More than 25 KY lawmakers urge parole board to imprison Ronald Exantus
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Twenty-six Kentucky lawmakers ask parole board to revoke Ronald Exantus' release.
- Exantus returned to Kentucky after Florida arrest; faces parole revocation hearing.
- Lawmakers urge denial of good-behavior credits and seek abolition of supervised release.
More than two-dozen Kentucky state representatives signed a letter Wednesday urging the Kentucky Parole Board to return to prison a man who was released early from a 20-year sentence this month despite killing a child.
In the letter, lawmakers asked the parole board to deem Ronald Exantus, 42, ineligible for re-release and reconsider any good behavior credit previously granted toward early release. Lawmakers wrote that Exantus’ history and recent arrest in Florida make him a threat to the community.
“While this request marks a departure from our usual policy of refraining from engaging in specific cases before the board and instead focus solely on broad policy reforms — it underscores the extraordinary nature of this situation,” lawmakers wrote in the letter. “The decision to engage directly speaks to the severity and egregiousness of the crime, and highlights just how critical it is to acknowledge its impact.”
The letter comes after Exantus, 42, was extradited to Kentucky on Tuesday following his Oct. 9 arrest for failing to register as a felon in Florida.
Exantus had been released from prison eight days earlier after serving less than half of a 20-year prison sentence for a 2015 fatal break-in and attack in Woodford County.
He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing death of 6-year-old Logan Tipton and guilty but mentally ill in the assaults of Logan’s sisters and father.
Exantus had an expected release date of 2035, but a combination of good behavior credits and completed educational and work programs significantly reduced his sentence.
He qualified for mandatory supervised release, a Kentucky law that frees eligible inmates who are within six months of their estimated sentence completion date. Inmates on mandatory supervised release are considered to be on parole and can be sent back to prison for violating the terms of the release.
His release prompted national outcry, including from the White House.
Exantus has a right to a revocation hearing in Kentucky, said Morgan Hall, spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Corrections. If he opts to have the hearing, an administrative law judge will hold a public hearing and send their findings to the parole board, which will determine whether his release should be revoked.
If the board votes to revoke Exantus’ release, he will remain incarcerated in a Kentucky state prison, Hall said.
The parole board previously denied Exantus parole on several occasions, including most recently on Sept. 30, but the state law supporting mandatory supervised release superseded the parole board’s recommendation.
Twenty-six state representatives signed the letter asking the parole board to revoke Exantus’ release, including House Majority Whip James Nemes, 39th District Rep. Matt Lockett and 88th District Rep. Vanessa Grossl. Rep. T.J. Roberts also signed the letter after previously announcing intentions to file a bill to abolish mandatory supervised release in the upcoming legislative session.
“Mr. Exantus’ actions in Florida represent a direct violation of his reentry, including failure to abide by the law in another jurisdiction and an apparent attempt to conceal his violent criminal history from the community in which he moved,” lawmakers wrote in the letter. “This deliberate concealment demonstrates a disregard for the safety of others and an ongoing risk to the public.”
The state representatives also asked the parole board to consider lifelong incarceration and mental health treatment after Exantus completes his sentence.
“Mr. Exantus’ history, combined with his recent violations, demonstrates that he remains a serious and ongoing threat,” lawmakers wrote. “Public safety demands that the Board act decisively to prevent further harm.”
