William McCloud’s attorney says stolen BMW case is ‘unusual’

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)- The attorney for a man connected to the Evelyn Boswell AMBER Alert investigation spoke with News Channel 11 on Friday.

Investigators continue to search for missing toddler Evelyn Boswell after an AMBER Alert was issued on February 19th. Since that time, Evelyn’s mother, her grandmother, and grandmother’s boyfriend have all been arrested. But investigators have still not been able to locate Evelyn.

The next court date for Evelyn’s grandmother, Angela Boswell, and her boyfriend William McCloud, is set for March 24th.

Blountville-based attorney Ricky Curtis was appointed to represent McCloud in a property theft case involving a stolen vehicle. This was the stolen BMW sought by authorities just a couple weeks ago in the Evelyn Boswell case. McCloud and Angela Boswell were arrested in North Carolina on February 21st. Both have since bonded out of the Sullivan County jail and have to wear ankle monitors.

Angela Boswell and William McCloud appeared in court Wednesday morning, each for the theft of property charge. While Boswell said she was looking to hire her own attorney, Curtis was appointed to represent McCloud.

“Generally, when you think of someone being charged in possession of a stolen car, you think of someone going and taking that car off a lot, or out of someone’s possession,” said Curtis. “And clearly that’s not what happened in this case.”

According to a court affidavit, the BMW was going to be sold to Evelyn’s mother, Megan Boswell. The car was reportedly being purchased for Megan’s mother, Angela. But court documents say no money was exchanged and no agreement of purchase was made.

Vehicle owner Melissa Wood reported the BMW as stolen by suspect Angela Boswell. McCloud was driving the car when he and Boswell were arrested in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

“No one is alleging that my client physically removed the car from someone or someplace that they didn’t have permission to take the car from. And that makes it unusual in a theft case,” said Curtis.

On Wednesday, Curtis told the judge McCloud was ready for a preliminary hearing. But the prosecution was not ready, as witnesses from North Carolina were unable to be in court that day.

“I imagine that those are going to be the folks from North Carolina, the law enforcement officials there that actually made the initial arrest,” said Curtis. “In order to be able to testify that my client and Ms. Boswell were physically in possession of the BMW.”

McCloud’s case could move from the March 24th preliminary hearing to criminal court. Curtis said it’s likely McCloud will still have to wear his ankle monitor through that case.

“Generally those bond conditions remain in effect for so long as the case is ongoing,” he said.

Curtis said his role is to represent McCloud in this sole theft case. He told News Channel 11 he knows nothing more about the missing Evelyn Boswell situation other than what’s been reported in the news. He learned he would be representing McCloud on Wednesday morning.

“The Public Defender’s Office in Sullivan County had a conflict of interest, which would prevent them from defending any of the characters involved, or at least either of the co-defendants in the theft case,” Curtis said.

Sullivan County Assistant District Attorney Teresa Nelson said the Public Defender’s Office already may represent Angela Boswell in other pending court cases.

“[McCloud’s] co-defendant in the case is Angela Boswell,” said Nelson. “Ms. Boswell also has cases pending in the General Sessions Court for Sullivan County in Kingsport, Tennessee.”

Nelson said court records show the Public Defender’s Office represents Boswell in those cases already.

“As a result, the Public Defender’s Office would have a conflict of interest in representing Mr. McCloud on any pending cases because she is a co-defendant,” Nelson said.