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Death penalty not sought for mother, co-parents accused of killing 7-year-old boy, prosecutor says
Summary by The Nashville Editorial Desk · Byline on the source page: Mary LeBus, Alexis Martin, Jared Goffinet, Jordan Gartner , as published by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate)
· August 13, 2026
· 1 min read
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Nashville Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Mary LeBus, Alexis Martin, Jared Goffinet, Jordan Gartner, as published by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 13, 2026 Indexed here Aug 13, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway The child, William Evans-Ellis, was found dead in a closet at their home in Cincinnati.
A mother and two co-parents are facing charges in connection with the death of a 7-year-old boy. The child, William Evans-Ellis, was found dead in a closet at their home in Cincinnati. Authorities reported that he appeared to have been tortured and suffered severe beatings.
The three suspects, Kaitlin Evans, Kirby Rankin, and Nessa Keaney, were taken into custody and initially charged with murder and endangering children. A grand jury later indicted them on additional counts, including aggravated murder and kidnapping. Further details about the case are available from Cincinnati authorities and news sources, including WXIX and Gray News.
The prosecutor has stated that the death penalty may not be sought in this case.
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About this story
As published by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) . The Nashville surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: August 13, 2026 ·
Source: WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) ·
Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A mother and two co-parents are facing charges in connection with the death of a 7-year-old boy. The child, William Evans-Ellis, was found dead in a closet at their home in Cincinnati. Authorities…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 13, 2026 by WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate) and curated for The Nashville readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Mary LeBus, Alexis Martin, Jared Goffinet, Jordan Gartner at WSMV 4 News (NBC affiliate). To learn more about how The Nashville selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Nashville, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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