Tennesse toddler Evelyn Boswell, whose mother is facing murder charges in Sullivan County for her death, was placed inside a trash bag while still alive, according to testimony heard in court Friday.
Special agent Brian Fraley with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) explained Friday morning how he came across 1-year-old Evelyn, who was deceased and had been hidden in a play shed on her grandfather’s property. It’s the same shed her mother and accused murderer, Megan Boswell, played in as a child.
“It was my belief (the trash can was) placed there recently,” Fraley said, recalling when he discovered Evelyn’s body in 2020. “I observed a leg (with) a foot attached … on top of the trash. It was consistent with an infant of the described age of the missing victim.”
The purpose of the hearing was to determine whether photos of Evelyn, said to be graphic, should be shown during Boswell’s upcoming murder trial. Boswell’s lawyer, Brad Sproles, told the court that the photos were too disturbing and could cause the jury to convict Boswell based on emotions about the photos.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan testified Friday as well, according to Tennessee Lookout, and explained why the photos would be important for the jury to see. Mileusnic-Polchan described the position Evelyn was found in and confirmed the child’s death was a homicide and intentional.
She added that the child was still alive when placed in the trash bag, and wrapped tightly in a blanket and aluminum foil.
“The disposal of this child was remarkable,” Mileusnic-Polchan said.
“She was sort of compressed in the can … (in an) accordion-like position. There was a severe overextension of her head and neck … an extreme extension. (The blanket) was not just haphazardly placed (around her body). It was tightly wrapped (to) prevent her from breathing … The blanket left imprints on (Evelyn’s skin).”
Evelyn was reported missing in February 2020, almost two months after family members had last seen her. While authorities began a search for the child, Boswell allegedly lied to them numerous times regarding Evelyn’s whereabouts.
“Every time we talk to her, her story changes,” Sullivan County Sheriff Jack Cassidy previously said. “I’m serious when I say every single time.”
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On February 18, 2020, the day authorities issued an AMBER Alert for Evelyn, Boswell reportedly told a DCF worker that Evelyn’s father, Ethan Perry, had the child and she planned to pick her up.
Investigators said that Perry, who is stationed in Louisiana and actively serving in the military, did not have the baby.
Boswell later told Channel News 11 that her mother took the baby to someone in a silver camper in Virginia.
“I told TBI where to find her in Mendota. My mom took her to a campground in a silver camper and if they don’t go tonight, I’m going to go find her myself, because I’ve told them and they’re not really like taking it seriously and if they don’t go tonight, I will go myself and go get her,” Boswell previously said.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Andy Seabolt responded to Boswell’s claim. According to the Tennessean, Seabolt said Boswell’s camper claim was “investigated completely.” Authorities did not find Evelyn.
“The claim that Megan made stating that Evelyn was in a camper in Mendota was investigated completely,” Seabolt said.
According to TBI special agent Brian Fraley, authorities eventually found the toddler’s body in the shed of a property in the 500 block of Muddy Creek Road in Sullivan County, in March 2020. The property belongs to Megan Boswell’s father, Tommy Boswell Sr.
Meanwhile, Boswell continues to maintain innocence, reportedly claiming that Evelyn died after she or a boyfriend rolled over on her while sleeping.
“This was not (as Megan Boswell claimed) an accidental asphyxia,” Mileusnic-Polchan said Friday. “The manner of death was a homicide.”
In response to Boswell’s claims of accidental suffocation, Mileusnic-Polchan said the child was “too big for that,” adding that, “this was not a child dying in her sleep.”
The judge decided to allow some of the graphic photos to be shown during the trial, which is scheduled to begin in February 2023.
Check back for updates.
Read all of our Evelyn Boswell coverage here
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Here is a previous episode on the case.
[Feature Photos via TBI]
