A body discovered in Manistee National Forest on Tuesday may be that of Rebecca Kay Park, the 22-year-old pregnant woman who vanished three weeks ago from Boon Township.
A member of a civilian search party reported finding the body while looking for Park in the heavily forested area. Law enforcement officials confirmed the discovery during a Tuesday evening briefing but stopped short of confirming the identity pending autopsy results.
The Wexford County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police said the body’s description matches Park, but formal identification requires completion of forensic examination. Investigators characterized the case as ongoing and said additional details would be released as the investigation progresses.
Park was last observed on November 3 getting into a dark-colored vehicle outside a family member’s residence on South 21 1/2 Road in Boon Township. At the time of her disappearance, she was approximately 39 weeks pregnant. No one has reported seeing or hearing from her since that day.
Her cellphone was later recovered abandoned along a nearby two-track road, according to family members. Park’s mother, Courtney Bartholomew, was the last person to see her before she disappeared.
According to investigators, Park had arranged for someone to pick her up that day but did not tell witnesses who would be collecting her. The circumstances surrounding her departure raised questions among family and friends, who insisted she had no intention of leaving the area.
Authorities noted one detail that complicated the investigation. On the day Park disappeared, she received roughly $2,000 from a family inheritance. Investigators suggested this cash could have allowed her to avoid electronic tracking methods that typically help locate missing persons. However, those who knew Park maintained she had no plans to go anywhere, particularly given her advanced pregnancy.
Park stood 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed approximately 140 pounds at the time of her disappearance. The three-week search involved both law enforcement and volunteer civilian searchers combing the Manistee National Forest and surrounding areas.
The discovery location in Boon Township places the body relatively close to where Park was last seen, though officials have not disclosed the exact distance or specific circumstances of the discovery.
Law enforcement agencies have not released information about potential suspects or whether they are treating the case as a homicide investigation. The autopsy will likely provide crucial details about cause and manner of death, as well as formal identification.
Park’s case attracted significant attention in the region, with community volunteers organizing multiple search efforts over the past three weeks. The combination of her pregnancy, the discarded phone, and the mysterious pickup arrangement fueled concerns about her safety from the beginning.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about Park’s disappearance or the circumstances leading up to November 3 to contact the Wexford County Sheriff’s Office or Michigan State Police.
