The three people charged in the death of 7-year-old William Evans-Ellis each pleaded not guilty Aug. 14 to a 13-count indictment that includes aggravated murder and conspiracy charges.
Kaitlin Evans, 38, the boy's biological mother; Kirby Rankin, 33; and Nessa Keaney, 23, entered their pleas at Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. A Hamilton County grand jury handed down the upgraded indictment Aug. 13, adding aggravated murder, kidnapping and two conspiracy counts to the murder and child endangering charges the three originally faced after their Aug. 8 arraignment.
Each defendant now faces one count of aggravated murder, four counts of murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of felonious assault, four counts of child endangering and two conspiracy counts: conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
The judge kept bonds at $1.1 million secured for each defendant. Attorneys for all three said their clients cannot afford to pay.
Competency questions
Keaney's attorney requested a competency evaluation at the Aug. 14 hearing, the second such request in the case. Rankin's attorneys previously filed a similar request. A Sept. 4 hearing is set for Rankin's competency results to be announced. No date has been confirmed for Keaney's evaluation.
Signal messages at center of conspiracy charges
The conspiracy charges stem from messages the three allegedly exchanged on the encrypted app Signal between July 1 and Aug. 6, according to WLWT, which reported from the courthouse. Court documents do not reveal what specifically was said in those messages, but prosecutors allege Rankin sent an audio message to Keaney on July 4 with plans to kidnap and kill William, according to WCPO.
William was found dead and bound with duct tape in a closet at a home on Madison Road in Oakley on Aug. 6. The Hamilton County Coroner determined he died from blunt force trauma to the head and had suffered numerous other injuries. Prosecutors say the three co-parented William.
Death penalty still under review
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said at a Aug. 13 press conference that the death penalty investigation remains ongoing, though the case is not currently eligible.
"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure these people never again see the light of day and never again have the opportunity to harm another child," Pillich said at the press conference announcing the indictment.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
As we reported earlier on Aug. 14, the arraignment had been scheduled following Thursday's indictment. The next confirmed court date is Sept. 4 for Rankin's competency results.
