FAIRFIELD, Ohio — A person charged in the death of a 7-year-old Cincinnati boy was free on bond after being convicted of assaulting a woman in a Fairfield grocery store parking lot months earlier.
WATCH: Person charged in Oakley boy’s death was free on bond after Fairfield assault
Kirby Rankin, 33, is charged with murder and child endangerment in the death of William Evans, whose body was found duct-taped inside a closet at a home on Madison Road in Oakley.
Rankin was arrested along with William’s mother, Kaitlin Evans, 38, and Nessa Keaney, 23.
All three have pleaded not guilty.
Before William’s death, Rankin was convicted in connection with a Jan. 4 confrontation with Amy Bunnell at Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield.
Bunnell’s husband, Lance Bunnell, now says he repeatedly pushed police and prosecutors to pursue felony charges against Rankin and warned authorities about concerns for William’s safety.
But Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser strongly disputes that a different outcome in the January case could have prevented William’s death.
What happened at Jungle Jim’s?
According to Fairfield police records, officers responded around 3:10 p.m. Jan. 4 to a report of a physical altercation between two women in the Jungle Jim’s parking lot.
The police report says Rankin confronted Bunnell after accusing Bunnell of nearly hitting Rankin’s child with a vehicle.
Bunnell told police Rankin cursed at her and threatened to shoot Bunnell if Bunnell did not leave.
Surveillance footage reviewed by officers showed Bunnell walking away before Rankin approached again, pushed her and punched her in the face with a closed fist, according to the report.
Lance Bunnell says dashcam video from his wife’s vehicle shows there was no close call involving the child.
Bunnell suffered a concussion, three fractured teeth and a knee injury that required surgery, according to her husband.
The confrontation continued after bystanders intervened.
Police said Rankin pulled a handgun from a purse, chambered a round and pointed the gun at a male bystander who was attempting to help break up the fight.
The bystander provided a statement to police but declined to pursue charges.
Rankin remained free on bond
Rankin was charged with assault and aggravated menacing, both first-degree misdemeanors.
Rankin was later convicted and remained free on a $100,000 bond while awaiting sentencing.
That sentencing was still pending when Cincinnati police said they found William dead Thursday.
Lance Bunnell, a former law enforcement captain who oversaw investigations, said he believed the charges against Rankin should have been felonies.
Bunnell said he contacted Fairfield police and prosecutors repeatedly, asking them to increase the charges.
“They all declined after about 20 requests to increase this to felonies,” Bunnell said.
Bunnell said his concerns eventually went beyond the injuries suffered by his wife. He said authorities were warned about William.
“We warned them that we were concerned for the child, that this guy's going to commit violence again,” Bunnell said.
Bunnell said he believes William could still be alive if authorities had handled the January case differently.
“If they would have done their jobs correctly and taken my wife's case to grand jury, in my opinion, I believe that kid may have a strong chance of being alive today,” Bunnell said.
Prosecutor disputes Bunnell’s claim
Gmoser said his office reviewed the case with Fairfield police and prosecutors and determined Rankin was charged appropriately.
Gmoser said the January incident did not meet the standard for felony charges.
He also disputed Bunnell’s characterization of how the confrontation began, saying Bunnell was the person who initially instigated the encounter.
Gmoser said that does not justify Rankin punching Bunnell, but said the circumstances still mattered when determining the appropriate charges.
“We don't predict the future with what we do. We do things on the basis of what is right. We follow the facts,” Gmoser said.
Gmoser also called the idea that a different decision in the January case could have prevented William’s death “stupid.”
He said Fairfield police, the Fairfield prosecutor and his office were all in agreement about how the case should be handled.
“If I prosecuted felonies of every punch in the eye on a weekend, we would be trying those cases until Christmas,” Gmoser said.
William’s death
Cincinnati police said officers responded around 1 p.m. Thursday to a home in the 2800 block of Madison Road after receiving a report of a possible disturbance.
Officers found William unresponsive inside the home.
During Friday’s arraignment, a Cincinnati homicide detective told a judge investigators observed numerous injuries that appeared consistent with physical beatings and blunt-force trauma.
The detective also said investigators believe William was subjected to what was described in court as “water torture” and “burn torture.”
Investigators said Rankin disclosed involvement in the prolonged abuse and implicated Evans and Keaney as active participants, according to testimony during the hearing.
Rankin’s attorney requested a competency evaluation, citing documented mental health issues.
Evans is William’s mother. Rankin and Keaney also lived in the Madison Road home, according to testimony.
A judge set bond at $1.1 million for each defendant.
Authorities said additional charges could be filed after the autopsy and further interviews are completed.
The investigation remains ongoing.
