Megan Boswell, mom of Tennessee's 2-year-old 'Baby Evelyn,' has been charged with her murder months after the toddler's remains were found

• Six months after 2-year-old Evelyn Boswell was reported missing, her mother has been charged with murder.
• A grand jury in Tennessee on Wednesday indicted Megan Boswell on 19 charges, including felony murder and child abuse.
• The 20-year-old woman had lied to investigators about her daughter's disappearance, the police said.
• Evelyn's remains were found in March on the property of a relative of her mother.

Authorities in Sullivan County, Tennessee, have charged the mother of 2-year-old Evelyn Boswell with murder in the toddler's death.

Megan Boswell, 20, had been arrested on charges of lying to investigators about her daughter's disappearance, but on Wednesday she was indicted by a grand jury on 19 charges, including felony murder and child abuse, the local sheriff's department announced.

Evelyn was reported missing in February by a family member but hadn't been seen since at least December.

Her story captured the nation, with local authorities referring to her as "Baby Evelyn."

Online sleuths launched groups on social media to discuss details of the investigation and speculate on what happened to the toddler, spreading theories that the police said muddled the case.

"As a result of false information given by the defendant. along with misinformation circulating in the community, there has been a lot of confusion in this case," Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said at a press conference on Wednesday. "I want to be clear when I say that after an extensive and thorough investigation, other individuals have been eliminated as suspects and Megan Boswell became the sole suspect in this case."

In March, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it found Evelyn's remains at a property in Blountville owned by a family member of Megan Boswell.

Authorities said they followed up on hundreds of tips related to the case.

"During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Megan Boswell killed Evelyn and disposed of her body," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

Brad Sproles, an attorney representing Boswell, told WJHL on Wednesday that he hadn't been able to talk to her recently because the jail where she is being held had "some COVID issues."

"We're somewhat limited in our ability to talk to folks up there," he said. "But I've spoken with some of the sheriff's officers and in the next few days they're going to try to make arrangements maybe where I can talk with her by video."

He said the case would likely go on for a while. When a WJHL reporter asked whether he was surprised by the indictment, he said, "I'd rather not answer that."

• Read more:
• County sheriff says the mom of missing Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell hasn't been truthful with police
• A Tennessee toddler hasn't been seen since December but was reported missing only this week
• A man who dated the mother of Evelyn Boswell — the 15-month-old toddler who has been missing for months — said he never met the child