BOSTON (WHDH) - The father of a 2-year-old girl known as “Baby Doe” after her body washed up on a Boston Harbor beach returned to the stand Friday for a second day of testimony and described the dramatic moment when he learned of his daughter’s death.
RELATED: ‘She told me Bella was dead’: Dad details moment he learned of toddler’s death
Joseph Amoroso, 44, of Lynn, said he was at his mother’s house with Bond when they heard the breaking news report about Bella’s death.
“Rachelle said to my mother ‘that’s Bella,'” Amoroso told the court. He said Bond kept apologizing after his mother broke down in response to the report.
Bond’s former boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, is charged with murdering the toddler, whose remains were found in a plastic bag in June of 2015. Bond, who is charged with accessory after the fact, is testifying against McCarthy as part of a plea deal.
Amoroso had never met Bella, but said he returned to Massachusetts to be part of her life, unaware that she had been dead for several weeks. Amoroso said when Bond finally told him about Bella’s death, he spent hours talking with her and doing internet searches for a lawyer.
Not long after watching the report, Amoroso said officers came knocking at the door.
The state’s chief medical examiner also testified, saying that the exact cause Bella’s death is unclear because her body had begun to decompose. He said her body had several bruises, but he could not say if they were inflicted or accidental.
The trial is slated to resume Monday with testimony from a state trooper.
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