BOSTON—A woman whose ex-boyfriend is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter pleaded guilty Friday to helping dispose of the girl’s body in a plea deal that’s expected to lead to her release from jail less than two years after the girl’s remains washed up on a Boston Harbor island.
Rachelle Bond pleaded guilty to a charge of being an accessory after the murder. She also pleaded guilty to a larceny charge for collecting about $1,400 in welfare benefits after her daughter’s death in May 2015.
Bella Bond’s remains were found in a plastic bag on Deer Island.
A composite image of the chubby-cheeked, wide-eyed girl was shared by millions on social media when authorities were trying to identify her. Three months later, Rachelle Bond told a friend of her boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, that McCarthy had killed her daughter.
As part of her plea agreement with prosecutors, Bond has agreed to testify against McCarthy at his trial, scheduled to begin in April. Bond and McCarthy have been in jail since September 2015.
In court Friday, Bond’s lawyer, Janice Bassil, said Bond’s daughter “was everything to her.” She said Bond is eager to testify against McCarthy.
“I do see her as a victim in this case,” Bassil said of Rachelle Bond.
