Three women in Cincinnati have been charged after the body of 7-year-old William Evans — who had disabilities — was discovered bound with duct tape inside a closet at a home in the Oakley neighborhood on Aug. 6, authorities said.
The suspects, identified in court records as the boy's mother, 38-year-old Kaitlin Evans, and two women who lived with the family, 23-year-old Nessa Keaney and 33-year-old Kirby Rankin, were each arraigned on murder and child endangerment charges on Aug. 7 and pleaded not guilty. Bond for each defendant was set at $1.1 million.
Officers from the Cincinnati and Norwood police departments responded to a disturbance call at about 1 p.m. and found the child unresponsive; he was later pronounced dead at the scene, local outlets reported.
A veteran homicide detective told the judge that the boy's body showed "a number of injuries" consistent with repeated blunt-force trauma on the face, torso, back and limbs. The detective described the case in court as among the most disturbing examples of child abuse he had seen in more than two decades on the job.
A Cincinnati police vehicleCredit: Raymond Boyd/Getty
Allegations presented in court: Investigators said the child appeared to have been choked and held underwater for an extended period and that there were burn-related injuries that they characterized as torture. They also reported signs consistent with what they described as "water torture."
The detective told the court that investigators believe the three adults once left William at home while they took a dog to a veterinarian. Prosecutors said they expect to pursue additional charges pending autopsy results and further witness interviews.
William's grandparents, Mike and Tina Evans, described their grandson to WLWT as a loving boy who often spent weekends with them. They said William told them roughly six weeks before his death that he did not want to return home. The grandparents also said they saw a bruise on his shoulder about four weeks before the boy was found dead and subsequently retained an attorney and a private investigator.
In court, the detective said Rankin admitted involvement in what he called a "prolonged child abuse incident" and implicated Kaitlin Evans and Keaney as active participants. Keaney's attorney told local media that she attempted to treat the child after he was injured by another person in the home. A competency hearing for Rankin was scheduled for early September.
Authorities noted that further charges could be added after William's autopsy and additional interviews. All three defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
If you suspect child abuse: Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. Calls are toll-free, confidential and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
