Ronald Exantus, 42, was released from custody as a free man Wednesday in Kentucky, more than a decade after he fatally stabbed 6-year-old Logan Tipton during a home invasion in Hopkinsville. The release came despite the Kentucky Parole Board's unanimous and repeated votes to keep him imprisoned.
Background
The attack occurred on Dec. 7, 2015, when Logan's father, Dean Tipton, said he was sleeping when his children woke him, alerting him that an intruder had broken into their home. According to statements Tipton gave to WKYT, the suspect attacked him at the top of the stairs.
"He come at me with the knife," Tipton recalled. "He stood up with me on top of him, just stood up and threw me 10-15 feet across the room." The father was injured in the attack along with his two daughters.
Logan was killed in the assault. He was stabbed in his bedroom, WDRB reported. In 2018, Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity in Logan's death but was convicted of assault for his role in the attack, landing him in state prison.
The Investigation
According to Kentucky 14th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth's Attorney Kelli Kearney, Exantus was originally scheduled to remain incarcerated until Nov. 24, 2035. However, he received nearly nine years of sentence credit that accelerated his release date. He is not being placed on parole or supervised release—instead, he has reached his adjusted serve-out date and was released as a free man.
The Kentucky Parole Board had unanimously and repeatedly voted for Exantus to remain in prison. Board members faced significant threats following his initial release last year, according to chair Ladeidra Jones.
After Exantus was first released on Oct. 1, 2025—six months before his projected completion date due to mandatory reentry supervision laws—he fled to Florida. State Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office worked with Kentucky authorities after learning "this dangerous individual who murdered a child by repeatedly stabbing him in the head was in Florida." Exantus was arrested for failure to register as a convicted felon and returned to Kentucky.
Key Takeaways
- Logan Tipton was 6 years old when he was killed during a home invasion on Dec. 7, 2015, in Hopkinsville, Ky.
- Ronald Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity for Logan's death but convicted of assault in 2018.
- The Kentucky Parole Board unanimously and repeatedly voted to keep Exantus imprisoned—opposition that was overruled.
- Sentence credits accelerated his release by nearly nine years; he reached his adjusted serve-out date without parole supervision.
- Gov. Andy Beshear signed "Logan's Law" in April 2025, aimed at closing loopholes in Kentucky's sentencing and parole system.
What's Next
Kearney said her office has taken every lawful action available to keep the public safe from Exantus but that sentence credit calculations fall under Department of Corrections administration. "This outcome is deeply disappointing and frustrating for the prosecutors in this Office," she stated, adding that prosecutors share community concerns and remain committed to pursuing justice.
Logan's family continues to advocate for legislative changes. Dean Tipton posted on social media following the release: "Trying really hard to not let this break me." Logan's sister, Koral Tipton, previously told WHAS that her first thought each morning is remembering "hearing my brother screaming for help."
The Tipton family has worked with Gov. Beshear to strengthen Kentucky's sentencing and parole laws through Logan's Law, which was designed to prevent similar outcomes in future cases.