Overview
- The child, identified as 7-year-old William Evans, was found dead inside a Madison Road home and prosecutors told a judge the boy was discovered bound in a closet after what they say was prolonged abuse.
- All three defendants — the boy’s mother Kaitlin Evans and residents Nessa Keaney and Kirby Rankin — were arraigned on murder and child endangerment charges in Hamilton County court on Friday.
- A detective testifying in court described widespread injuries including impact trauma to the back of the head, burns and what prosecutors called “water torture,” and said the abuse likely continued for more than two months.
- Judges set secured bonds and electronic monitoring for the defendants, the court ordered a competency evaluation for Rankin with results due Sept. 4, and a grand jury hearing on the case is set for Aug. 17.
- Neighbors said they did not know a child lived in the home and authorities have not yet released an official cause of death pending forensic review and the coroner’s findings.