A Cincinnati mother and her two partners have been indicted on 13 counts each — including aggravated murder — in the torture death of her seven-year-old son, whose body was discovered bound with duct tape inside a closet.

William Michael Evans-Ellis was found dead on the afternoon of Aug. 6, 2026, at an apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hamilton County coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco said on August 11 that the boy had sustained multiple injuries to his head, a broken bone, and what she described as “too many bruises to count.” Investigators believe William had been dead for at least a day before he was found.

Officials concluded he was tortured to death and died from blunt force trauma to the head. Authorities also believe he may have been sexually assaulted before his death.

Three Charged in Boy’s Murder

William’s mother, Kaitlin Evans, 38, along with her partners Nessa Keaney, 23, and Kirby (Nathan) Rankin, 33, have each been charged with murder in connection with the boy’s death. The three defendants face 13 charges each, including multiple counts related to murder, kidnapping, assault, child endangerment, and conspiracy, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich.

Pillich said the three adults had failed in their responsibility to care for William. “They failed miserably as parents,” Pillich said. “They committed atrocious acts causing this child to suffer terribly.”

Pillich said she will aggressively pursue the case to ensure the defendants are never released and cannot harm another child.

All three defendants are being held on a $1.1 million bond.

A Discovery That Stunned a Family

The circumstances surrounding William’s death were harrowing from the start. When the boy was reported missing, Evans claimed that one of her partners had taken him — a claim that ultimately led investigators to the apartment where his body was found, duct-taped inside a closet.

The discovery stood in brutal contrast to the image of the child his family had known just weeks before. His grandparents recalled joyful memories of William, supported by videos and photographs showing him smiling and unharmed.

The coroner’s office confirmed on Aug. 11 that William’s injuries were extensive. The nature and number of those injuries — head trauma, a broken bone, and bruising across his body — pointed investigators toward a conclusion of deliberate, sustained violence.

Grand Jury Returns Sweeping Indictment

The grand jury indictment on Thursday, August 13, reflected the breadth of alleged conduct prosecutors say the three adults carried out against William. The 13 counts span multiple categories of violent felonies, including charges related to kidnapping that suggest William’s freedom was restricted by the adults responsible for his care.

Pillich framed the charges in stark moral terms, describing the accused as people who had been entrusted with a child’s life and had instead subjected him to severe harm. Keaney and Rankin lived with Evans and William, forming what family members and investigators described as a shared household arrangement.

Community and Family Left Searching for Answers

For William’s extended family, the revelations have been devastating. The gap between the boy they knew — captured in recent photos and videos, laughing and at ease — and the condition in which he was found has left those who loved him struggling to reconcile two entirely different realities.

That William is believed to have been dead for at least one full day before anyone found him has deepened the grief and outrage surrounding his case. The boy had injuries consistent with prolonged abuse, according to the coroner, suggesting his suffering may not have been limited to a single incident.

The case now moves toward trial, with all three defendants facing the weight of a grand jury indictment built on more than a dozen separate criminal counts. Prosecutors have pledged to pursue the maximum consequences available under Ohio law. For a seven-year-old boy whose grandparents remember him as full of joy just weeks before his death, the legal proceedings represent the final avenue toward accountability for a child who had no way to protect himself.