Jurors will return Wednesday morning to continue deliberations in the Bella Bond murder trial.
They deliberated for about two hours Tuesday, following powerful closing arguments by the prosecution and defense.
Trial Underway for Man Accused of Killing Bella Bond
Michael McCarthy is accused of killing the 2-year-old daughter of his ex-girlfriend Rachelle Bond in 2015.
His fate is now in the hands of the jury, nearly two years after the girl who became known as Baby Doe was found washed ashore on Deer Island in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
McCarthy is charged with first degree murder, but could be found guilty of second degree murder or involuntary manslaughter in the death of his former girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter.
“The defendant killed that child and dumped her body and if you find him not guilty, he will be getting away with murder," Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney David Deakin said.
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But defense attorney Jonathan Shapiro insisted, as he has throughout the trial, that it was Bond’s mother Rachelle Bond who actually killed her – even showing jurors a photo of Rachelle from the day she told a friend that McCarthy had killed her daughter.
“Does this look like a mother who is grief-stricken over the death of her child?” Shapiro asked.
He also continued to try to poke holes in Rachelle Bond’s version of events.
“If Rachelle’s story is true and Bella was killed at bedtime, why wasn’t Bella wearing pajamas?” asked Shapiro.
But the prosecution insisted at the very least the evidence proves that McCarthy dumped Bella’s body.
“There’s only one reason somebody dumps a body, ladies and gentlemen, innocent people don’t dump bodies," Deakin said.
McCarthy faces up to life in prison if convicted.
