Exantus case sparks scrutiny of Kentucky’s supervised release laws

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — The early release of convicted child killer Ronald Exantus has sparked widespread scrutiny of Kentucky’s supervised release program — raising serious questions about public safety, mental health evaluations, and how violent offenders are monitored after leaving prison.

ABC 36 News Now spoke with Lexington criminal defense attorney Abe Mashni, who is not connected to the Exantus case, to help explain how the system works and why this release has triggered such backlash.

“The facts of that case are horrific, 100%,” Mashni said. “In the criminal system — not just in Kentucky, but nationwide — we put a huge emphasis on the mindset of the alleged criminal. In that case, you had to have the requisite intention in order to be found guilty of that specific crime.”

Exantus was found “guilty but mentally ill” of assault and “not guilty by reason of insanity” on murder charges for the 2015 stabbing death of 6-year-old Logan Tipton in Versailles. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2018 but was released earlier this month after serving less than ten years.

Mashni explained that under previous Kentucky law, the crimes Exantus was convicted of would not have been classified as “violent offenses,” meaning he became eligible for parole after serving just 20% of his sentence.

“In 2012, I don’t believe what he was convicted of would be considered a violent offense, so he only had to serve 20% of his time before parole eligibility,” Mashni said.

That loophole has since been addressed. House Bill 5 — which took effect in July — now requires offenders convicted of similar crimes to serve at least 80% of their sentence before becoming eligible for supervised release.

Still, Mashni says the Exantus case highlights a deeper issue within the justice system.
“This is a unique case and more of an indictment on our mental health crisis in this country than our judicial system,” he said. “Where do we go from here? We need to talk to legislators and fund more mental health assistance to prevent instances like this.”

The debate over Exantus’s release has now become part of a broader call for reform — balancing justice, mental health treatment, and the safety of Kentucky communities.