Megan Boswell faces new first-degree murder charge

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Megan Boswell now faces a new first-degree murder charge in the death of her daughter Evelyn Boswell, more than four years after she was first arrested .

Boswell appeared in Sullivan County court Thursday for what was originally scheduled as a motion hearing regarding a request by her legal team for a change of venue. At the request of Boswell’s attorney, Gene Scott, the court set a new date of August 15 to discuss the change of venue motion.

Prior to the hearing, Boswell was served with a new indictment charging her with first-degree murder. The new charge alleges Evelyn’s death was premeditated and intentional. The new count is in addition to her two previous felony murder charges.

Boswell was arraigned while in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the new charge. News Channel 11 streamed the court appearance, which can be viewed in the video player above.

Second Judicial District Attorney Barry Staubus told News Channel 11 that the new charge was added after new evidence came to light.

“It was based on additional evidence that we had, that we obtained after the initial presentment,” Staubus said. “So we decided we would add an additional charge of first-degree murder, premeditated.”

However, Scott said during an interview with News Channel 11 after the hearing that he has seen no reason why a new charge would be added so late into the case.

“There’s been nothing new to indicate why this was brought four years later,” Scott said. “No new discovery, no new anything as to why now, as opposed to if she’s guilty of premeditated murder, why was it not charged in 2020?”

The new charge brings the total number of counts against Boswell to 20. In August 2020, Boswell was indicted on 19 other charges , including two counts of felony murder in Evelyn’s death. Other counts include aggravated child abuse, aggravated child neglect, false reports and failure to report a death under suspicious, unusual or unnatural circumstances.

Scott urged the public to wait until the facts were laid out before making their judgments in Boswell’s case.

“There shouldn’t be a rush to judgment in this case,” Scott said. “No evidence has been presented yet, yet I have people text me, talk to me about their thoughts that she’s guilty or you see on Facebook.”

Scott said he has seen comments on stories posted to media outlets’ social media pages from the public. He said he has read multiple comments from people saying the court process is taking too long and is being dragged out.

“This girl is charged with first-degree murder, and she’s entitled to a fair trial, and I just want people to give her the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Give her a presumption of innocence and wait and see what the evidence actually shows.”

After the hearing Thursday, Staubus also reaffirmed his belief that an impartial jury can be found in Sullivan County and that the trial won’t require a change of venue.

“We believe that we can pick a jury that can fairly hear the facts of this case and render a decision based on the facts and the law,” Staubus said.

Scott disagreed.

“I think we would have better luck seating a jury if we tried from a different section of the state, as opposed to Sullivan County,” Scott told News Channel 11.

Scott said at this point, he is not so much hoping for the trial to be held outside of Sullivan County as he is to select a jury from elsewhere and bring them to the county.

“This case has been picked up in most of the major news markets in Tennessee, but it probably has not been examined as heavily, say, in the Nashville market or in the Memphis market as it would be here because it’s not local for them,” Scott said.

Boswell was first arrested in February 2020 on a charge of false reports following the issuance of an AMBER Alert for Evelyn. Investigators found Evelyn’s remains in March 2020 , and Megan Boswell was indicted on 19 counts by a grand jury in August 2020.

Prosecutors announced in January 2021 that they intended to seek a sentence of life in prison without parole if Boswell was found guilty.

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