BOSTON (WHDH) - The Bella Bond murder trial continued Friday as the little girl’s mother took the stand to testify.
WATCH LIVE: Rachelle Bond testifies in murder trial
Rachelle Bond agreed to testify against her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, after making an immunity deal with prosecutors. McCarthy is accused of killing the toddler, whose body washed up in a trash bag on Deer Island in Winthrop in 2015.
Bond pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact for allegedly helping McCarthy dispose of Bella’s body. She is slated to be set free upon conclusion of the trial.
On Friday morning, McCarthy’s older brother Joseph, spoke of Bella, who was known for months only as “Baby Doe” as authorities struggled to identify her. A composite image of the girl was shared by millions on social media.
“She was happy, not disheveled, not bruised, not abused,” Joseph McCarthy told the jurors.
RELATED: Mother of Bella Bond reaches plea deal in 2-year-old’s death
Michael McCarthy’s longtime friend, Michael Sprinsky, also returned to the stand, telling jurors that the accused killer was deep into the dark side.
When asked if his friend spoke of Bella being possessed by demons, Sprinsky said “all the time.” He also said that he urged Bond to get away from McCarthy.
“She just died. It was her time. She was a demon.” McCarthy allegedly stated after killing the toddler.
Prosecutors allege McCarthy, who was living with Bond, beat the girl to death in her bed by punching her stomach. McCarthy then allegedly held Bond hostage in a heroin-induced haze, threatening to kill her if she spoke of the girl’s death.
RELATED: Bella Bond’s accused killer believed he could drive out demons, friend says
A childhood friend of the man accused of killing a 2-year-old girl whose body washed up on a Boston Harbor island in 2015 says the defendant believed he could drive demons out of a person’s home.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)