CINCINNATI — A judge set bond at $1.1 million Friday morning for each of the three people charged in the death of a 7-year-old boy whose body investigators say was found duct-taped in a closet.
Kaitlin Evans, 38; Kirby Rankin, 33; and Nessa Keaney, 23 were arrested on charges of murder and child endangerment, according to Sgt. Andria Smith of the Cincinnati Police Homicide Unit.
Authorities identified the victim as William Evans. Police say his death is being investigated as a homicide.
Kaitlin Evans is the boy's mother, according to testimony during the court hearing. Rankins and Keaney both lived in the home with Evans and her son.
An investigator told the judge during Friday morning's arraignment that in his 21 years of law enforcement experience, this case is "probably one of the most disturbing examples of child abuse" that he has ever witnessed. He said that from what they could see, they saw "a number of injuries that would indicate physical beatings, blunt force injuries from a striking device on the face, torso, back, upper and lower extremities."
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He said they anticipate additional charges based on autopsy results and additional interviews with witnesses.
He also said they believe what the investigator described as "water torture" was involved.
"We believe the victim was choked underwater, held underwater for a long period of time," he said. "There was also some burn torture involved."
The detective told the court that Rankin did disclose her own involvement in the "prolonged child abuse incident" but implicated Evans and Keaney as being "active participants." A judge ordered a competency hearing for Rankin for early September.
The attorney representing Keaney told the court that she said she attempted to administer treatment to the child after he was injured by someone else in the home. He said he understood that her charges stem from her failing to act or report the crime.
But the prosecutor countered that the day before the child's death, all three suspects took their dog to a veterinarian to be vaccinated, leaving the 7-year-old home alone.
Officers from the Cincinnati and Norwood Police Departments responded at approximately 1 p.m. to a home in the 2800 block of Madison Road to a report of a possible disturbance, Smith said. When they arrived, they found the boy inside and said he was unresponsive.
WCPO crews on scene saw police outside a residence near Madison Road and Andrew Avenue for hours Thursday. At that time, police told WCPO that detectives were interviewing three people but did not immediately name them.
