MA - Bella Bond, 2, found dead, Deer Island, Boston Harbor, June 2015 - #7

[evie71]

Drugs... that's where it all went wrong. Drugs, and Rachelle's own dysfunctional childhood.

Yes I know but it did seem like RB was getting it together even just a little bit. I guess the drugs really got a hold again when she met MM just after xmas.

 

[Bootsctr]

At some point, RB has to get over her dysfunctional childhood and move on from it. She can't use that as a crutch forever, although I know at trial we will get to hear how badly she was treated as a child. Still doesn't make me feel sorry for her.

I can't remember how old her other children were when they were removed from Rachelle's custody, but given that they were both taken for neglect I suspect RB was not mentally prepared or physically prepared to take care of a young child about to turn 3-years-old. It's work, real work. It's not easy. You can't just take off at a whim and do drugs and lay around for three days in a drug-induced haze with a young child. They need attention full time. She found MM who had a steady supply of heroine, plus he drew a check too. They had a roof over their head and plenty of drugs. Bella was interfering with Rachelle having fun. She got lazy and let MM be involved with punishing Bella - which he had no business doing. It must have been so confusing for the child to have many men come into her life and be spanked and locked in the closet by complete strangers. Bella was killed because Rachelle chose drugs over her child.

 

[evie71]

I don't really get the dysfunctional childhood tbh. I thought her mother has custody of at least one of her children. Why would she if RB's childhood was so bad?

 

[Mollyandme]

Just getting caught up after reading the pdf. Copying and pasting like the caseworker did is lazy and unacceptable. Don't even get me started on the risk assessment which is a very important tool and piece of documentation when actually used properly. If completing a risk assessment accurately isn't taken seriously or the caseworker has an inability to effectively assess risk factors, they should find a new line of work. I will leave it at that before I really go off on a tangent.

the defense for both RB and MM will have a field day on the stand with the caseworker and anyone else involved before the case was closed. The system failed Bella, but her own mother committed the ultimate failure and betrayal.

 

[BUF]

I don't really get the dysfunctional childhood tbh. I thought her mother has custody of at least one of her children. Why would she if RB's childhood was so bad?

One would think if RB's mother was so bad, she wouldn't have been granted custody of one of her children. I think the alleged story of abuse originated from RB's sister mentioning something, but who knows.


http://m.telegram.com/article/20150922/NEWS/150929698

On Monday, in her Gardner home where she has lived for 20 years, Tamera recalled the abuse that she and her sister endured growing up – allegedly at the hands of their mother and babysitters - and how Rachelle chose a different path that involved drugs, prostitution and crime.

Tamera also remembers when the then-state Department of Social Services took custody of Rachelle’s oldest daughter eight years ago when the child was around 4 years old, during what she described as a traumatic removal from Tamera’s Gardner home during a visit.

Tamera said she also believes that Rachelle is lying to investigators now about her involvement in 2-year-old Bella’s death.

 

[Bootsctr]

I don't really get the dysfunctional childhood tbh. I thought her mother has custody of at least one of her children. Why would she if RB's childhood was so bad?

One would think if RB's mother was so bad, she wouldn't have been granted custody of one of her children. I think the alleged story of abuse originated from RB's sister mentioning something, but who knows.

Yes, it puzzles me why RB's mother was allowed to have custody of even one of the children if she was so evil to her own children. Again, I suppose the Powers-That-Be think it is better for the child to be placed with family members if at all possible. I think she was allowed to keep the boy and the other child, a girl, was adopted by a local teacher. Plus, RB and her sister survived their childhood, while Bella was not allowed that opportunity. I don't think RB's mother was a neglectful parent, I lean toward RB's mother being a strong disciplinarian especially if she was a single parent (not condoning locking a child in a closet as punishment by any means either).

 

[Bobbywoo]

I'm not gonna lie, I was very surprised how nice the home was.

Same here! When I was a youngster we lived a few years in public housing and it wasn't as nice looking as RB's place. It wasn't horrible, but........

 

[heartgoesout]

I lean towards believing RB's sister's account of abuse from their Mother. All signs from RB point there is truth to that.

 

[evie71]

Yes I do believe there to be truth to that, that's why I'm puzzled as to why the grandmother got full custody. I doubt very much the sister and mother speak considering the sister was very vocal about the abuse. This whole case is very confusing .

 

[PowMom01]

When a child is removed from their parents' care CPS prefers to place those children with family members (for the sake of the children). Sometimes those family members are NOT the best choice but better than the current situation. Sometimes CPS gives custody to the family member and then bows out, doesn't check up on the child or family members after custody is transferred. It's one less case they have to follow up on.

