The crumpled body of a 7-year-old boy with autism and ADHD was found bound with duct tape in a closet, and police say he was tortured to death by his own mother and her two lovers in a Cincinnati duplex, a case that has left even veteran detectives shaken. William Evans Ellis, described by family as an adorable child who loved Legos and painting, was discovered dead on August 6 after a woman walked barefoot into a Mercy Health emergency room, claiming her partner was trying to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 her and had hidden her son in an attic. Police responding to the duplex on Madison Road in the Oakley neighborhood found William’s body in a closet, where Hamilton County Coroner Dr.
Lakshmi Sammarco said he had been dead for at least a day. The coroner’s preliminary autopsy revealed blunt force trauma to the head, causing bleeding and swelling of the brain, with evidence of water torture, burn torture, and prolonged restraint with duct tape. Cincinnati Police Detective said the torture had been ongoing for weeks, describing the scene as the worst he had seen in 20 years of service.
William’s mother, Caitlin Evans, 33, and her partners, Niesa Kenny, 38, and Kirby Rankin, 35, were all arrested and charged with murder and child endangering, each held on a $1. 1 million bond. All three were living in a polyamorous relationship, with Kenny and Rankin being trans women who were assigned male at birth, and they were supposed to be co-parenting William, according to police.
The biological father, a trans woman who is married to Evans, appeared in court and said she had been kept from William for nine months based on lies. Dr. Sammarco, who opened the closet door herself, described freezing for several minutes upon seeing the child’s body, saying, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay, but I’m definitely not okay with this.”
The coroner noted a stark contradiction in the home, where a third-floor playroom was filled with Legos and toys, looking like a little boy’s dream, while William was found dead in a closet. Neighbors said they had no idea a child even lived in the unit, raising questions about how the 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 went unnoticed. The case has drawn outrage from prosecutors and child advocates, with former Deputy Ohio Attorney General Mark Weaver calling it a death penalty-eligible case due to the torture of a child.
Weaver said the situation was a “home of horrors” and that all three adults should be convicted for either directly causing harm or failing to intervene. The 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 may have been foreshadowed by a January 2026 incident in a Jungle Jim’s grocery store parking lot, where Rankin was charged with assaulting a woman, punching her in the face, and pulling a gun, all while William was present. Rankin pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts in that case and was set for sentencing in September, but the victim’s family believes the charges should have been felonies.
The Bunnells, whose wife was assaulted, said they are furious that Rankin was not more severely punished, potentially leaving William 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓭 to danger. Jail records list both Rankin and Kenny as males, despite their transgender identity, and Rankin has a tattoo reading “This machine kills fascists.” The biological father’s appearance in court has added a layer of complexity, with family members alleging that Evans and her partners kept William isolated from relatives who loved him.
William’s paternal grandmother wrote on Facebook, “William Ellis, my grandson, was brutally murdered. Please do not fund his murderer,” referring to a GoFundMe set up by Evans’ family. The maternal aunt’s GoFundMe page described William as “a beloved little boy whose life was taken far too soon,” and said the focus is on surrounding his loved ones with compassion.
The coroner’s office is still conducting toxicology tests and DNA analysis, which could take weeks, to determine who inflicted the fatal injuries. Dr. Sammarco said she is looking at the lungs carefully for evidence of water torture, but some findings may be part of the death process.
The case has reignited debates about child protection, with Weaver emphasizing that unrelated males in a home with a child statistically increase the risk of 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮. He urged anyone seeing red flags to call child welfare authorities or 911, saying, “When you see one flag that indicates maybe a child’s at risk, that’s when you call.” The three defendants appeared in court the morning after their arrest, wearing white suits as their clothes were seized for evidence.
Each went through an x-ray machine and was searched before being fitted with yellow jail jumpsuits. The case is expected to go to a grand jury soon, with prosecutors considering aggravated murder charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty. William’s grandparents, Mike and Tina, who he called Papa and Nana, have said they will handle funeral expenses, refusing donations from the public.
The family rift is evident, with the paternal grandmother warning against supporting Evans’ relatives, while the maternal aunt seeks funds for burial. The community has set up a makeshift memorial outside the duplex, with balloons, flowers, and candles, as neighbors express shock and grief. The downstairs neighbor posted a sign on the front door saying, “We were not involved in this.
Please, we did not do anything wrong. Don’t knock on our door.” Police have not released details on a possible murder weapon, but the coroner said they are examining items collected from the home.
The case has drawn national attention, with many calling for justice for a child who should have been playing with toys and getting ready for school. William’s life was stolen for absolutely no reason, police said, and the investigation continues to unravel the strange dynamic inside the home. The three adults lived in a duplex unit with a playroom filled with Lego sets, a tent-like setup, and a hammock, but William was found dead in a closet.
The coroner described the scene as “a little boy’s dream playroom,” making the tragedy even more incomprehensible. The case is a stark reminder of the failures in child protection, as William’s family members say they were kept away from him in the months before his death. The biological father’s statement in court that she was kept away based on lies has raised questions about custody and visitation.
The case is now in the hands of the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, which will decide on charges. The community is mourning, and the investigation is ongoing, with more details expected to emerge in the coming weeks. The three defendants remain in custody, and their next court appearance has not been scheduled.
The case has left a mark on everyone involved, from the coroner to the detectives, who say they have never seen anything this bad. The little boy who loved Legos and painting is gone, and those who were supposed to protect him are now facing justice. The family is left to grieve, and the community is left to wonder how such horror could unfold unnoticed.
The case continues to develop, and we will bring you updates as they become available.
