BOSTON (WHDH) - BOSTON (WHDH/AP) — The mother of a 2-year-old girl whose body washed up on a Boston beach in 2015 has testified she lied about her daughter’s whereabouts to others and continued to live with the boyfriend weeks after she says he killed the child.
Rachelle Bond testified Monday in the trial of Michael McCarthy, her former boyfriend accused of killing Bella Bond.
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Bond said McCarthy fatally punched her daughter in the abdomen.
“I just saw her bounce off the bed,” Bond said. “She bounced up and came back down.”
Bond told the court that she did not flee the apartment because she was scared. She said McCarthy grabbed her by the throat, threatened to kill her and then injected her with heroin.
“He said he would kill me,” Bond said. “I felt trapped. I didn’t feel like anyone would believe me.”
McCarthy’s lawyer argues Bond killed the girl, initially dubbed “Baby Doe” after a composite image of her likeness was shared by millions on social media as authorities tried to identify her.
Bond is testifying under a plea deal with prosecutors. She’s pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact for helping dispose of her daughter’s body.
For months, Bella was only known as “Baby Doe” as authorities struggled to identify her. A composite image of the girl was shared by millions on social media.
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