BOSTON (WHDH/AP) — A defense attorney has told jurors that a man accused of beating a 2-year-old girl to death comforted the girl when she had nightmares and took care of her when her mother was unavailable.
Michael McCarthy is charged in the 2015 death of his former girlfriend’s daughter.
Bella Bond was known for months only as “Baby Doe” as authorities struggled to identify her after her body washed up on a Boston Harbor island. A composite image of the girl was shared by millions on social media.
During opening statements Tuesday, McCarthy’s lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro, rejected the prosecution’s claim that McCarthy killed the girl because he believed she had become possessed by a demon.
Shapiro said it was the girl’s mother, Rachelle Bond, who wrote about children possessed by demons.
Prosecutor David Deakin told jurors that Bond told authorities she saw McCarthy beating her daughter in the stomach.
“She just died. It was her time. She was a demon.” McCarthy allegedly told Bond, Deakin said to jurors.
Deakin also explained to jurors that McCarthy showed no sign of concern for the child when he was interviewed by police.
The woman who made the grim discovery on Deer Island in Winthrop also appeared in court, delivering tearful testimony.
Bonnie Flynn stumbled upon the remains of the toddler, which were stuffed in a plastic bag, before frantically asking another person to call for help.
“I asked if he could call 911 because I just found a dead baby on the beach,” Flynn told the court.
Bond is expected to testify against McCarthy.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)