Staff Reports
In the curious world of today’s justice system, it seems the term “justice” can sometimes stretch its definition until it barely holds together. Consider the bewildering case of Ronald Exantus, a man who broke into a family’s home, played judge and executioner to a six-year-old boy, and viciously attacked his family members, yet only a few short years later, walks free. For many, this story is not just tragic—it’s infuriating.
Back in 2018, Ronald Exantus was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, but somehow mentally stable enough to be found guilty but mentally ill on assault charges. This verdict might leave one spinning. How can someone be too insane to commit murder but simultaneously deemed guilty but mentally ill of assault, committed moments later? The dichotomy here is a head-scratcher. The legal gymnastics one must perform to balance this verdict is nothing short of impressive, or deeply troubling, depending on one’s point of view.
This disturbing case began in 2015 when Exantus drove from Indianapolis to Versailles, Kentucky. No one knows why he chose that particular house, but what he did there is clear—a random act of terrifying violence. Six-year-old Logan Tipton was killed while his family was left writhing not just in physical pain but in the agony of their tremendous loss. The community came together to honor Logan back then, but perhaps their voices need to rise again to question how a person responsible for such a heinous act has been released after serving about 7.5 years of a 20-year sentence.
The absurdity of the law may suggest that a man can be insane in one second and sane the next, but anyone with a sprinkle of common sense knows reality doesn’t work like that. Yet, this legal loophole has provided Exantus an early exit from prison, leaving the Tipton family to grapple with injustice on top of their grief. It is perhaps a reflection on how our justice system, in its complexity and, some would say, misguided attempts at mercy or reform, sometimes leaves the victims’ families feeling like they’ve been punched twice.
So as Ronald Exantus steps back into society, the Tipton family must confront a painful reality that justice has not truly been served. Society must ask itself how such an outcome is even possible. This story should prompt a broader conversation about the direction in which the justice system is headed, and whether it still aligns with the core values of protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty. For the sake of victims like Logan Tipton and his family, one can only hope this is a conversation that leads to real change.
