REVEALED: Horrific injuries, violence suffered by 7-year-old Ohio boy tortured to death by mother, trans lovers: coroner

The cause of death in the killing of William Evans-Ellis, the mentally handicapped 7-year-old allegedly murdered by his mother and two trans-identified males, has now been confirmed by the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. The 7-year-old from Oakley, Ohio was discovered dead last week after suffering extensive abuse.

William's mother, Kaitlin Evans, 39, has been charged with murder and child endangerment, as have trans-identified males Kirby Rankin, 33, and Nessa Keaney, 23. The transgender male lovers of Evans shared a home with her and the boy. 

Speaking to reporters on August 11, Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco explained that a blunt force injury to William's head was what killed him. The mother and trans lovers allegedly caused "bruises too numerous to count" on the boy's body, and Sammarco estimated he had been dead roughly a day by the time officers found him, per Cincinnati.com. Sammarco reflected on the difficulty of the case: "This is a hard case for everybody... We always say that we expect the worst, but sometimes we get it."

Cincinnati police discovered William on August 6, bound with duct tape inside a closet in an Oakley apartment. Investigators reported finding signs of beatings, burn marks, and indications that the boy had been held underwater and choked by alleged child murderers. 

The case came to police attention after a woman claiming to be William's mother arrived at a hospital emergency room, telling staff that her partner had threatened her life and taken her child.

According to Sammarco, it was "pretty obvious" the fatal injuries were located on William's head. She described him as "fairly well-nourished" and indicated that no other children appeared to have been living at the residence.

The coroner pointed to the 2006 death of Marcus Fiesel, a 3-year-old who died after being restrained and abandoned in a closet by his foster parents. "This just felt so similar; it was a little scary," Sammarco said. She added that it's still uncertain whether the fatal head trauma occurred inside the residence or outside. While her office continues to look into what weapon or weapons may have been involved, she declined to share further details at this stage, stating, "We don't know all the circumstances."

William's remains have since been released to a funeral home and a broader investigation remains ongoing.
 

The three defendants, as well as a fourth trans-identified male who is the father of the child, Thomas John Ellis, also known as “Tara Jane,” reportedly had plans to transition the child and had groomed the boy into trans ideology, per Andy Ngo. Thomas John Ellis has not been charged in the case. In 2025, Kaitlin and Thomas John had a trans-themed second wedding, in which the child had been placed in a dress, a source with knowledge of the matter told Ngo. 

On social media, Thomas John Ellis posted about being in a polycule, having his son meet the father’s transgender girlfriend, Rankin, for the first time, the child talking about having multiple “mommies,” how his partners had a “fondness for weapons,” and encouraging the child to experiment with different names, suggesting that a transition for the child would be inevitable.