Seven-year-old William Evans died in horrific circumstances allegedly at the hands of his mother and her two transgender partners. He was found dead inside a closet in the Ohio home where they lived, with his hands and body bound with tape.

The child’s mother, 38-year-old Caitlin Evans, and her partners, 23-year-old Nessa Kinney and 33-year-old Kirby Rankin, who lived with her, are accused of burning, beating and subjecting William to water torture.

According to Lakshmi Sammarco, the Hamilton County medical examiner, the cause of death of the young boy, who had developmental disabilities, was blunt-force trauma to the head. She also described her reaction upon discovering the body, saying, “When I opened the closet door, I just froze for a moment.”

Testifying in court, police officer Kyle Smith said, “In my 21 years on the job, this is probably one of the most depraved cases of child abuse I’ve encountered: physical beatings and injuries caused by objects to the face, torso, back, as well as the upper and lower extremities.”

According to local media reports, investigators are also continuing to examine the possibility that the 7-year-old was sexually abused as the investigation into the case remains ongoing.

The boy’s biological father also testified in court. Addressing Evans through tears, he said, “Willie was my life. I trusted you to take care of him. They kept him away from me for the last nine months with lies.”

It is worth noting that this case adds to an increasing number of similar cases where the perpetrator of a crime against a minor is a member of the wider LGBTQ community, bringing new momentum to the debate on whether people with such mental issues are suitable to raise children.