House Bill 422, also known as Logan’s Law, was introduced following the early release of a Kentucky man who fatally stabbed a 6-year-old in 2015.
The bill is named after 6-year-old Logan Tipton, who was killed when Ronald Exantus broke into his family’s home on Douglas Avenue in Versailles on Dec. 7, 2015.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Kentucky bill bringing sweeping changes to sentencing and parole is now law.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 422, known as Logan’s Law, on Thursday.
The legislation honors 6-year-old Logan Tipton, who was killed when Ronald Exantus broke into his family’s home on Douglas Avenue in Versailles on Dec. 7, 2015.
Exantus was sentenced in 2018 to 20 years in prison for stabbing Tipton to death. He also attacked Logan’s sister, who survived, and assaulted their father. Authorities arrested him after Logan’s father restrained him until police arrived.
During the six-day trial, the defense argued Exantus was insane at the time of the crime and experiencing psychosis. However, both sides agreed that he killed the boy.
Exantus was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity but was convicted for the violent assaults on other family members that night.
House Bill 422 was filed after Exantus was released early in October 2025 for good behavior, having served less than half of his 20-year sentence for Tipton’s death.
Under Kentucky law, the Department of Corrections was required to release Exantus on Mandatory Reentry Supervision, despite the parole board unanimously voting to keep him incarcerated each time. The board does not have authority over such releases, as the process is governed by state law.
Logan’s Law expands the definition of a violent offender and increases the time certain individuals must serve before becoming eligible for parole. It raises parole eligibility for life sentences from 25 to 35 years and restricts early release options for violent offenders.
The law also reforms the insanity plea statute and establishes a pathway for defendants with severe mental illness to receive proper treatment. Additionally, it revises mandatory reentry supervision rules to ensure that individuals convicted of violent felonies are not eligible for early release if the parole board denies parole.
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