Jurors Deliberate in Bella Bond Murder Trial; No Verdict Yet
The judge gave jurors instructions prior to their deliberation
By Alysha Palumbo ••
NBC Boston’s Alysha Palumbo reports on the jury starting deliberations in the Bella Bond murder trial.
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.
Facebook/Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
Facebook/Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
Rachelle Bond, Bella's mother, allegedly allowed her boyfriend Michael McCarthy to kill Bella.
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Bella Bond
Rachelle Bond y Bella Bond.
Bella Bond.
Bella Bond.
Rachelle Bond y su hija Bella.
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McCarthy was charged with the child's murder.
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Rachelle was charged with accessory after the fact.
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A billboard showing the computer-generated image of "Baby Doe." Authorities searched for the girl for months after her body washed up on a Boston Harbor island in June 2015.
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After searching for "Baby Doe" using the composite image at left, police were eventually able to identify the child whose remains were found on Deer Island in June as Bella Bond, pictured at right in a picture from her mother's Facebook page.
Opening statements in McCarthy's trial began on Tuesday May 30.
Neighbor Yessiomara Torre testified Wednesday about living next to Michael McCarthy, Rachelle, and Bella Bond.
Michael McCarthy's friend Michael Sprinsky testified on Wednesday. Sprinsky lived with McCarthy, Rachelle, and Bella Bond for a few months.
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Joseph McCarthy Jr., the brother of accused killer Michael McCarthy, testified on Friday in the Bella Bond trial.
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Joe McCarthy Jr., the brother of accused killer Michael McCarthy, testified on Friday.
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Rachelle Bond testified Friday in the trial of her daughter's accused killer.
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Rachelle Bond testified Friday in the trial of her daughter's accused killer.
During Monday's testimony the jury was shown a photo of Bella Bond the night before she died.
The jury was also shown a photo of Rachelle and Bella along with Michael McCarthy and his dog.
This post appeared on Rachelle Bond's Facebook page. She told lawyers the post was a "joke."
Bella Bond's biological father Joseph Amoroso took the stand Thursday morning.
Dr. Henry Nields, chief medical examiner testified on Friday morning.
Massachusetts State Police trooper Daniel Herman testified on Monday morning. Herman is assigned to the Suffolk DA's office in the homicide investigation unit.
The Deer Island shoreline where Baby Doe was found.
The black and white polka dot leggings Bella Bond was found wearing.
The zebra print blanket Baby Doe was found with.
The girl was also found with a pink blanket.
One of the black trash bags where Baby Doe's body was found.
Massachusetts State Police trooper Anthony Alestock testified Monday afternoon.
Jurors were shown the inside of Rachelle Bond's Maxwell St. apartment.
Inside the apartment jurors were able to see a blanket similar to the one Bella Bond was found in.
There was also a rug similar to the one Bella was found in.
A back bedroom was filled with toys.
There was a photo of Rachelle and Bella on the refrigerator.
Barrett Hoban, an attorney for Winn Management Company which owned Rachelle Bond's apartment testified on Tuesday morning.
Jay Woodhead, the Boston Lead Command Center Controller for the US Coast Guard testifies.
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.
