Three women face murder and child endangering charges as prosecutors await autopsy findings and prepare the case for a grand jury.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The homicide investigation into the death of 7-year-old William Evans has moved rapidly into court, with his mother and two other women held on $1.1 million bonds while authorities continue gathering evidence from an Oakley home.
Kaitlin Evans, 38; Kirby Rankin, 33; and Nessa Keaney, 23, are charged with murder and child endangering after police found William unresponsive Thursday in a home in the 2800 block of Madison Road. Investigators say the boy’s death is a homicide, but the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office had not publicly released a final cause of death as of Saturday.
Cincinnati and Norwood police responded to the home at about 1 p.m. Thursday after a possible disturbance was reported. Officers found William inside. Police questioned the three women and later arrested them. Authorities said Evans was William’s mother and that Rankin and Keaney shared the residence.
During arraignment proceedings Friday, a Cincinnati homicide detective described evidence that investigators believe shows William suffered repeated abuse over an extended period. The detective said investigators observed numerous injuries consistent with physical assaults and alleged that other forms of abuse occurred. Police also said William was found restrained in a closet.
The testimony provided the first detailed public account of why investigators brought murder charges so quickly after William was found. The allegations have not been proven at trial, and each defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Prosecutors have indicated that the investigation remains active and that the charges could change as additional evidence becomes available.
The defendants’ attorneys have already begun challenging parts of the prosecution’s account. Brandon Fox, an attorney representing Evans, said the evidence would show that another person charged in the case caused the child’s death. He characterized the state’s theory against William’s mother as involving an alleged failure to intervene rather than an allegation that she personally inflicted the fatal injury.
An attorney for Keaney told the court that she attempted to provide care to William after he was injured by someone else in the home. The lawyer said he understood the allegations against Keaney to involve a failure to act or report the abuse. Prosecutors disputed efforts to minimize the defendants’ responsibility and described all three women as connected to the conditions investigators say existed in the home.
The detective also told the court that Rankin disclosed involvement in what investigators characterized as prolonged abuse and implicated the other women. A judge has ordered a competency hearing for Rankin in early September. A competency proceeding determines whether a defendant is able to understand the court process and assist in her defense; it does not decide guilt or innocence.
William’s other biological parent, who was not charged and did not live at the Oakley residence, attended the hearing. The parent became emotional in court and said William had been kept away for about nine months. Investigators have not publicly provided a complete account of William’s contacts with relatives, schools, medical providers or other agencies during the period preceding his death.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy Friday. Authorities said the final cause of death was still pending while additional information was gathered. Investigators also expect to continue interviewing witnesses, and prosecutors have said further charges are possible depending on the medical findings and other evidence.
Outside the courtroom, the case has also become a story of a family grieving a 7-year-old. William’s grandparents have remembered him as a sweet and funny child, providing a personal portrait amid court proceedings focused largely on allegations about his final weeks and the conduct of adults responsible for his care.
The case is expected to be presented to a Hamilton County grand jury as prosecutors determine what charges should proceed. Evans, Rankin and Keaney remained subject to $1.1 million bonds following Friday’s hearings, and no final autopsy findings had been announced by Saturday.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 8, 2026.