BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — Megan Boswell, the mother accused in 2020 of murdering 15-month-old Evelyn Boswell, will face trial next year after appearing in Sullivan County Court Monday.
Judge James Goodwin agreed to postpone the mother's trial after the defense argued the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation took months to process a "crucial" piece of evidence involving a fingerprint. Boswell was originally scheduled to face trial on September 26.
Boswell's attorney asked the judge for more time so the defense could hire an expert to analyze the piece of evidence.
Goodwin granted the defense's motion, setting a new trial date for February 6, 2023, at 8:30 a.m.
"I feel like I don't have a choice but to grant the motion. I mean, I can force you to trial in September, but everybody in this courtroom knows that if I do that and the state gets a conviction, we'll just have to re-try," Goodwin said.
Megan Boswell is charged with felony murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and multiple counts of false reporting in the death of Evelyn Boswell.
Another motion hearing is scheduled for September 23.
Here is a timeline of the Evelyn Boswell case:
February 18, 2020
- The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office received a referral from the State of Tennessee Department of Children Services
- Referral said certain family members had not seen Evelyn in approximately two months
- The referral came after Evelyn's grandfather, Tommy Boswell, Sr., reported his granddaughter missing
- At this time, Evelyn was last seen by family members on December 26
- Sullivan County Sheriff's Office immediately launched an investigation after receiving the report
- Evelyn's mother, Megan Boswell, tells authorities she believes Evelyn is with her father, Ethan Perry, who was in the U.S. military and stationed in Louisiana
February 19, 2020
- The TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Evelyn Boswell at around 8 p.m.
February 21, 2020
- A gray 2007 BMW, with Tennessee license plate 3M9-6W9, is believed to be carrying suspects linked to the case
- Evelyn's grandmother Angela Boswell was arrested with boyfriend William McCloud in Wilkes County, North Carolina after being found in the gray BMW
- Both McCloud and Angela Boswell were charged with and arrested for theft of property
- Angela's court date is set for March 4
- Evelyn's mother, 18-year-old Megan Boswell, went on camera for the first time, claiming she knew who had the toddler. She later claimed it was Angela Boswell
- At this time, Megan also said in an interview with WCYB that she was pregnant again
February 23, 2020
- The TBI says the mother claimed Angela Boswell had given Evelyn to an unknown or unnamed person and that "she was safe and would have a better life" with the unknown person.
February 25, 2020
- TBI said Megan Boswell told investigators on this day Evelyn had been killed after she or her boyfriend rolled over onto her in bed, claiming she did not know where the child's body was
- Megan Boswell is arrested and charged with one account of false reporting. Her bond is set at $25,000
- Her court date is set for March 2
- The Tennessee Department of Children's Services announced its own investigation involving Evelyn
February 26, 2020
- The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Megan is not actually pregnant
- The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office searched a pond in Wilkes County, North Carolina, which was inconclusive
February 28, 2020
- The TBI searched Lakeshore RV trailer park in Blountville, TN, near Boone Lake
- Over 700 tips related to the case have been submitted to the TBI
March 2, 2020
- A judge denies Megan Boswell's request to reduce her $25,000 bond. She is appointed an attorney in Bristol and has a new court date set for May 8
March 4, 2020
- Grandmother Angela Boswell and her boyfriend William McCloud appear in court for the theft charges. Both have bonded out of jail
- Angela Boswell is given a March 24 court date, the state asks for more time to bring in witnesses from North Carolina in McCloud's case
March 6, 2020
- The TBI announces it found remains believed to be of 15-month-old Evelyn Boswell in Blountville on a property belonging to a family member of Megan Boswell
- An autopsy begins to confirm the identity of the body and the circumstances of death
March 9, 2020
- A judge raises mother Megan Boswell's bond to $150,000 after attorneys said she could be a flight risk
- The TBI said the child's remains were found in an outbuilding on the property with diapers and toys around the body, wearing the same clothes Evelyn was wearing when she was reported missing
March 11, 2020
- The Sullivan County DA announces autopsy results will be sealed due to large public interest in the case
- The TBI confirms the remains found Friday to be Evelyn Boswell
May 6, 2020
- Investigators identify a person of interest in the case but do not publicly identify who that is
May 20, 2020
- Megan Boswell is charged with ten additional counts of false reporting, with a grand jury saying she lied multiple times to detectives and TBI agents about the child's whereabouts
May 27, 2020
- Megan Boswell appears before a judge via video, who declines to lower her bond
July 31, 2020
- Megan Boswell has her hearing date rescheduled for August 28 at 9 a.m.
- Prosecutors confirm they would bring "another matter" regarding Megan Boswell to a grand jury on August 19
August 19, 2020
- Megan Boswell is formally charged with felony murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse in the death of Evelyn Boswell five months after the baby's body was found.