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What happened on the night Baby Bella died, according to her mother

BOSTON — The jury is now going through all the evidence in the “Baby Doe” murder case, and the mother’s testimony is key on whether to convict or acquit.

The jury has to believe Rachelle Bond’s story of what happened in order to convict Michael McCarthy. She was the main witness for the prosecution in the case; she made a deal with the prosecution to testify against her ex-boyfriend in exchange for time served and two years of probation.

Bella Bond’s body was found on Deer Island late June of 2015. She was not identified until September, with millions of people seeing her composite as police worked to solve the case. McCarthy and Bond were arrested and charged in September 2015.

In a Boston courtroom on June 2, Bond told her version of the events that led up to Bella Bond’s death and the immediate aftermath.

Bond said that Bella died at the beginning of June 2015, and she wasn’t exactly sure of the date because she didn’t tend to keep track of dates.

Prosecutor: After it happened, wasn’t the day marked in your mind? How could you forget the date?

Bond: I wasn’t aware of the date. It was the beginning of June.

Bond said she, Michael McCarthy and Bella were all home, and it was late, around 11 or 11:30 p.m. Bella hadn’t wanted to go to bed.

“I was trying to get her into her bedroom,” she said.

Bond explained that she was working to get Bella to sleep in her own bed the past four days.

“It was a hard transition,” said Bond.

McCarthy had previously told her she needed to be stricter with Bella, Bond testified, and had once put her in the closet as punishment. He told Bond that Bella had been being “fresh.”

Bond said that when it came to transitioning Bella to her own bed, McCarthy hadn’t been involved.

Boston 25 News Live Stream

Mother of 'Baby Doe' takes the stand to testify against accused killer, Michael McCarthy.

Posted by Boston 25 News on Friday, June 2, 2017

“Usually she’d get up, run out, I’d have to bring her back,” said Bond.

Bond said McCarthy got more upset about Bella’s bedtime issues than she would.

On the night of Bella’s death, the toddler kept getting up from her bed and running out, said Bond. After doing this several times, she finally stayed in her room, but then Bond said they could hear her playing. She testified McCarthy offered to go tell Bella to lay down.

“I didn’t think he would hurt her,” said Bond.

She was on the couch in the living room because they had been watching a movie, the mother testified.

“I didn’t hear anything,” she said.

About five minutes later, she walked into the bedroom, wondering if Bella and fallen asleep.

When she stepped in, she saw Bella lying across the bed on her back, she said.

“He had punched her on the stomach,” she testified through tears.

Bond said McCarthy was on one knee at the end of Bella’s feet.

“I saw her bounce off the bed,” said Bond.

As she stood in the doorway, Bond said she yelled.

“What the f*** did you do?...He said, ‘it was her time to die. She was a demon,’” she testified.

Bond said McCarthy looked at her with a “whatever” expression.

She then grabbed Bella, Bond testified, and saw she wasn’t breathing; she started doing CPR.

“Her head was swollen and gray,” Bond said, wiping away tears.

There were no signs the CPR was working. She then picked up Bella to take her out of the room, she testified, and then McCarthy grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her.

She then blacked out, she said, and then came to on the couch.

“I didn’t feel well…I didn’t feel good…I think I was suboxone sick because I hadn’t had any since that morning,” said Bond.

She then went the bathroom and then back to the couch.

“He was right there, I was scared,” she testified.

She then passed back out on the couch. When she came to, McCarthy was waking her up, she said, and then gave her a shot of heroin in the neck.

“As bad as it sounds, I kind of wanted to feel better and not think,” she said.

Bond said she didn’t know how much time had passed since Bella’s death, but estimated it was the next day.

Prosecutor: How could that be? How are you not able to know?

Bond: I was very sick. Just out of it. He killed my child. I wasn’t well.

McCarthy had also thrown a pair of shoes down in front of her, she said, and then told her, “let’s go.”

Bond said at that time, she had no idea where Bella was. McCarthy then took her outside to his car, and she said in the back she could see the outline of Bella’s body inside her green duffel bag. Bond also testified to seeing weights in the back of the car.

“It was her in there…I screamed something…then he hit me,” she said.

Bond said she lost consciousness, and when she woke up, she was in the car and she didn’t recognize where they were. The duffel bag was no longer in the car, she said.  McCarthy wasn’t in the car either, but then got back in, she said. They started driving back to the Maxwell Street apartment.

Boston 25 News Live Stream

Mother of 'Baby Doe' takes the stand to testify against accused killer, Michael McCarthy.

Posted by Boston 25 News on Friday, June 2, 2017

When they got back, she said she again told him, “you killed my daughter,” and he again responded with, “she was a demon.”

McCarthy is facing charges of murder in the first degree, but the jury can also convict for murder in the second degree and involuntary manslaughter.

McCarthy did not take the stand during the trial.