Ronald Exantus officially released from prison Wednesday after serving half of 20-year sentence
*As of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, Ronald Exantus has officially been released from prison.
UPDATE: July 29 at 1 p.m.
Ronald Exantus, the man once charged in the death of 6-year-old Logan Tipton, will be released from prison Wednesday, Commonwealth’s Attorney Kelli Kearney of the 14th Judicial Circuit confirmed.
“My office has taken every lawful and appropriate action available to keep the public safe from Mr. Exantus,” a statement from Kearney read.
According to the Kentucky Department of Corrections, Exantus’ original maximum serve-out date was Nov. 24, 2035, Kearney explained. However, under Kentucky law, he received nearly nine years of sentence credit that accelerated his release.
Kearney added that the law provides mandatory good-time credit for inmates who successfully complete certain programs while incarcerated and also allows the Department of Corrections commissioner to award additional meritorious good-time credit.
As a result of those sentence credits, Kearney detailed that Exantus is being released about nine years earlier than the 20-year sentence recommended by the jury. Kearney stated that Exantus is not being released on parole or supervised release but has reached his adjusted serve-out date and is being released without further supervision.
Kearney called the outcome “deeply disappointing and frustrating” for her office, saying prosecutors pursued every lawful avenue to keep Exantus incarcerated but that sentence credit calculations and inmate releases are governed by Kentucky law and administered by the Department of Corrections.
“We recognize the fear, frustration, and concern this release has caused the Tipton family and our community,” Kearney said in a statement. “We share those concerns and remain committed to pursuing justice and advocating for victims.”
Original Story:
Ronald Exantus, the man once charged with killing 6-year-old Logan Tipton, is expected to walk free Wednesday after serving less than half of his original 20-year sentence.
He is scheduled for release on July 29 from the Kentucky State Reformatory in La Grange with no parole or probation requirements.
Logan Tipton was stabbed to death in his Woodford County home during a home invasion in December 2015. Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the murder but guilty but mentally ill on three counts of assault against Logan’s family members in 2018.
“My children live through hell every single day,” Logan’s mother, Heather Tipton, said after the 2018 verdict. “I had to tell them that he was found not guilty of killing their brother, and they witnessed it, they saw it.”
The case has taken several unexpected turns. Exantus was released early from prison in 2025 for good behavior under an old Kentucky law that classified him as a non-violent offender, bypassing the parole board’s review process. He was arrested in Florida one week later after the Kentucky Parole Board revoked his mandatory re-entry supervision for violating parole conditions.
Frustrated by the legal proceedings, Logan’s family successfully advocated for Logan’s Law in 2026. The legislation bans mandatory re-entry supervision for violent offenders, eliminates split verdicts for mental illness cases, and requires stricter mental health evaluations before release.
“You commit a crime of these violent natures, you need to be put away,” Logan’s father, Dean Tipton, told reporters in May. “You’re a danger to society, and that’s what Logan’s law is going to do, whether you’re mentally ill or not. You’re going to pay for your actions and you’re going to be held accountable.”
The Tipton family could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.
