Two members of the investigatory team that unraveled the mystery of Bella Bond, the 2-year-old girl found dead on Deer Island last year, were honored Thursday by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for their work on the case that garnered international attention.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Daniel Herman and Lieutenant Robert Murphy were presented with Heroes’ Awards during a ceremony in Washington.

“They never lost sight of what they were doing,’’ said Carol Schweitzer, a supervisor in the forensic services unit of the national organization.

“You could hear their dedication, their professionalism, and their determination to not only identify her and find her name, but also then to speak for her and get justice against the ones who were held responsible,’’ said Schweitzer, who advised detectives during the investigation.

Soon after the girl’s body was found in a trash bag on Deer Island on June 25, 2015, investigators from the Suffolk district attorney’s office collaborated with a forensic artist from the missing children’s group to create a composite image of the child, who was initially known as “Baby Doe.’’ The image was seen millions of times on social media, on billboards, in newspapers, and on television as detectives worked to identify her and learn how she died.

The break in the case came Sept. 18, 2015 when police arrested the girl’s mother, Rachelle Bond, and her boyfriend, Michael P. McCarthy. Prosecutors allege McCarthy killed the girl in late May 2015 and then dumped her body in the ocean from the South Boston waterfront with help from Bond.

McCarthy is charged with first-degree murder and Bond is accused of being an accessory to murder and larceny. Both have pleaded not guilty. Bond’s trial is tentatively set to begin in December, the district attorney’s office said. A trial date has not been set for McCarthy.

All 12 State Police homicide and narcotics detectives assigned to the DA’s office and three Winthrop police detectives joined in the inquiry.

“The investigation was very much a team effort, with members of the entire Suffolk detective unit taking part,’’ said Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, whose office is prosecuting the case.

More than 100 entries from across the country were submitted for the honor, said Schweitzer, who nominated Herman and Murphy for the recognition.

The awards were presented during a ceremony with John Walsh, who helped establish the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children after his son, Adam, was abducted and murdered in 1981.

Several others were honored at the ceremony. Law enforcement officers from the US Department of Homeland Security, Pennsylvania State Police, and US Postal Inspection Service were recognized for rescuing five girls who were sexually abused.

Also receiving awards were members of law enforcement in Texas who developed and implemented training to help police identify victims of child abduction or sex trafficking who might be hiding in plain sight.

Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauracrimaldi.