Tennessee authorities have announced murder charges against the mother of Evelyn Mae Boswell, a 15-month-old infant who was found dead in March 2020. A grand jury indicted Megan Boswell on numerous charges on Wednesday, the most serious of which were two counts of felony murder.
Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus said that the 18-year-old Boswell faces 19 counts in total.
In May, investigators announced that there was a person of interest in the death of the baby girl. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the infant was considered a missing person last Feb. 18. She was last seen back on December 26, 2019. Megan Boswell was initially arrested for allegedly filing a false report in the case. The victim was found dead in early March on property belonging to her maternal grandfather Tommy Boswell Sr.
“You’re all vultures,” he told Knox News in a report, back before the discovery of the body. After Evelyn was found, he and most of the family expressed gratitude for the public support Evelyn has received, but they specifically excluded the man’s ex-wife Angela Boswell.
“The immediate Boswell family (excluding Angela Jones Boswell) of Evelyn are in anguish and grief over their loss,” the statement said. “It has been a very rough and trying time for everyone. At this time they do not want to speak publicly in regards to the tragedy. They are still trying to process what has happened. They ask for media and the public to respect their wishes. They need more time to grieve, privately.”
The case is now well beyond person of interest territory.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, “[a]t the request of 2nd District Attorney General Barry Staubus, TBI Agents continued to work alongside the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the circumstances leading to Evelyn’s death.”
“During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Megan Boswell killed Evelyn and disposed of her body,” the law enforcement agency said.
Boswell faces “two counts of Felony Murder, one count of Aggravated Child Abuse, one count of Aggravated Child Neglect, one count of Tampering with Evidence, one count of Abuse of a Corpse, one count of Failure to Report a Death Under Suspicious, Unusual, or Unnatural Circumstances, and twelve counts of False Reports.”
Authorities noted that Boswell was already in the Sullivan County Jail due to the initial false report charge.
The defendant, whose bond has been set at $1 million, is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 28, Fox 8 reported.
Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy told reporters at a Wednesday press conference that Boswell is the “sole suspect in this case.”
“We are determined to make sure that justice is served for baby Evelyn,” the sheriff said.
Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
[Image via Tennessee Bureau of Investigation]