Bella Bond Murder: Justice For 'Baby Doe'

BOSTON, MA — A case that began with the discovery of a toddler in a trash bag and remained just as heartbreaking through her murder trial ended in a guilty conviction for the then-boyfriend of the little girl’s mother. In the case of the murder of Bella Bond, the 2-year-old known for months only as Baby Doe after her body washed ashore in the summer of 2015, Michael McCarthy was found guilty of second-degree murder.

Jurors were tasked with deciding if McCarthy was guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or involuntary manslaughter. McCarthy appeared to remain silent and still as the verdict was read. Second-degree murder means a life sentence with the possibility of parole in 15 years, when McCarthy would be 52.

The defense argued Bella Bond's mother, Rachelle Bond, was responsible for the girl's death. Her credibility as the prosecution's star witness was attacked, with her past as a heroin addict and an alleged obsession with the occult was examined. (Subscribe to Boston Patch and like us on Facebook for more local Hub news and alerts.)

• Read Also: Four Things To Know About Bella Bond's Murder Trial

It was very likely no one would be found guilty of Bella Bond's murder if McCarthy had gone free. Rachelle Bond was testifying as part of a deal that would free her from prison after pleading guilty to accessory after the fact of the murder and a larceny charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

"We faced many challenges in this case, from the weeks Bella’s body spent underwater to the months she spent unidentified," Suffolk County DA Dan Conley said. "But there was no shortage of people who cared deeply about this tiny and innocent child. In untold ways, through contributions large and small, they did not rest until her name was known and her voice was heard."

Bella Bond's body washed up on Deer Island in June, covered in bruises and wrapped in bags. The girl was known only as "Baby Doe" as a high-profile search for her identity and killer commenced.

Bella Bond was identified in September 2015, when one of McCarthy's friends contacted police telling them Rachelle Bond said McCarthy had killed the toddler.

The defense, however, claimed it was Rachelle Bond who killed the girl and then told McCarthy the child had been taken away by the state Department of Children and Families.

The month-long trial opened with devilish details about the couple's interest in the occult that at times, the defense said, bordered on lunacy. Defense attorney Jonathan Shapiro said Rachelle Bond was obsessed with evil spirits to the point of delusion. He at one point read a journal entry by her that said international leaders gather to "torture and rape and kill these innocent children every year just so they can drink their blood and eat their flesh so that these reptilian demons can have a moment’s sanity," according to The Boston Globe.

Whether demons were a culpable party, testimony from both sides made it clear heroin was. Both Rachelle Bond and McCarthy were addicts, no strangers to the "Methadone Mile" portion of Mass. Ave.

Bella Bond was born of Rachelle Bond and Joe Amoroso, also an alleged drug addict, who Rachelle Bond met at Occupy Boston. Amoroso left Rachelle Bond, who was reportedly left selling drugs to support her child, Assistant District Attorney David Deakin said. She moved from a shelter to a Dorchester apartment in 2013 and met McCarthy in February 2015, drawn to his interest in the occult and a mutual heroin addiction, Deakin said.

Watch: Mom's Boyfriend Gets Life For Killing Baby Doe

Emotions ran high at the end of the case. Following last Monday's closing arguments, Shapiro, aggressively accused Judge Janet Sanders of "buckling" under the prosecution's pressure, yelling "You're screwing up my whole case!" Sanders had told the jury the prosecution did not need to prove McCarthy had acted alone in Bond's murder.

Rachelle Bond pleaded guilty in February to accessory after the fact to murder and larceny over $250 by false pretenses. She testified during the trial in exchange for being released from prison and two years of probation.

Images via police