CADILLAC, Mich. — In a heartbreaking development that has shaken the tight-knit communities of northern Michigan, authorities confirmed on Friday that the body discovered in the dense underbrush of Manistee National Forest belongs to 22-year-old Rebecca Kay Park, a pregnant woman who vanished nearly a month ago just days before her due date. The autopsy, conducted by the Michigan State Police Crime Lab, verified Park's identity, but the whereabouts of her unborn baby—whom she was carrying at approximately 38 to 39 weeks—remain unknown, prompting an urgent, multi-agency search that has drawn national attention. As of Sunday, December 1, law enforcement officials described the case as "extremely active" and "complex," with limited details released to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Park, a resident of Boon Township in Wexford County, was last seen alive on the evening of Sunday, November 3, outside her adoptive mother's home on South 21 1/2 Road—a quiet, rural stretch lined with modest homes and flanked by the sprawling woodlands of the national forest. Witnesses, including family members, reported that she appeared visibly pregnant and in good spirits as she stepped into the passenger side of a dark-colored sedan that pulled up unannounced to the driveway. According to accounts from her fiancé, Richard Lee Falor, Park had briefly spoken to her mother, Stephanie Park, before leaving. "Becca told her mom, 'Hold on. I got somebody to pick me up. This is just something I got to do. I’m sorry,'" Falor recounted to local media in the days following her disappearance. He described the vehicle as a "black sedan" and emphasized the unusual nature of her sudden departure, noting that she had not mentioned any plans to leave.
What made the incident even more perplexing was the timing: Park was on the cusp of motherhood, expecting her third child—a boy, according to family statements—and had been actively preparing for the baby's arrival. She already had two young sons, ages 2 and 4, who were reportedly staying with relatives during her brief outing. On the day she vanished, Park had received a $2,000 inheritance from a family member, a detail investigators later highlighted as potentially significant in evading electronic tracking efforts. Her phone was discovered discarded along a nearby two-track road just days later, its battery drained and location data wiped, further complicating the timeline.
By Monday, November 4, concern escalated into alarm when Park failed to return home or respond to calls. Her family reported her missing to the Wexford County Sheriff's Office, triggering an immediate response that ballooned into one of the largest search operations in recent northern Michigan history. Volunteers, including local residents, off-road enthusiasts, and even Park's own father, combed the 540,000-acre Manistee National Forest—a vast expanse of pine forests, rolling hills, and remote trails that stretches across five counties—for weeks. The search was hampered by harsh November weather, including early snowfalls that blanketed the area in up to 21 inches of accumulation, turning two-tracks into impassable mires and delaying ground teams.
The grim breakthrough came on Tuesday, November 25, around 2:15 p.m., when a citizen search party, guided by tips from locals familiar with the terrain, stumbled upon a body in a secluded clearing roughly 50 miles from the initial disappearance site but still within Boon Township's boundaries. Amy Letterman, a volunteer who participated in the effort, later described the moment to reporters with raw emotion: "It was Rebecca. I knew it the second I saw her. We were all just... broken." The discovery site, accessible only by rugged ATV paths, was cordoned off immediately, with Michigan State Police securing the perimeter as forensic teams from the Crime Lab descended to process the scene. Notably absent from the location was any sign of the baby, raising immediate fears that the infant may have been born prematurely or separated from Park under duress.
Wexford County Sheriff Trent Taylor addressed the media that evening in a somber press conference, flanked by Michigan State Police representatives. "This is a tragic outcome in what has been an exhaustive search," Taylor stated, his voice steady but eyes betraying exhaustion. "We are now shifting every resource to locating that baby. The public’s tips have been invaluable, but we need more." Taylor urged anyone with information to contact the dedicated tip line at 231-306-2072 or submit anonymous reports via Crime Stoppers at 800-528-8234 or casotips.com. He also cautioned against online speculation, noting that "misinformation and vitriol" were undermining the probe.
The investigation took a darker turn hours after the body's discovery, with the arrests of two individuals close to Park: her 43-year-old fiancé, Richard Lee Falor, and her 21-year-old sister, Kimberly Park. Falor, detained the same night in Wexford County, faces three felony counts related to controlled substances: possession, delivery, and manufacturing of methamphetamine, compounded by a habitual offender fourth offense notice that could elevate his potential sentence to life in prison. Court records reveal Falor has a prior conviction as a registered sex offender, a fact that has fueled public outrage and scrutiny of his relationship with Park. Described by prosecutors as a "community and flight risk," he remains incarcerated on a $1 million cash or surety bond at Wexford County Jail.
In the initial days of Park's disappearance, Falor had been vocal in the media, portraying himself as a distraught partner desperate for answers. "Me and her have been together for a little over two years, and even when she’s not around me, she’s always in contact with me," he told reporters on November 5, adding, "Me, her mom and sister, we’ve all been calling the hospitals. I just want to know that she’s safe. Our son is safe." Those statements now hang in stark contrast to his custody status, though no charges directly link him to Park's death as of yet.
Kimberly Park, Rebecca's younger sister, was taken into custody shortly after, facing a trio of charges: tampering with evidence in a criminal case, lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation, and filing a false police report of a felony. She is held on a $750,000 cash bond at the same facility, with arraignment proceedings ongoing. The specifics of her alleged involvement remain sealed, but sources close to the case suggest her actions may relate to the discarded phone or misleading statements to investigators.
The cause of Rebecca Park's death is still under investigation, pending toxicology and further forensic analysis, with officials citing the sensitivity of the case—particularly the missing infant—as reasons for withholding details. The FBI has joined the effort, alongside the Missaukee County Sheriff's Office, Cadillac Police Department, and other regional agencies, focusing on forensic leads, witness interviews, and potential trafficking angles given the baby's unexplained absence.
Amid the procedural whirlwind, Rebecca's adoptive mother, Stephanie Park, broke her silence in a poignant interview with local outlets, offering a window into the woman behind the headlines. "We have been silent because we do care," Stephanie said through tears. "We wanted her found. We did not want to push anybody that would be involved in this way so that she would be able to be found. I never suspected her as running away with the baby. So, we’ve been preparing ourselves for this outcome." She described Rebecca as "deeply loved," a young woman who battled mental health challenges and personal struggles but retained a core of sweetness from her youth. "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."
Rebecca's story has resonated far beyond Wexford County's borders, evoking memories of similar cases like the 2023 disappearance of pregnant mother Savanah Graziano in California, where family ties unraveled into tragedy. Online fundraisers for the Park family have raised over $15,000 in days, while community vigils in Cadillac feature purple ribbons—Rebecca's favorite color—tied to trees along the forest's edge. Mental health advocates have seized the moment to highlight resources like the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-943-5746), underscoring the vulnerabilities expectant mothers face.
As the holiday season descends on a grieving region, the search for Rebecca's baby continues unabated. Sheriff Taylor reiterated in a weekend update: "This child is out there, and we will not rest until we bring them home safely." For now, the Manistee National Forest—once a playground for Park's childhood hikes—stands as a somber sentinel, its silent pines guarding secrets that investigators are determined to unearth.
