Why did it take months to issue an Amber Alert for missing Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell?

NASHVILLE — Evelyn Boswell, an East Tennessee toddler at the center of a state-wide Amber Alert, was reportedly last seen the day after Christmas, authorities announced this week.

But the 15-month-old Sullivan County girl from Blountville was not reported as a missing child until Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Why did it take the girl's family nearly two months to report her missing?

"That’s what investigators are trying to determine," Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Leslie Earhart said Friday morning.

Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said Friday afternoon that the case is full of "conflicting information and inaccuracies," and that he believes Evelyn was actually last seen Dec. 10 or 11 by a babysitter.

“This is unlike anything I have ever seen,” he said at a press conference.

The TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Evelyn Wednesday night at the request of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, Earnhart said.

Authorities described Evelyn as standing 2 feet tall, weighing 28 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink tracksuit, pink shoes and a pink bow.

On Friday morning the TBI tweeted "individuals in a gray 2007 BMW with TN tag 3M9-6W9 have information regarding Evelyn Boswell’s whereabouts."

The vehicle, according to the TBI, has front end damage.

The Sullivan County sheriff shared a few more pieces of information but many of the details of the case remain vague.

Among the updates:

• A babysitter may have been the last person to see Evelyn, on a date much earlier than had first been reported.

• The child's grandfather reported her missing. The Tennessee Department of Children's Services immediately launched an investigation.

• Both the child's mother and father, who are not married, have been involved in the investigation.

• Police are looking for the owner of the BMW because "we just think that they have some additional information that can lead us to the contact or resulting in finding this child," Cassidy, the sheriff, said.

• Evelyn's mother has full custody of the child. Her father is in the military, stationed in Louisiana.

• Cassidy said he is personally offering $1,000 to anyone who offers information that leads to the safe return of the child. He asked others to contribute, too, "to bring sweet Evelyn home."

The case has been difficult because the first hours and days are crucial when a child is reported missing. In this situation, that window closed months ago.

Anyone who sees Evelyn or knows her possible whereabouts should call 911. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Hayes Hickman contributed to this report. Follow Natalie Neysa Alund on Twitter: @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on The Tennessean: Amber Alert for Evelyn Boswell: Tennessee toddler was missing months