Mother, Boyfriend Charged in Death of Baby Doe

By FRANK O’LAUGHLIN (Patch Staff)

“Baby Doe,” the child found dead on a Deer Island beach back in June, was murdered, and her mother’s boyfriend is charged with the crime, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley.

Michael McCarthy, 35, has been charged with the murder of Bella Bond, who was two years old at the time, Conley announced. Bella’s mother, Rachelle Bond, has also been arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

Investigators say McCarthy “intentionally” killed Bella, then took extensive steps to cover up the act, with the help of Rachelle Bond.

“We hoped against hope that Bella’s death was not a crime, but we allege that McCarthy intentionally murdered Bella and did so in secret to avoid prosecution,” said Conley.

After getting a tip Thursday night, Boston Police detectives led “a marathon investigation” over the last 24 hours, including searching an apartment on Maxwell Street in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, where investigators took Bond into custody for questioning. McCarthy, who is currently hospitalized for the treatment of a medical condition, was also questioned. After speaking with the two suspects, who were reportedly pointing the finger at each other, officials were able to identify the child.

Conley declined to specify the cause of death or any possible motive, adding that more information will be available on Monday, when the two are scheduled to be arraigned.

The DA’s office said though DNA tests are still necessary to complete a positive identification, they are “extremely confident” with their identification.

A woman walking her dog along the beach found Bella’s remains in a trash bag on June 25. Investigators poured through hundreds, “even thousands” of leads over the three months that followed the discovery of the toddler. Pollen analysis linked Bella to the Boston area and scientific testing found she had consumed drinking water in New England.

“Bella was a true innocent,” Conley said. “It is compounded by the fact that her young life was ended not by illness but, we believe, by violence.”

60 million people across the world viewed a computer-generated image of the child. It was placed on 84 billboards across the state of Massachusetts in an effort to solve the case. Conley credited the billboards, media coverage, and social media shares with helping expose Bella’s plight and generate leads in the investigation.