‘A disgrace’: Logan Tipton talks Ronald Exantus release
Logan Tipton’s father, Dean Tipton, said the early release of Ronald Exantus from prison is “a disgrace to Kentucky and a disgrace to the nation.” Exantus was convicted of charges related to a 2015 home invasion that left Logan, 6, dead, and his sister and dad attacked. Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity in Logan’s death, but was convicted of assault against Logan’s sisters and dad, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office shared new details on Friday morning about Ronald Exantus’ arrest in Florida. Exantus was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 9, at a home in Marion County, Florida, for failing to register as a convicted felon within 48 hours after arriving in the state.
His arrest comes days after he was released from the Kentucky Department of Corrections on supervised parole, serving roughly half of his 20-year prison sentence, officials said. He was charged in the stabbing death of 6-year-old Logan Tipton, and found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was, however, convicted of assaulting Logan’s two sisters and dad, leading to the two-decade prison sentence.
His release has sparked outrage and shock in Kentucky and across the United States.
Watch: Marion County Lt. Paul Bloom press conference on Ronald Exantus arrest
Where was Ronald Exantus found in Florida?
According to Lt. Bloom, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received information that Ronald Exantus may have moved to Florida after his prison release. They determined that he was living with family at a home in Marion County, not far from Sunrise Elementary School.
“This week, Wednesday night, we received information that he may have moved to Florida. That was a concern to us, and more specifically, to Marion County. Our intelligence unit began immediately investigating this, looking into it, and determined, yes, in fact, he was living here,” Lt. Bloom said.
“Beyond that, the more shocking and disturbing point of this, was that he had set up residence immediately next to an elementary school. When I say immediately next to it, there is a fence between his house and the elementary school,” he said.
“We put detectives between his house and the school to make sure nothing bad happened, and we’re not taking any chances,” he said. Lt. Bloom added that
Bodycam video of Ronald Exantus’ arrest
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has released the bodycam of Ronald Exantus’ arrest.
Ronald Exantus arrested in Florida: Bodycam video
Ronald Exantus has been arrested in Florida for failing to register as a convicted felon, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. His arrest comes days after he was released on supervised parole from the Kentucky Department of Corrections, serving roughly half of a 20-year prison sentence. Exantus was accused of breaking into the Tipton’s home in 2015 and stabbing 6-year-old Logan to death. He was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. He was convicted of assaulting Logan’s sisters and dad. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released bodycam video of Exantus’ arrest.
Lt. Bloom: Our hope is that he’s returned to Kentucky
“Our hope here is that he’s sent right back to Kentucky, where he came from as a violation of his probation and taken off our streets,” Lt. Bloom said.
Logan Tipton’s dad: ‘Opened up a lot of scars and wounds’
FOX 35’s Garrett Wymer covered the case against Ronald Exantus when he worked as a reporter in Kentucky. He talked with Logan Tipton’s dad, Dean, on Friday morning about his reaction to Exantus’ release and arrest.
Logan Tipton’s father on Ky. convict arrested in Fla.
Ronald Exantus, a convicted felon who served less than half of a 20-year prison sentence in Kentucky for the death of a child was arrested in Marion County after deputies discovered he had failed to register as a felon, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Ronald Exantus recently moved to Florida, investigators said, and was living in a home next to an elementary school. Exantus was convicted in 2015 for the stabbing of 6-year-old Logan Tipton’ sister in Versailles, Kentucky, a crime that shocked the community. He was found “not guilty by reason of insanity” in Logan’s death. He received a 20-year prison sentence but was released on parole after serving less than half of it. His early release and subsequent move to Florida reignited concerns about how parolees are monitored once they leave prison and cross state lines. Drew Tipton, Logan’s father, joined FOX 35’s Garrett Wymer via Zoom to talk about Logan’s life, learning Exantus was released from prison and his response to social media outrage and the word of Florida officials upon Exantus’ arrest in Florida for failing to register as a felon.
Timeline
– Dec. 7, 2015: Logan Tipton, 6, is stabbed to death inside his home. His sisters and dad were also attacked during the home invasion, reports say.
– Oct. 1: Ronald Exantus released from Kentucky Department of Corrections on supervised release, serving roughly half of a 20-year prison sentence.
– Oct. 3: Ronald Exantus receives Florida driver’s license registered to a home in Ocala, Florida.
– Oct. 6: Ronald Exantus visited the Florida Department of Corrections “West” Office. He was told to register with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office within 48 hours.
– Oct. 8: Marion County Sheriff’s Office receives information that Ronald Exantus may be in Florida.
– Oct. 9: Ronald Exantus is arrested by the Marion County Sherriff’s Office for failing to register as a convicted felon within 48 hours under Florida law.
The Source: The information is from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, MCSO PIO Lt. Paul Bloom, FOX News, and local Kentucky media reports.