Three people have been charged in connection with the Aug. 6 death of a 7-year-old Cincinnati boy in a case investigators have described as one of the most disturbing instances of child abuse they have encountered.
According to WXIX-TV, 38-year-old Kaitlin Evans, 23-year-old Nessa Keaney and 33-year-old Kirby Rankin were charged with murder and child endangerment following the death of William Evans. The child was described by the station as having a mental disability.
Investigators allege William endured prolonged and severe abuse before his death. A homicide detective said the case was “probably one of the most disturbing cases of child abuse” he had seen during his 21-year career.
Authorities say the boy was subjected to repeated beatings as well as abuse involving water and fire. Investigators also believe he was held underwater for extended periods.
“We believe the child was choked underwater, held underwater for a long period of time,” the detective said.
Police eventually found William dead inside a Cincinnati home, where authorities say his body had been duct-taped. Rankin allegedly acknowledged taking part in what investigators described as a prolonged episode of abuse and implicated the other defendants as participants as well.
William’s father later spoke publicly about the loss and said he had been prevented from seeing his son for months.
“Willie was my life. I trusted you to care for him,” he said, according to WKRC. “They kept him from me for the past nine months over lies.”
Evans, Keaney, Rankin and William had reportedly been living in the same residence.
Additional details about Rankin’s history have also emerged since the arrests. WXIX reported that Rankin had recently been convicted of misdemeanor assault and aggravated menacing stemming from a separate incident in January. The station also noted that Rankin has a forearm tattoo reading, “This machine kills fascists.”
That phrase has long been associated with anti-fascist political sentiment, but the tattoo by itself does not establish Rankin’s political affiliations or prove involvement with any particular organization or movement. Any broader conclusions about political motivation would require additional evidence.
Rankin’s attorney has also said that Rankin has documented serious mental health issues and requested a competency evaluation.
All three defendants have pleaded not guilty. Bond was set at $1.1 million for each of them.
The case is likely to develop further as investigators receive additional forensic evidence. Authorities have indicated that more charges could be filed after the completion of William’s autopsy.
For now, the central issue remains the death of a 7-year-old child and the allegations of sustained abuse that preceded it. The political beliefs, personal identities and backgrounds of the defendants may attract public attention, but they do not change the burden facing prosecutors: establishing, through evidence, exactly what happened inside that home and who was responsible.
If the allegations are proven in court, the details described by investigators point to an extraordinarily brutal case. Until then, Evans, Keaney and Rankin remain accused defendants who have entered not-guilty pleas, and the criminal proceedings will determine their legal responsibility for William’s death.