The brutal murder of little Evelyn Boswell: Mother accused of burying toddler alive in shocking revelation
SULLIVAN COUNTY, TENNESSEE: The body of Evelyn Mae Boswell, a 15-month-old toddler who had gone missing, was found by deputies in a trash bag with tin foil in her mouth after her mother allegedly buried her alive, a court heard on Friday, September 23. The deputies noticed the trash can when they saw a little foot sticking out.
The court hearing was to determine which photos would be admitted as evidence in the trial against Boswell's mother, Megan "Maggie" Boswell, who is accused of murdering her daughter and misleading the investigation. Megan, now 20, is facing two counts of felony murder, and one count each of aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect, tampering with evidence, abusing a corpse, and several counts of false reporting to authorities. However, Megan has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bond. The trial against her is scheduled to start in February 2023.
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During the court hearing, forensic pathologist Dr Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, who examined the toddler's body, testified that the toddler died in 2020 and revealed the cause of death to be suffocation by a blanket and an aluminum foil. Mileusnic-Polchan added that the toddler was alive when she was buried in the can while stating that “the disposal of this child was remarkable,”
The pathologist also noted that a “mechanical obstruction” was found in the toddler's airway which is believed to be the foil. He also stated that her body was in an “accordion-like position” and was “sort of compressed” in the trash can. Earlier, the pathologist had testified that the photographs of the toddler's body should be shown in court to help them make a clear decision.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agent Brian Fraley testified that the toddler's body was found at the residence of Megan’s father. He said he found Boswell wrapped in a black trash bag, wearing a purple fleece onesie with penguins on it and was wrapped in a gray and white blanket.
"We received a call from the defendant's father talking about property — a storage shed on the property," Fraley told the court, according to WKRN-TV. "He believed it may have been valuable for us to look in it and search, so we did respond and search that. And there was a playhouse, behind that, we found the body in that playhouse in the trashcan."
"I observed a leg and a foot attached on top of this trash wrapped in that same described fleece blanket," Fraley said, adding, "It was consistent with an infant of the described age of the missing victim." Authorities stated that Boswell died of asphyxiation but Fraley revealed that her mother misled the investigation and stated she died while sleeping near her. "She claimed that it was an accidental death. She and her boyfriend at the time were sleeping in bed with [Evelyn] and when they woke up that morning that she was unresponsive. She had been smothered," Fraley told the court.
After reviewing the testimonies presented by the authorities, Judge James Goodwin approved several photos of Boswell to be used as evidence in the trial against her mother. At least one will be presented in black and white due to some of the details in the photograph. The judge rejected some other photos as he stated “something absolutely bothers him about it.” The next court date has reportedly been set for December 16.
If you or anyone you know suspects child abuse, you are urged to immediately call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.