As the desperate search for Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell continues, a reward for her safe return has amassed to $56,000, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
News 5 reports that while several businesses donated money to the reward fund, Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy put in $1,000 of his own money, while Evelyn’s maternal grandfather, Tommy Boswell Sr., put in $10,000. Evelyn’s uncle, Tommy Boswell Jr., also put in $10,000 toward the reward.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER Alert for Evelyn on February 18, two months after “certain family members” had last seen the baby.
Authorities initially said family members last saw the infant around Christmas 2019, but during a Friday afternoon press conference, Cassidy said the last known sighting of Evelyn was with babysitters around December 11, 2019.
Also on Friday, the child’s mother, Megan “Maggie” Boswell told News 5 that she knew who had her daughter but could not release their names due to an ongoing investigation. She added that people who were supposed to be babysitting Evelyn are the ones responsible.
“They were watching her for me while I went to work. “
Sheriff Cassidy with the Sullivan Police Department said that Maggie Boswell gave a number of conflicting stories in connection with Evelyn’s disappearance.
“During our interviews, her stories aren’t leading up to stuff that we went out and checked on,” Cassidy said. “Video surveillance, eyewitness testimony…a lot of her information hadn’t been accurate.”
Cassidy didn’t specify what Boswell told authorities, but he said that her information “led us in so many directions and I don’t want to confuse the public.”
Authorities said Maggie Boswell and the baby’s father, Evan Perry, both said they have not seen the baby in two months.
Perry, who’s in the military, is currently stationed in Louisiana. He posted on Facebook earlier this week that although he is helping police with the investigation, there is nothing more he can say at this time.
Evelyn’s Grandmother Arrested
Last week, Evelyn’s maternal grandmother, Angela Boswell and a man identified as William McCloud, both of Tennessee, were detained in North Carolina. They were found in a grey BMW, a vehicle that had been a focal point in the disappearance of the toddler.
Boswell and McCloud were charged with possession of stolen property. FOX 8 reports that the grey BMW was previously reported stolen. Officials with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Maggie Boswell planned to purchase the car for her mother, yet never signed the paperwork and never paid the car owner any money for it.
Both suspects already had active warrants out for their arrests. Boswell reportedly had a violation probation warrant, while McCloud had a warrant out for theft.
Baby Evelyn was not with the pair when they were arrested.
Boswell Sr. told News Channel 11 that he hasn’t seen Evelyn since Thanksgiving, 2019. He added that he was the one who made a report to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, which eventually prompted authorities to issue an AMBER Alert.
Boswell Jr. added that Angela Boswell threatened him after he told her he planned to report the baby missing, allegedly warning him that he would “regret this.”
“I don’t know what happened, but I’m the one who called DCS and got this started…I ain’t slept nights, I’ve cried like a baby. I just want my grandbaby to come home,” Boswell Sr. said.
The toddler’s disappearance remains shrouded in mystery, as authorities indicated that Evelyn “could be anywhere.”
“Right now we’re not sure of her exact location. It could be anywhere from what we know. We’re conducting the investigation, and obviously we’ve been talking to as many people as we’ve come in contact with that knew about the child,” Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office PIO Captain Andy Seabolt told NBC 5 earlier this week.
“We have several others we will be speaking with as well, and we’ve also been receiving some leads we’ve been following up on… We want to know why the child was not reported missing earlier.”
Evelyn is described as a white female with blue eyes and blonde hair. She weighs around 28 pounds and stands 2-feet tall. She was last seen wearing pink shoes, a pink tracksuit, and a pink bow.
Anyone with information on Evelyn is urged to contact the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office at 423-279-7330 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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[Feature Photo: Evelyn Boswell/TBI]
