Officials seek motive, cause of death in 'Baby Doe' case
BOSTON (AP) — After a mother and her boyfriend were charged in the murder of the woman's 2-year-old daughter, investigators are not ready to speculate on a motive or even a cause of death.
At a news conference Friday, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said he authorized a murder charge for Michael McCarthy, 35, and the girl's mother, Rachelle Bond, 40, for accessory to murder after the fact.
A composite picture of the chubby-cheeked, brown-eyed girl, known before Friday as only Baby Doe, had tugged at heartstrings across the country after authorities asked for the public's help.
Using photos of her remains, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a composite image of what the girl might have looked like when she was alive.
Despite the widespread publicity, a text tip line and billboards with the girl's image, investigators were frustrated for months as they tried to learn her identity.
On her Facebook page, she appears to be a doting mother, posting numerous photos of her daughter, who she calls "Bell" and "monkey."