Friend: Murder defendant believed he could drive out demons

BOSTON – A childhood friend of the man accused of killing a 2-year-old girl whose body washed up on a Boston Harbor island in 2015 says the defendant believed he could drive demons out of a person’s home.

Michael Sprinsky testified Wednesday in Michael McCarthy’s murder trial. He says McCarthy was interested in the supernatural.

McCarthy’s lawyer on Tuesday rejected the prosecution’s claim McCarthy killed the girl because he believed she had become possessed by a demon. The defence attorney says it was the girl’s mother, Rachelle Bond, who wrote about children possessed by demons.

Bond’s daughter, Bella, was known for months only as “Baby Doe” as authorities struggled to identify her. A composite image of the girl was shared by millions on social media.

Prosecutors say Sprinsky helped authorities identify her.