The indictment unsealed Aug. 13 alleges that Kaitlin Evans, Kirby Rankin and Nessa Keaney exchanged Signal messages beginning July 1 that prosecutors say were part of a plot to kidnap and kill 7-year-old William Evans-Ellis. William’s body was found duct-taped inside a closet in an Oakley apartment on Aug. 6; the coroner reported blunt force trauma to the head, an arm fracture and extensive bruising. Each defendant faces 13 felony counts, including aggravated murder and kidnapping, and could receive life without parole if convicted. Defense lawyers have disputed their clients’ culpability and requested evaluations; all three remain jailed pending trial.
Indictment Says Signal Messages Tie Three Adults to Plot to Kidnap and Kill 7-Year-Old
An investigation at a home on Madison Road in Oakley is underway after officials said a child was found dead on Aug. 6, 2026.
Newly unsealed court records allege that Kaitlin Evans, Kirby Rankin and Nessa Keaney exchanged encrypted Signal messages and an audio file as part of an alleged plot to kidnap and kill 7-year-old William Evans-Ellis. The communications reportedly began on July 1 and continued through Aug. 6, the day investigators found the child’s body in an Oakley apartment.
What the Indictment Alleges
The indictment, filed Aug. 13 in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, says messages and an audio clip were exchanged among the three adults beginning a month before William’s body was discovered. Authorities say William was found restrained with duct tape inside a closet on Aug. 6.
Injuries and Cause of Death
Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco reported blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death. The coroner also noted an arm fracture and "bruises too numerous to count." Investigators have described additional injuries consistent with beatings, possible burns and signs that the child may have been choked while held underwater.
"The injuries show prolonged and severe abuse," prosecutors said in court filings.
Charges and Penalties
Evans, Rankin and Keaney each face 13 felony counts, including aggravated murder, kidnapping and child endangering. If convicted, they could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said the decision whether to seek capital charges could be revisited as more evidence emerges.
William Michael Evans-Ellis, 7, celebrating his seventh birthday on April 3, 2026.
How Authorities Were Alerted
Police responded after a woman who identified herself as William’s mother entered an emergency room and told staff that her partner was trying to kill her and had taken her son. Officials say the three adults lived together at a Madison Road apartment and co-parented William; Evans has been identified as the boy’s biological mother.
Defense Positions
At a recent hearing, Evans’ attorney, Brandon Fox, said she has no prior criminal record and that evidence will show she did not cause William’s death. Rankin’s lawyer, Anna Mallory, requested a competency evaluation and said her client has a history of mental illness. Keaney’s attorney, Jeff Adams, said his client attempted to provide treatment to the child and described Keaney as the "least culpable" of the three.
All three defendants remain in custody at the Hamilton County Justice Center awaiting trial.
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
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