The investigation into the death of Tennessee toddler Evelyn Boswell is continuing despite the coronavirus pandemic because authorities feel the case is a priority, Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus told Knox News.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about exactly what we're doing," Staubus said Wednesday. "But generally, it's like any investigation. There have to be interviews conducted, there has to be forensic testing completed, and there are a number of things that have to be done. And those things are ongoing."

Measures enacted to slow the person-to-person spread of the virus have changed the way police and prosecutors do their jobs.

Law enforcement agencies in some jurisdictions have taken to writing citations instead of obtaining arrest warrants for various charges as sheriffs try to keep jails from being overcrowded. Attorneys and judges have turned to technology as they adjust to an order from the Tennessee Supreme Court suspending most in-person court proceedings.

In Sullivan County, Staubus said, authorities have worked to limit their contact with witnesses and defendants in many cases.

"Officers are very concerned about being infected and having contact with individuals, particularly on patrol and things like that," he said. "We've released people from jail, and we're giving citations when we would normally do arrest warrants. We're reducing the number of extraditions. In that way, it’s affected a lot of criminal justice functions."

But, in handling the Boswell case, Staubus said, the mindset is: "Let's do the things that will maintain the safety of the investigators, but let's still try in every way we can to pursue whatever it is we have to do."

Evelyn, a 15-month-old girl from Blountville, was found dead on the 17th day of a convoluted search that began when her grandfather reported her missing months after she was last seen. The investigation grew to span three states, spur an Amber Alert and draw in the FBI as the girl's relatives told conflicting, changing stories to police.

The girl's mother and sole legal guardian, 18-year-old Megan Boswell, has stayed behind bars since being arrested on a charge of making false reports. Authorities accused her of lying to them about her daughter's whereabouts from the moment the investigation began.

Staubus said Wednesday that his office received permission from the Tennessee Supreme Court to present the false reporting case to a grand jury later this month. He would not say whether prosecutors plan to present any additional evidence related to the toddler's death.

Also jailed is Evelyn's maternal grandmother, 42-year-old Angela Boswell. She was arrested last week on charges she and another man burglarized her parent's mobile home by walking through the front door and hauling off televisions, guns and tools. When she was booked into the Sullivan County jail, authorities said, she was found with a bag of suspected methamphetamine and a counterfeit $50 bill.

That arrest marked at least the second for Angela Boswell since the investigation began. She and her boyfriend, William McCloud, were arrested in North Carolina on Feb. 21, accused of fleeing the state in a stolen car days after Evelyn was reported missing.

Authorities have not publicly named — or ruled out — a suspect in Evelyn's death. They also have not released any details about the cause or nature of her death since her body was found on family property March 6.

A judge agreed to seal records from an autopsy, and Staubus said Wednesday he had not seen the autopsy report. The prosecutor again declined to release any details about how the child died.

"All of these things eventually will be revealed," he said.

Email Travis Dorman at travis.dorman@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @travdorman. If you enjoy Travis' coverage, support strong local journalism by subscribing for full access to all our content on every platform.