Just days after his early release sparked national outrage, Ronald Exantus, convicted in the brutal 2015 stabbing death of a 6-year-old boy, is back in custody. The 42-year-old was arrested in Florida for allegedly failing to register as a felon.
Exantus’s freedom was short-lived following his release from a Kentucky prison earlier this month as part of a mandatory reentry program for “nonviolent offenders.”
That classification, which stemmed from a second-degree assault conviction after a jury found him not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, made him eligible for early release just ten years after the crime.
The Arrest in Florida
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in Florida confirmed it received information that Exantus, a Kentucky resident, had recently relocated to the county. An investigation quickly confirmed his location, leading to his arrest.
According to the MCSO, Exantus was arrested after he failed to register as a felon within the required 48 hours under Florida law. He is currently being held without bond in the Marion County Jail.
“I am proud of the quick response by my deputies and the inter-agency teamwork that helped locate and arrest this disgusting individual,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods. He added, “The fact that he was living right next to an elementary school is even more repulsive.”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated on social media that the state is “working to send him back to Kentucky.”
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Outrage and Calls for Reform
Exantus was convicted in the 2015 attack that killed 6-year-old Logan Tipton and injured the rest of his family in Kentucky. While a jury sentenced him to 20 years, he was convicted of second-degree assault, which under state law did not classify him as a violent offender, making him eligible for the mandatory early release program.
His brief release immediately drew widespread condemnation, including national attention from the White House, where Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison.”
The controversy is now fueling a push for legislative change. At least one state lawmaker is working to reform the law that allowed Exantus’s early release, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has stated he is willing to work with legislators on changing the mandatory reentry program.
With Exantus back in custody and authorities working toward his extradition, the focus now turns to the legal loophole that allowed a man convicted in a child’s death to walk free.
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