Bella Bond Murder Trial: Three Picked For Jury

BOSTON, MA — The man charged with killing the girl once known as "Baby Doe" appeared in court Monday as jury selection began in the murder trial of Bella Bond.

Michael McCarthy has pleaded not guilty to killing the 2-year-old girl whose remains were found on Deer Island in early June 2015 and led to a police campaign to find her identity.

Judge Janet Sanders said she hopes to spend no more than a week on jury selection. Monday's session saw 90 prospective jurors appear in court, according to the Boston Globe. Three people were picked for the jury, with selection to continue Tuesday.

Outside, Joseph Amoroso, Bella Bond’s father, said he will attend the trial.

Authorities believe McCarthy killed his then-girlfriend's daughter in May or June 2015. Bella Bond's body washed up on Winthrop's Deer Island in the summer of 2015, wrapped in a plastic bag. McCarthy was charged with murder three months later following a police tip. He was accused of punching the little girl to death for being "unruly."

Prosecutors said Rachelle Bond had known her daughter had been killed in her Maxwell Street home but "gave untrue and conflicting answers when asked where the girl was," the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said. She pleaded guilty to being accessory after the fact of murder in February.

As part of her plea, Rachelle Bond must testify against McCarthy.

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