Mother Held on Bail, Boyfriend Gets No Bail in Death of 'Baby Doe'

The mother of “Baby Doe,” Rachelle Bond, appeared in court on Monday in connection to her daughter’s death and was ordered held on $1 million bail. Bond’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, was ordered held without bail on a charge of murder.

On Friday, officials identified the little girl as Bella Bond, concluding a three-month investigation, which began on June 25, when a woman walking her dog on a Deer Island beach discovered her remains in a trash bag.

Bond, 40, was charged with accessory to murder. McCarthy, 35, was charged with murder after officials say he “intentionally” committed the violent act.

“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 Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley.

According to information obtained from a friend of the couple, prosecutors said Bond and McCarthy thought Bella was possessed by demons.

Prosecutors also alleged, that one night, when Bella was struggling to sleep, McCarthy decided to take action in order to quiet her down. Bond later discovered Bella dead in her bedroom as a result of McCarthy’s actions.

Bella’s biological father, Joseph Amoroso, appeared in court to support his daughter, who he reportedly never met. “I’m here to carry out the story of Bella’s life,” Amoroso told reporters on his way into the Boston District courtroom.

According to Amoroso, Bond told him that McCarthy repeatedly punched Bella in the stomach until she stopped breathing.

“She told me that Michael McCarthy had murdered our daughter, stuffed her in a trash bag and threw her in the ocean in South Boston,” Amoroso told the court.

McCarthy’s lawyers disputed the allegations against him. They said Bella’s mother had told him that she was in the custody of DCF. Prosecutors also said Bella’s body had been stored in a refrigerator for weeks, to which McCarthy’s defense team had no response.

Bond’s defense asked the court to set her bail at $250 and allow her to remain under house arrest. That request was immediately denied.

After getting a tip Thursday night, Boston Police detectives led “a marathon investigation,” including searching an apartment on Maxwell Street in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, where investigators took Bond into custody for questioning. McCarthy was also questioned.

Upon speaking with the two suspects, who were reportedly pointing the finger at each other, officials were able to identify the child.

Some 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.

Investigators poured through hundreds, “even thousands” of leads over the three months that followed the discovery of the toddler.