Many questions linger in case of 2-year-old girl found dead on beach

Megan Fewtrell, godmother of Bella Bond, right, clutches "Ducky," Bella's favorite stuffed animal that was kept at Fewtrell's home, as she waits for the proceedings to begin in the arraignment of Bella's mother, Rachelle Dee Bond, and Bond's boyfriend, Michael Patrick McCarthy in the death of Bella Bond in Dorchester District Court, on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, in Boston. Bella Bond, 2, was known as Baby Doe until she was identified almost three months after her remains washed up inside a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach. The judge ordered Bond held on $1 million cash bail on charges of being an accessory after the fact, and Bond's boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, held without bail on murder charges. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) Megan Fewtrell, godmother of Bella Bond, right, clutches "Ducky," Bella's favorite stuffed animal that was kept at Fewtrell's home, as she waits for the proceedings to begin in the arraignment of Bella's mother, Rachelle Dee Bond, and Bond's boyfriend, Michael Patrick McCarthy in the death of Bella Bond in Dorchester District Court, on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, in Boston. Bella Bond, 2, was known as Baby Doe until she was identified almost three months after her remains washed up inside a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach. The judge ordered Bond held on $1 million cash bail on charges of being an accessory after the fact, and Bond's boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, held without bail on murder charges. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

By Associated Press September 22, 2015 3 min read

BOSTON (AP) – The world finally knows her name – Bella Bond – and some of the grisly circumstances of how she was killed and later found on a beach in Boston Harbor.

But there are many lingering questions: Why didn’t those who knew the 2-year-old girl call police when they stopped seeing her with her mother, Rachelle Bond? Why didn’t state child protection workers remove her from her home when her mother had a history of drug and prostitution arrests? What’s next in the case?

Bella’s body was found in a plastic bag on a beach on Deer Island on June 25 by a woman walking her dog. Bond’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, 35, is charged with murder for allegedly punching the girl in the abdomen until she stopped breathing. Bond, 40, is charged with being an accessory after the fact.

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Q: Why didn’t anyone report Bella missing when she first disappeared or after police began an intensive investigation and media blitz to figure out who she was when her body was found?