On June 25, 2015, a woman walking her dog on the shore of Deer Island in Winthrop, Massachusetts, discovered the remains of a 3 year old child in a plastic garbage bag.  After widespread media publicity, the child was identified three months later as Bella Bond. Her  mother, Rachelle Bond, and her mother’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, were arrested, and authorities confirmed that Bella had been murdered.

Rachelle Bond, 40, was charged with “accessory after the fact” in regards to her daughter’s murder, and pleaded guilty as the result of a plea deal, testified against McCarthy in his trial. She alleged that McCarthy had punched Bella in the stomach multiple times after claiming Bella was a “demon.” She said he was the sole perpetrator of the murder. Rachelle, a heroin addict and former prostitute, also admitted to concealing Bella’s death. She was in the car with McCarthy when he dumped her daughter’s body, but says she does not remember this happening, as she went on a drug binge immediately afterwards.

When people asked Rachelle where Bella had gone, she claimed the child had been removed by the Department of Family Services. This was a plausible excuse, as two previous children had been taken away in the past. In June 2017, Michael McCarthy was convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to life with possibility of parole.

Listen to the episode here.

More information about the Bella Bond case.