Parents must report children in their charge missing within 24 hours, according to legislation being considered by the General Assembly. The newly-proposed bill, “Evelyn Boswell’s Law,” was compelled by the local murder case of Evelyn Boswell. The 15-month-old girl was never reported missing by her mother.
The case gained national attention in mid-February last year, days after Boswell’s grandfather first reported her missing, which led to a massive search for Boswell. The last confirmed sighting of Boswell had been in December, nearly two months earlier. In early March, just weeks after reporting her missing, Boswell’s grandfather discovered her remains on a family property in Blountville, Tennessee.
AMBER ALERT: We need your help to locate 15-month-old Evelyn Mae Boswell, who is missing from Sullivan County.
If you have seen Evelyn, please call the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office at 423-279-7330 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. #TNAMBERAlert pic.twitter.com/wL3cKkswsh
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) February 20, 2020
State Representative John Crawford (R-Bristol/Kingsport) shared he’d introduced the bill because the tragedy had taken place in his district. According to the bill, parents guilty of not reporting missing minors 12 years or younger would be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. That could amount to $2,500 in fines and nearly a year in jail. If the child is found with serious bodily harm or dead, the parent could be subject to a Class C felony: up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Crawford explained that Boswell’s mother not only failed to report their daughter missing, she continually lied to police.
“[The mother of Evelyn Boswell] did everything they could to give our local law enforcement and TBI the runaround,” stated Crawford. “They were told that she was with the grandmother in North Carolina, they were told that she was with friends traveling and on vacation. And all this time, the little girl had already been passed. And, it was devastating to my community.”
WATCH: We have a sad update to pass along in our ongoing search for answers in the death of 15-month-old Evelyn Boswell. Remains found on Friday evening have been confirmed to be those of the little girl.
Thank you for your continued support in this difficult case. pic.twitter.com/C0ooJdBdMz
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) March 11, 2020
The circumstances of Boswell’s death are sealed due to the ongoing trial against her mother.
Both the House and Senate are scheduled to review the bill for a final hearing and vote next week.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
We don’t need a new law, named after a victim, EVERY TIME something happens. Existing laws are enough
JRin – I agree with you. The problem of lax law enforcement is the real problem. Not more laws on top of existing laws. This sounds more like a little showboating in the Assembly.