OHIO: 7-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM EVANS-ELLIS FOUND DEAD INSIDE A CLOSET — HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER AND TWO CO-PARENTS ARE ACCUSED IN A PROLONGED PATTERN OF ABUSE
OHIO: 7-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM EVANS-ELLIS FOUND DEAD INSIDE A CLOSET — HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER AND TWO CO-PARENTS ARE ACCUSED IN A PROLONGED PATTERN OF ABUSE
A 7-year-old boy lost his life inside the very home that should have kept him safe.
On August 6, 2026, Cincinnati police found William Evans-Ellis, 7, dead inside a closet at an apartment on Madison Road. Authorities said he had suffered extensive injuries, and the coroner determined that he died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Three adults who lived with William were arrested: his biological mother, Kaitlin Evans, 38, her partner Kirby Rankin, 33, and Nessa Keaney, 23, who also acted as a co-parent. All three were later indicted on multiple serious charges, including murder, kidnapping, child endangering, and conspiracy.
According to court documents, investigators also uncovered messages that allegedly showed discussions about kidnapping and abusing William weeks before his death. Authorities have not publicly identified one clear motive for why the abuse happened. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
William’s family remembered him as a sweet, brilliant child who loved reading, Pokémon, and Legos, and proudly called himself a “Lego Master Builder.”
Please keep William in your prayers. He deserved a childhood filled with love, safety, and happiness.
