The Latest: Prosecutor says Baby Doe was 'a true innocent'
By Associated Press
Sep 18, 2015 4:53 PM CDT

BOSTON (AP) — The latest on the identification of a girl who was found dead on a Boston Harbor beach this summer and became known as Baby Doe. (All times local.)

5:50 p.m.

Prosecutors say a little girl who was found dead inside a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach this summer and became known as Baby Doe was just shy of 3 years old when she died.

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley says her name was Bella Bond and she was "a true innocent." He said Friday her "very name means beauty" and she was murdered.

Baby Doe's mother is under arrest on a charge of accessory to murder after the fact. The mother's boyfriend has been charged with murder. The mother is in custody. Her boyfriend is in a hospital for drug treatment. They can't be reached for comment.

The Massachusetts House speaker says the mother and her boyfriend are blaming each other.

Bella came to be known as Baby Doe during an investigation that included a massive social media campaign to learn her identity.

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5:25 p.m.

The boyfriend of a woman whose toddler daughter was found dead inside a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach this summer and became known as Baby Doe has been charged with murder.

Prosecutors announced the charge against Michael McCarthy on Friday. McCarthy is being treated at a Boston hospital for drug issues and can't be reached for comment.

Baby Doe's mother, Rachelle Bond, is under arrest on a charge of accessory to murder after the fact. She's in custody and also can't be reached for comment.

The name of the girl has been revealed as Bella Bond. She had come to be known as Baby Doe over the course of a monthslong investigation that included a massive social media campaign to learn her identity.

The Massachusetts House speaker says the mother and her boyfriend are blaming each other for the girl's death.

The girl was 2 1/2 years old when she died. Her body was found June 25 inside a trash bag on Deer Island in Winthrop by a woman walking a dog.

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5:15 p.m.

A Massachusetts prosecutor says the mother of a toddler girl who was found dead inside a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach this summer and became known as Baby Doe has been arrested along with another person.

Prosecutor Daniel Conley says he has authorized a murder charge for the mother's boyfriend. The girl's mother is under arrest on a charge of accessory to murder after the fact.

The name of the girl has been revealed as Bella Bond. She had come to be known as Baby Doe over the course of a monthslong investigation that included a massive social media campaign to learn her identity.

The Massachusetts House Speaker says the mother and her boyfriend are blaming each other for the girl's death.

The girl was 2 1/2 years old when she died. Her body was found June 25 inside a trash bag on Deer Island in Winthrop by a woman walking a dog.

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2:45 p.m.

Massachusetts officials have identified the little girl whose body was found in a trash bag earlier this summer as Bella Bond.

The body found on June 25 in Boston had been known as "Baby Doe" during an intense campaign to learn her identity.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Friday that investigators have identified the girl, who was believed to be about 3 or 4 years old. Her body was found by a woman walking her dog on a Boston Harbor beach.

Gov. Charlie Baker says the state's child protection agency was involved with the girl's family for several months in 2013, but the case was closed.

The discovery of the body sparked a massive social media campaign. Within two weeks, a composite image of the chubby-cheeked, brown-eyed girl had reached an estimated 47 million people on Facebook.

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10:20 a.m.

A law enforcement official says authorities have identified the girl who was found dead on a Boston Harbor beach this summer and whose case sparked a massive social media campaign to try to find out what happened to her.

The official spoke Friday on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details of the investigation. He said police searched a Boston home Thursday and have been in contact with family members.

A spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney's office said the investigation remains "very active." A state police spokesman did not immediately return calls.

The girl was named Baby Doe by investigators and was estimated to be 4 years old. Her body was found on Deer Island in Winthrop on June 25 by a woman walking a dog.

— AP Legal Affairs Writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this story.