Mother of Bella Bond to testify against boyfriend in murder trial

The mother of Bella Bond, the little girl known to the world as ‘Baby Doe’ after her body was found in a garbage bag on the shore of Deer Island in 2015, claims she was too terrified to turn her boyfriend in to police for killing her daughter.

She claims Michael McCarthy beat her up right after the killing and also beat up their drug dealer and made her watch. It will be up to a judge if a jury will even hear that.

The Boston Herald reports Rachelle Bond will recount the story when she testifies against McCarthy at his trial later this month. She's the star witness in the prosecution's case.

Former federal prosecutor Brad Bailey said the judge's ruling will be critical for prosecutors who are depending on Bond's testimony.

"They have to come up with an explanation they know there could be one to two or several jurors who say if all this is true: why did she wait? Why didn't she report this? Why didn't she run to the police?" he said.

There is another possible legal battle ahead over the location of the trial.

"This has been widely publicized its been nationally publicized and internationally publicized and there may well be a challenge based on venue and the ability to get a fair and impartial jury in Suffolk County," he said.

Bond, who is not accused of taking part in her daughter’s murder, pleaded guilty in February to being an accessory after the fact and larceny for cashing in state welfare checks she continued to receive to help care for her child.

Cox Media Group