Published by RawNews1st
A 7-Year-Old Was Found Duct-Taped In A Closet. He Was Tortured For Months.
On August 6, 2026, at approximately 1 p.m., officers responded to a home in the 2800 block of Madison Road in Cincinnati, Ohio, after a reported disturbance. Upon arrival, officers found a 7-year-old boy unresponsive in a closet. Investigators said his body had been duct-taped.
The victim was identified as 7-year-old William Evans.
William’s death is being investigated as a homicide.
During an August 7 court hearing, an investigator described the case as one of the most disturbing examples of child abuse he had encountered during his law enforcement career.
Investigators said William had injuries consistent with repeated physical beatings, including blunt-force injuries believed to have been inflicted with a striking object to his face, torso, back, arms and legs.
Authorities also believe William was subjected to what investigators described as water torture.
“We believe the victim was choked underwater, held underwater for a long period of time,” an investigator testified.
Investigators said there was also evidence of burn torture.
Prosecutors said William, who they described as mentally handicapped, had been subjected to abuse for more than two months.
Authorities arrested William’s mother, 38-year-old Kaitlin Evans, along with 33-year-old Kirby Rankin and 23-year-old Nessa Keaney.
All three women lived in the home and were charged with murder and child endangerment.
Investigators said Rankin disclosed her own involvement in the prolonged abuse and implicated Evans and Keaney as active participants.
Evans’ attorney argued that the allegations against her amounted to a failure to act rather than evidence that she personally inflicted William’s injuries. The defense contended that another person caused his death.
Keaney’s attorney similarly argued that she attempted to care for William after he had already been injured by someone else and said he understood her charges to stem from failing to intervene or report what happened.
Prosecutors pushed back on that characterization.
They told the court that the day before William died, all three women took their dog to a veterinarian to receive vaccinations while leaving the 7-year-old home alone.
William’s other biological parent appeared in court and told Evans, “William was my life, and I trusted you to care for him.”
The parent also said William had been kept away from them for nine months “over lies.”
On August 7, a judge set bond at $1.1 million each for Evans, Rankin and Keaney.
A competency hearing for Rankin was ordered for early September after her attorney cited documented serious mental health issues.
Final autopsy results are still pending, and investigators said additional charges are anticipated as the investigation continues.
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