Cortney Bartholomew and her husband, Bradley, are accused of murdering their pregnant daughter, Rebecca Park, and killing her unborn son. At a preliminary hearing, Park’s fiancé testified that he had previously had a sexual relationship with Cortney, a detail that adds personal context to the case as the court considers whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

Park, 22 and 39 weeks pregnant, was found dead in a forest near her mother’s home on 25 November, three weeks after she was reported missing; her baby was not at the scene. Prosecutors allege Cortney lured Park to the home with the promise of an inheritance payment, then the couple forced her into a vehicle and drove her to a wooded area. The fiancé said Park’s waters broke the evening before she disappeared and that Cortney had claimed to give Park $2,000, but he never saw the money; the defendants face allegations including first-degree murder, torture and assault of a pregnant individual resulting in death.