Evelyn Boswell was only 15 months old when she was last seen in December of 2019. Her mother, Megan Boswell - then 18 years old, was quick to dismiss her disappearance to family and friends; explaining her daughter was with her ex, Ethan Perry, and he simply wouldn't return her. Megan never reported her daughter missing, however, and months would go by before anyone was looking for the toddler.
Evelyn lived with her mother Megan, her grandfather Tommy, and two of her uncles in Blountsville, Tennessee, and in February 2020 Tommy explained to local police he had not seen his granddaughter in several months.
Megan's initial story to police was the same tale she spun to her family; that Ethan, her ex and the baby's father, had her daughter and would not return her. She also told police her mother, Angela, advised her not to report her baby missing. Police were quick to dispel this theory, however, after verifying with Ethan that he did not have Evelyn.
Megan's explanation of her daughter's whereabouts changed many times in the beginning of the investigation. She would change her statement and tell police that her mother, Angela, had Evelyn. She then told police that Angela actually gave her granddaughter to another person, and that "Evelyn would have a better life with them."
Police eventually issued a delayed Amber Alert for the toddler, and an extensive search began. Without the cooperation of Megan Boswell the investigation was slow to start, and the tips were slow to trickle in. Megan would change her statement a final time several days after the start of the search, and tell police that she and Evelyn's father, Ethan, were co-sleeping with the child and one of them must have rolled over on her and killed her accidentally. Megan claimed she didn't know the location of Evelyn's body. She was taken into custody in mid-February 2020 on charges of lying to authorities.
More than two weeks after the police began searching for Evelyn, her grandfather, Tommy Boswell Sr, contacted police for a second time.
Tommy explained there was a playhouse on the family property that had not been used in many years, however, inside the playhouse were several trash bags that had recently appeared and he was suspicious of what was inside them. Police arrived and entered the playhouse, and almost instantly their attention was drawn to a trashcan a few steps inside the structure. There was a small foot sticking out of the tied trash bag stuffed inside the can. Detectives carefully untied and pushed the bag away from the body of baby Evelyn.
After a short 17 day search the toddler was found, however, answers of what happened to her weren't as quick or apparent.
In August of 2020 authorities would officially charge Megan Boswell with the death of her daughter; in total she's currently facing 19 charges- ranging from lying to police to felony murder and aggravated child abuse. Although the state of Tennessee declined to pursue the death penalty in this case, Megan is still facing life in prison without parole if she's found guilty.
More than 2 years after the death of her daughter Megan is still in limbo with the court system. Her attorney recently argued for the trial to be pushed back, citing his need for time to have critical evidence evaluated as the cause.
Also at the end of September 2022, a Judge in Sullivan County Court heard testimony from Sullivan County Medical Examiner, Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan. The county ME would testify to the state baby Evelyn was in when she was found. Dr. Mileusnic-Polchan testified Evelyn was found tightly bound in a blanket- so tight that the imprint of the blanket was imprinted on her skin. Around the blanket there was a layer of aluminum foil, also very tightly wrapped.
She was upside down in the trashcan, pushed down so hard her head was inverted and actually touching her back. The doctor would explain to the judge that Evelyn's facial features had actually been smashed, and ultimately flattened, against the bottom of the trash can. Evelyn also had a ball of aluminum foil in her throat. It is unclear if the toddler put that in her own mouth, or if it was forced. It is clear, however, that Evelyn suffered immensely. She was alive when she was placed inside the trashcan, and she would have died a slow, painful death inverted and struggling to breathe.
Megan's trial is set to go forward in early 2023, with many questions still unanswered, and many people still wondering how a mother could do something like this to her own child. Megan's defense has indicated they are going to try the "Casey Anthony" defense, and have claimed that the toddler died accidentally and Megan did what she did to cover it up. As an investigator it's hard to believe that this is what happened for a few reasons; firstly, the thing that sticks out to me most is Evelyn was still alive when she was bound in the blanket and foil and placed into the trashcan. It also really does not resonate with me how a mother could stuff their child into a trashcan - even if you believed they died. I can't imagine as a mother, or even as a human, how you could do that to your own child, so even the argument that she believed her daughter was dead and just covered it up is hard for me to swallow. I would also be interested to know if the aluminum foil found in her throat was forced into her throat, because that would also say a lot towards the true nature and intentions that day. Her behavior after her daughter went missing was very strange also. The fact that she was telling family and friends her ex had the girl, knowing they could verify that he didn't shows either a lack of intelligence or a lack of caring and remorse. It's also very strange that she believed that her family and friends would what, eventually stop asking about her daughter? Forget she ever existed? What did she think the long-term plan was going to be as far as keeping up appearances with the people around her?
Hypothetically, if Evelyn balled up and swallowed the aluminum foil found in her throat, and Megan thought she choked to death, if emergency services would have been called, instead of the things she allegedly did, Evelyn would have potentially lived at that point.
What are your feelings on this case? Is this a case where a mother had a child die accidentally (she thought bc it's a fact the child was alive going into the trashcan) and she tried to cover it up.. OR is this a case of a woman who snapped and killed her 15 month old daughter in a horrendous way? Leave us your thoughts on this case below, and stay tuned as we keep you updated on all the details of the upcoming trial of Megan Boswell!
Evelyn Boswell, Age 15 Months, 2019
Evelyn Boswell, Age 15 Months, 2019
Evelyn Boswell Amber Alert, Issued February 2020 - Several Months After Her Disappearance
Shed where Tommy Boswell Sr located the trash bags, and police eventually located 15 month old Evelyn Boswell
Megan Boswell, 18, speaks to the media about her daughter's disappearance after TN police issued an Amber Alert
Megan Boswell, 20, is led into court two years after her daughter's death. She faces 19 charges, including lying to authorities, felony murder, and aggravated child abuse. Summit County DA has declined to pursue the death penalty, but the 20 year old faces life in prison without parole if convicted. Her trial is set to resume early 2023.