A confessed child killer who fatally stabbed six-year-old Logan Tipton during a home invasion in Kentucky was released from prison after serving only half of his 20-year sentence—and is now due for full release in 2026 with no parole conditions. The man, 42-year-old Ronald Exantus of Indiana, was paroled in October but was back in custody just eight days later for violating his parole.
Despite admitting to the 2015 murder, Exantus was found not guilty of the killing by reason of insanity. He was, however, convicted of assaulting other members of the Tipton family during the break-in and received a 20-year sentence for those crimes. The decision to release him early and the prospect of unconditional release in just a year have sparked outrage from the victim’s family and caught the attention of national leaders.
Exantus reportedly used a combination of “good behavior” credits, education programs, and what the Kentucky Department of Corrections calls “exceptional meritorious service” to reduce his sentence by nearly half. Among the activities that earned him credit were unspecified rule-following and educational efforts while incarcerated.
Logan’s family, still mourning as they marked what would have been the boy’s 16th birthday this month, voiced deep frustration over the system. “You’ve committed a very heinous crime, and it’s just given to you,” Logan’s sister, Kora Tipton, told the New York Post. Logan’s father, George Tipton, expressed horror at the thought of encountering the man who took his son’s life in public: “There’s no reason for any of us to have to walk down the street, and possibly see our son’s murderer,” he told Lex 18.
Exantus was arrested again in Florida shortly after his parole for failing to register as a convicted felon. He had relocated to Marion County, Florida, but failed to report his status within 48 hours, violating state law.
Kentucky prosecutor Ronnie Bowling criticized the prison system’s sentence credit structure, revealing that inmates have been awarded sentence reductions for tasks like learning to play guitar, which count as educational credits. “I’ve seen people get good time credit for learning to play guitar,” he said. “It was considered an educational credit which reduced the time of their sentence.”
The case has gained national attention, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming that President Trump’s administration is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Exantus’s release. “It’s wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison,” she said in October.
