The National Pulse
Mother and Two Transgenders Charged in Murder of Mentally Handicapped Boy.
2026-08-07T19:25:38+00:00
By Pulse Wires
The mother of a seven-year-old boy and two transgenders face murder charges he was found dead following months of alleged abuse.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A mother and two transgenders have been charged with murder and child endangerment in the death of seven-year-old William Evans in Hamilton County, Ohio, after prosecutors alleged the boy endured months of severe abuse. The defendants, identified as the boy’s mother, Kaitlin Evans, 39, along with Nessa Keaney, 23, and Kirby Rankin, 33, appeared in court Friday, where prosecutors said the child was found bound with duct tape inside a closet. He had suffered extensive injuries, including blunt-force trauma, burns, and evidence of “water torture.” DETAIL: A detective called the case “one of the most disturbing examples of child abuse” he had encountered in over 20 years of law enforcement. Prosecutors alleged the three adults were co-parenting the child, who was described as mentally disabled, and said Rankin admitted involvement in the abuse while implicating Evans and Keaney as active participants. Rankin’s attorneys requested a competency evaluation, citing documented mental health issues, and a judge scheduled a hearing on the evaluation for September 4. Bond was set at $1 million on the murder charge and $100,000 on the child endangerment charge for each defendant, with the case scheduled to be presented to a grand jury on August 17. IMPACT: The case has raised questions about the oversight of vulnerable children in the care of transgenders, and is just the latest case of children seriously abused by people claiming to be the opposite sex. Legal proceedings are ongoing, with further details are expected to emerge at trial.Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.