(Reuters) Massachusetts officials on Friday (September 18) announced they have identified the young girl whose body was found stuffed in a trash bag on a beach in Boston Harbor last June, and they have arrested two people in connection with her death.
At a press conference in Boston, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said, after months of work, officers were able to identify the toddler whose imagined picture had captivated people across the country.
“The child that we all came to know as ‘Baby Doe’ has been identified as Bella Neveah Amoroso Bond,” Conley said. “She was about two-and-a-half years old when she died and was a resident of Dorchester.”
Conley said officers have aressted the girl’s mother and the mother’s boyfriend, and charged them with the child’s death.
“85 days ago, Bella’s body was found in a trash bag on Deer Island. We hoped against hope that her death was not a crime, but the evidence carefully and professionally gathered by the men and women with me today suggests otherwise – this child, whose very name means beauty, was murdered. In light of that evidence, I have authorized the arrest of Michael Patrick McCarthy, age 35, for Bella’s murder. McCarthy is currently hospitalized for a medical condition unrelated to this case. Bella’s mother, Rachelle Dee Bond, age 40, has been placed under arrest as an accessory after the fact.”
Conley said a tip had enabled police to track down the girl, and investigate her death.
Bella’s remains were found stuffed in a trash bag on June 25 by a woman who was walking her dog on Deer Island in Boston Harbor. Police in July launched a billboard campaign featuring a computer-generated image of what the girl may have looked like in life, in hopes of generating leads on her identity.
The picture of the smiling child with large, dark eyes had drawn calls from people all across the country.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has built a memorial on the beach where Bella was found. By coincidence, the dedication ceremonies were scheduled for the same day as the announcement that Bella had been identified and two people arrested for her death.
MWRA Executive Director Fred Laskey said Friday’s developments will help bring peace to many.
“Finally. there’s some closure to this and maybe now she can have an appropriate and dignified burial,” Laskey told reporters at the memorial.
Bella’s mother and McCarthy will make their first appearance in court on Monday (September 21).