My niece is being raised by her grandmother because her mother is a drug addict. Do I think my niece is being raised in the BEST situation? NO. NO. NO. (I am scared to death she will need up like her mother because they are being raised by the same person with the same attitude.) But it is much better than what would have been if she stayed with her mom.

 

[Whiteorchids]

I lean towards believing RB's sister's account of abuse from their Mother. All signs from RB point there is truth to that.

So. I was abused by my Mom. I wasn't a drug addict or killed my babies. That's no excuse!!!

 

[greenbean]

Public housing in Boston can vary pretty widely. I have a friend that lives in some and his place is nice but his building is tough. I don't really like visiting at night.

Facebook pics are also pretty deceiving at times-- it's not like people are going to post pics of their houses when everything's a wreck. She seemed to really kinda "curate" her postings too- presenting a certain view of her life for people to assume she was much more together than she was.

None of this is anything more than wild speculation though, and none of its any sort of excuse. My house is a wreck right now but I'm sober, employed and know where all my loved ones are....

Sometimes I kinda think that people with those super active Facebook pages chock full of frantic postings about their children are sometimes kinda off... Maybe this and Casey Anthony have just colored my view, though?

I don't do any social media at all. It makes me uncomfortable.

 

[Steleheart]

Public housing in Boston can vary pretty widely. I have a friend that lives in some and his place is nice but his building is tough. I don't really like visiting at night.

Facebook pics are also pretty deceiving at times-- it's not like people are going to post pics of their houses when everything's a wreck. She seemed to really kinda "curate" her postings too- presenting a certain view of her life for people to assume she was much more together than she was.

None of this is anything more than wild speculation though, and none of its any sort of excuse. My house is a wreck right now but I'm sober, employed and know where all my loved ones are....

Sometimes I kinda think that people with those super active Facebook pages chock full of frantic postings about their children are sometimes kinda off... Maybe this and Casey Anthony have just colored my view, though?

I don't do any social media at all. It makes me uncomfortable.

I think your observations are accurate. I often see these Moms as trying to project an image for someone when in reality they are horrid.

JMO

 

[Steleheart]

So. I was abused by my Mom. I wasn't a drug addict or killed my babies. That's no excuse!!!

And look how wonderful you are.
Yes that past abuse can be a reason or it can be an excuse. There are 2 sisters here with one mother.
Choices.


MOO

 

[BUF]

From a column in the Boston Globe. So sad, but true....

There are so many children like Bella, innocent victims of drug addiction. Her mother had a choice. Bella, who loved trees, the color green, and dancing to country music, never did.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/re...dAA717ONxXfHy8tRwgBP/story.html?event=event25

****************
No matter if RB killed her child herself, or MM killed her, or they killed her together...RB is still responsible for Bella's death by the very least of putting her defenseless child in these circumstances. Not only was Bella killed, but she was re-victimized over and over by being stuffed in a fridge and then thrown out like garbage. I hope RB is locked up for the rest of her miserable life.

 

[Bootsctr]

I too hope RB is locked up the rest of her miserable worthless life. Hearing next week on the 19th. In the meantime, a country song for Bella and the words she never got to say to her grandpa because her mother took that away from her too.

[video=youtube;kez_Yw-Ey04]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kez_Yw-Ey04[/video]

 

[Intheamadhouse]

There weren't any 'good old days.' My Grandfather used to talk about the following:

Going to a segregated high school. He remembers 'colored' water fountains, entrances to buildings, and schools.

Men freely beating their wives and bragging about it to their friends, who then gave them slaps on the back for keeping their little women in line.

2 girls from his school dying in back alley abortions, countless others who went to stay with aunts or other relatives and came back having had their babies stolen and placed with 'good 2 parent families'

Several children dying under mysterious circumstances, but no one looked into it, because those things didn't happen in 'nice families' (read white, married couples with the picket fence and the dog)

Girls getting married at 14 or 15 years old, and starting families immediately. No jobs, no college (or even high school), no options.

Institutionalizing babies with birth defects immediately. My grandmother was hospitalized with spinal meningitis as a child. The doctor stood at a four year olds bedside, looked at her mother and flat out told her to go home and forget she had ever birthed this child. He would take care of all the paperwork and have her put in an institution. This was before they had any idea whether or not she would be physically or mentally impaired.

