William Evans GoFundMe: Ohio child tortured, killed by mom and 2 others remembered as ‘beloved little boy’

A seven-year-old boy, William Evans, was found dead in an Ohio apartment closet, bound with duct tape, after suffering severe torture and abuse. His mother, Kaitlin Evans, along with two other women, Nessa Keaney and Kirby Rankin, have been charged with murder and child endangerment in connection with his death. The tragic incident unfolded on August 6, and William's body was discovered on August 6, as reported by various media outlets including WXIX, WCPO, and WLWT.

Authorities from the Cincinnati and Norwood Police Departments responded to a disturbance call at the Oakley neighborhood home and found William unresponsive, later pronouncing him dead. The children and the women lived together and co-parented William, according to prosecutors who revealed during arraignments on August 7. Medical examiners found numerous injuries on William's body, indicating physical beatings, blunt force injuries, and burn torture.

One investigator described the case as "one of the most disturbing examples of child abuse" in his 21-year career. The women were allegedly involved in prolonged child abuse, with Kirby Rankin implicating herself and the other women as active participants. Nessa Keaney's attorney argued that she attempted to treat the child following injuries inflicted by someone else in the house.

Kirby Rankin has been ordered for a competency hearing early September, while all three defendants pleaded not guilty. A $1.1 million bond was set for each suspect. The GoFundMe campaign has been launched to provide financial support to the boy's family in creating a memory in William's honor and establishing a foundation in his name to support children facing similar circumstances.