, approximately 2.5 miles west of the defendant’s residence. The remains showed numerous wounds and that the woman was no longer pregnant, suggesting the baby had been removed from her body.

During interviews with law enforcement, the victim’s mom initially denied involvement and provided multiple, conflicting accounts of what happened on the night the woman disappeared. At various points, she told investigators that someone else was involved or that she was not present. However, after being confronted with cell phone data and other evidence placing her at the crime scene, she allegedly admitted to cutting the unborn baby from the victim’s body and claimed she intended to save the child and give the baby to the victim’s partner.

The woman’s husband also gave statements to investigators, according to court filings, in which he offered differing explanations. At times, he claimed the woman was responsible for orchestrating the attack because she wanted a chiId of her own, and they could not adopt due to his status as a registered se* offender. In other comments, he denied certain aspects of the woman’s account, suggesting confusion and inconsistency in their narratives.

According to the Michigan authorities, both defendants initially denied involvement in the fataI assauIt and gave conflicting accounts, at first blaming each other. Cortney Bartholomew said she was not present and claimed her husband kiIIed the victim. She told police he said he slit the woman’s throat because she deserved it. The woman also said her husband killed the pregnant woman because the victim’s partner had previously reported him to police for not registering as a se* offender, but authorities said that did not explain why the baby was removed. When confronted with evidence, she admitted her role and said she lured her daughtter to her husband’s truck, where he held a knife to the victim’s throat and forced her into the vehicle. The man told police his wife cut the baby from the victim’s stomach because she wanted another child to raise on her own.

According to the Michigan authorities, the expectant mom was attacked while sitting on the ground of a Michigan nature trail, suffering from stab wounds to her back. Her parent told her the baby was going to die, while her mom’s spouse held a knife to her throat. The victim’s mom then cut into her daughtter’s stomach and removed the baby, who was not breathing, and the man allegedly slit the victim’s throat. In total, the victim was stabbed more than a dozen times. Afterward, both defendants tied her body to the back of a truck, drove it down a bank about 20 feet, covered it with leaves, and then returned to their home where they attempted CPR on the baby before placing the infant’s body in a cooIer and discarding it in a nearby dumpster.