While he claimed to have never known anyone who was gay and never expressed an issue with it, he did very seriously tell me that a gay man in his town should have run, because that man would end up lynched. Flat out. And the men that did the lynching would pat themselves on the back afterwards.

I would say that the good old days weren't that great, unless you happened to be a straight, white, middle or upper class man. Everyone else better bow before them.

People think it's worse, because they can see all these stories on the internet, but these things have always happened. 60 years ago Bella just would have gone unidentified forever. The story might not have even been reported, because it would have been too shocking. What if a woman read the paper and saw it?

Really, the only old case like Bella's that comes to mind is the "Boy in the Box" case, and that was only widely reported because one officer couldn't let it go and worked his entire life to keep it in the public eye. Today, the internet never forgets.

 

[justwannahelp]

There weren't any 'good old days.' My Grandfather used to talk about the following:

Going to a segregated high school. He remembers 'colored' water fountains, entrances to buildings, and schools.

Men freely beating their wives and bragging about it to their friends, who then gave them slaps on the back for keeping their little women in line.

2 girls from his school dying in back alley abortions, countless others who went to stay with aunts or other relatives and came back having had their babies stolen and placed with 'good 2 parent families'

Several children dying under mysterious circumstances, but no one looked into it, because those things didn't happen in 'nice families' (read white, married couples with the picket fence and the dog)

Girls getting married at 14 or 15 years old, and starting families immediately. No jobs, no college (or even high school), no options.

Institutionalizing babies with birth defects immediately. My grandmother was hospitalized with spinal meningitis as a child. The doctor stood at a four year olds bedside, looked at her mother and flat out told her to go home and forget she had ever birthed this child. He would take care of all the paperwork and have her put in an institution. This was before they had any idea whether or not she would be physically or mentally impaired.

While he claimed to have never known anyone who was gay and never expressed an issue with it, he did very seriously tell me that a gay man in his town should have run, because that man would end up lynched. Flat out. And the men that did the lynching would pat themselves on the back afterwards.

I would say that the good old days weren't that great, unless you happened to be a straight, white, middle or upper class man. Everyone else better bow before them.

People think it's worse, because they can see all these stories on the internet, but these things have always happened. 60 years ago Bella just would have gone unidentified forever. The story might not have even been reported, because it would have been too shocking. What if a woman read the paper and saw it?

Really, the only old case like Bella's that comes to mind is the "Boy in the Box" case, and that was only widely reported because one officer couldn't let it go and worked his entire life to keep it in the public eye. Today, the internet never forgets.

I see your point - they were not progressive at all back then--beating your "ol lady" and high fiving about it - not very progressive. BUT I think that pornography and violent video games is leading to more and more child rape and abductions and more and more mass killings. Men and teens are becoming desensitized. This a new phenomenon I think.

Then there's the drugs. I don't think as many people were addicted to drugs back then. There are so many parents on hard drugs these days.

Lastly, there was more class. Even the poor "lower class" people back then had class. They respected themselves and others by dressing appropriately and trying to speak properly. Now, I see and hear SOOOOO many so skanky characters with no respect for anything or anyone. read the Facebook posts on Jackie Frasier's page (the friend of Andreayah Mcbain) and you'll see what I'm talking about. It's horrendous.

I do think the world was better and more wholesome back then OVERALL.

 

[Bootsctr]

Perhaps you are saying Bella Bond is better off dead? We all deserve the chance to live a life, our life. Her paternal grandfather never got to meet her. I don't think he even knew about her. Life has never been perfect and it never will be. Life is what we make of it. We make mistakes and we move on. I'm sorry you never got to sit around in your grandmother's back yard while your uncle churned out homemade ice cream from milk and eggs from the family farm. I'm sorry you never got the chance to chase a chicken or be chased by a cow. I'm sorry you never fished with your grandfather who had to bait your hook because you didn't want to hurt the worm (and the secret to catching a fish was spitting on the bait before it went into the water). I'm sorry you never got to play cowboys and Indians with your cousins and run around on stick horses like wild children. I'm sorry you didn't have a dog or cat that was your best friend ever and loved you more than anything. I'm sorry you never got to go to a REAL dime store and smell that old store that smelled like tobacco and denim. It had a bell on the door to let the owners know you entered, but floors also squeaked with every step that was taken and I loved that sound. I'm sorry you never got to eat out at the local BBQ joint on Sundays after church with your family. I'm sorry that Bella Bond never got the chance to hear those things from her grandfather and that she never got the chance to live her life and make her own memories...

 

[Aleph]

Beautifully put.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk