The heartbroken loved ones of Evelyn Mae Boswell are hoping for justice in the toddler's tragic death. Now Evelyn's mother has been charged in connection with her murder.
Police first received reports that the 15-month-old was missing in February. The report didn't come from the child's mother, but her grandfather. She was last seen in December.
When asked why she didn't report her child missing, Megan "Maggie" Boswell gave police conflicting stories. She provided so many inconsistencies that she was arrested for false reporting by Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy. Not only did Maggie not cooperate with police, but she spread misinformation that could have potentially interfered with the investigation.
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Sullivan County Sheriff's Office shared an update. A grand jury returned a presentment charging Maggie in Evelyn's death. She faces 19 charges against her, including felony murder and aggravated child abuse.
A Sullivan County grand jury came to a decision on Wednesday about Megan "Maggie" Boswell. At a press conference Wednesday evening, Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus revealed that the 18-year-old mom faces 19 charges in the death of her daughter, Evelyn Mae Boswell. The 15-month-old little girl was reported missing in February.
Evelyn's grandfather was the one to report her missing. He says that no one had seen the toddler since December. Maggie was questioned by police, who wanted to gain an understanding of why she hadn't reported the child missing herself.
An Amber alert was issued for Evelyn at that time. She was described as 2 feet tall and weighing 28 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink tracksuit, pink shoes, and a pink bow.
At the time, Maggie spoke out, publicly accusing her mother of kidnapping Evelyn. She claimed that Angela Boswell took Evelyn before Christmas and threatened Maggie into silence.
Angela and her boyfriend were arrested, but it was determined they did not have Evelyn. Maggie then produced a claim that Evelyn's father, Ethan Perry, had taken her. Ethan, who is in the military, had no idea of his daughter's whereabouts.
In the following days, police publicly announced concerns that Maggie had given conflicting information to authorities.
Maggie continued her confusing behavior. In a televised interview, she claimed that she could not take a polygraph because she was currently pregnant. Law enforcement officials confirmed that no one ever asked her to take a polygraph.
Maggie was arrested on February 25. She was charged with making false statements to police and booked on a $25,000 bond.
"Every time we talk to her, her story changes," Sheriff Jeff Cassidy told reporters.
"And I'm serious about that. Every single time."
On March 6, officials executed a search warrant of property belonging to a member of Maggie's family. There they found the body of a toddler matching the description of Evelyn.
Maggie appeared in court the next day, where the bond was raised to $150,000.
Days later, the authorities confirmed that the remains found were those of Evelyn. They also took measures to seal the 15-month-old's autopsy.
"I thought it was necessary because of the publicity the case has engendered, and because it's still under investigation, I thought it would maintain the integrity of the investigation," said District Attorney General Staubus.
Maggie remained in jail on the 11 counts of false reporting. On August 19, a grand jury returned their indictments. Maggie was indicted on 19 charges: 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 12 counts of false reports.
"After an extensive and thorough investigation, other individuals were eliminated as suspects and Megan Boswell became the sole suspect in this case," said Sheriff Cassidy.
"We're determined to make sure that justice is served for baby Evelyn."
No details have been released regarding the manner of death or exact date of death. The child is simply referred to as having died "on or around December 2019."
"As we struggle to understand why or even how someone would even harm an innocent child, we will never know because thank God most of us are not wired that way, but we can certainly try our best to make sure those responsible for these incomprehensible acts are held accountable. Today's indictment is the first step in ensuring that happens," TBI Director David Rausch said.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends who loved baby Evelyn. She didn't deserve this. No child does. And that's why we will continue to work to pursue justice in this case. It's the best and most important thing we can do to honor her memory."
Maggie's next court appearance is set for August 28. She's currently being held on $1 million bond. Her attorney, Brad Sproles, told ABC News he couldn't comment on the charges because he wasn't able to get in contact with his client.
"Our jail is dealing with COVID issues and pretty much locked down and I haven't been able to talk to her," he said.
