BOSTON — The man convicted of killing the little girl the world once knew at "Baby Doe" was sentenced to life in prison and is eligible for parole in 20 years, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Michael McCarthy was sentenced in Suffolk Superior Court after a jury found him guilty second-degree murder in the killing 2-year-old Bella Bond in 2015 and then dumping her body in Boston Harbor.
“It was the right verdict. It was the right result, but we all have to remember that a little, nearly 3-year-old girl is dead and she was brutally murdered and she was discarded like trash,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley.
Her body was found stuffed in a trash bag when it washed up on Deer Island.
A computer-generated image of the girl was shared by millions on social media as authorities scrambled to identify her.
The girl's mother, Rachelle Bond, told the jury at McCarthy's trial that she saw McCarthy kill her daughter.
She pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact for helping McCarthy dispose of her daughter's body.
She was due to be sentenced for her role in her daughter's death on Tuesday, but the judge postponed sentencing until July.
Outside of court, Bella's biological father, Joe Amoroso, said he believes the jury got the verdict right.
"All I can say is god bless (Rachelle Bond)," he said. "I believe the right person was convicted."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.